Banana is a natural, convenient and easy-to-digest cardiac diet or heart healthy food for those who are looking to manage their heart health. Watch the video on how banana helps in managing heart health.
Banana to lower blood pressure
As banana is a potassium-rich food, it works wonders for those willing to reduce their blood pressure. Before explaining how banana reduces or balances your blood pressure, let’s take a look at how potassium works and it is actually potassium in banana that brings your blood pressure down.
How and why potassium lowers your blood pressure
Potassium is an essential mineral that balances the negative effects of sodium or salt in your body. Basically, if your body has excess salt, then it requires excess fluid, which is processed by kidneys. Obviously, the more fluid your body has, the higher will be your blood pressure. That is where the role of potassium comes in. More potassium in your body helps offset the effect of sodium/salt. It results in less fluid going to kidneys, which means less blood pressure.
Are other fruits equally helpful in managing blood pressure?
There are many other potassium-rich food items, but banana is most easily available, affordable and easy-to-digest. And yes, it has its natural peel or cover, which makes is one of most hygienic fruits.
We’ll update the post with a list of other fruits and vegetables that will help you lower your blood pressure.
Lower Blood Pressure with Beetroot
It is one of the most common blood-pressure reducing fruits. Due to the presence of nitric oxide in good amount, beetroot opens your blood vessels, which results in lowered blood pressure. Beetroot can be eaten raw or cooked or roasted to suit individual taste and needs. Personally, I like eating it raw with other leafy or green salad item. Make sure that you do not add salt to it for the desired result. Adding salt will simply defeat the whole purpose of managing high BP.
Lower Blood Pressure with Garlic
Garlic is one of the most commonly used herbs by alternative medicine practitioner in India and other Asian countries. Garlic increases the amount of nitric oxide in your body just like beetroot does, and promotes vasodilation, which widens arteries. Once your arteries widen, your blood flows more free and blood pressure come down naturally. Those who eat garlic every day in limited quantities such as 2-3 raw flakes or 4-5 cooked flakes mixed with other items, are less likely to suffer from heart issues than those do don’t eat garlic.
Will cover more heart healthy food items in our next posts.
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