Sometimes you wonder why there is so much hype about keeping ones blood pressure normal.  Just because other people are doing it, you just go with it without even having a clear understanding of the reasons why blood pressure must be regulated. In fact, you are not even aware about where to find blood pressure and what it is all about. You just observe that doctors or nurses cover your arm with some type of stiff cloth and pumps air into it. Or sometimes, you see some older individuals attach a band either around their wrist or their fingers and press some machine for some blood pressure reading.

Blood pressure is actually the pressure that is being put forth into the walls of your blood vessels, particularly the arteries. When the arteries is being measured, it shows how your heart pumps blood to be circulated to the different parts of your system and it also measures the resistance as the blood flows within the artery. According the American Heart Association, the desirable blood pressure for a normal adult is 90-119 mmHg for the systolic pressure, and 60-79 for the diastolic pressure. Of one goes beyond these ranges, they are considered to have hypertension.

Being diagnosed with having hypertension must not be taken for granted. This condition will mostly lead to several diseases, such as internal hemorrhage after an artery is injured, chronic renal problems, cerebrovascular stroke, heart attack, and blindness. There are drugs being prescribed by the physicians to help regulate your blood pressure, but these drugs, like any other drugs, causes adverse effects. Physicians will also recommend lifestyle changes, such as exercising regularly, quitting alcohol and smoking and modification of the diet. In the diet, there are specific nutrients that are necessary in order to keep the blood pressure regulated. Whether you have normal blood pressure or you are actually suffering from having too high blood pressure, you must always include potassium and fiber in your diet, and other heart-healthy foods. Included in these are the following fruits that are considered to be heart-healthy:

1. Avocados

   Even with 233 calories, about 150 grams of avocado, or a cup of it, can already provide your body with 39.1 percent daily value for fiber. Among the fruits, avocados are perhaps the highest in both the soluble and insoluble fiber. Avocados are also rich in potassium, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and folate. Compared to banana, avocados is higher is potassium. The more potassium consumed, the higher is the tendency of the systolic blood pressure to decline by approximately 4.4 mmHg and diastolic pressure to decrease by about 2.5 mmHg. The high calorie content of avocado is due to the huge amounts of fats, but these fats are heart healthy monounsaturated fats. Others do not find avocado appealing to eat as is, especially in children. Serving them with low fat milk, honey and ice, or adding them to salad may entice the discriminating palate.

2. Banana

   A piece of banana weighing roughly 120 grams may supply a normal adult with 12.2 percent of fiber and 12 percent of potassium at 105 calories. Banana also provides vitamin B6, vitamin C and manganese. The fiber and potassium content of banana has been proven to help in the regulation of the blood pressure. This was proven in a four year study of more than 40,000 male subjects, which showed that those who consume large amounts of potassium, magnesium and fiber are more likely to lower risk in developing stroke. A 19 year study was also conducted and participated by 10,000 Americans. They were able to quantify stating that those who consume an average of 21 grams fiber have 12 percent reduced risk of developing coronary heart disease and 11 percent for cardiovascular diseases. And so goes the adage, a banana a day keeps the doctor away.

3. Grapefruit

   Several studies indicate that grapefruits must not be taken when using certain kind of drugs because of the risk of decreasing the drugs absorption in the body leading to high blood pressure for those who are taking drugs for hypertension. However, without any drugs in the body, grapefruit, particularly the red grapefruit can actually decrease the blood pressure because of its antioxidant content. The antioxidants in red grapefruit can lower triglyceride level. With lower amounts of triglycerides circulating in the blood, there is less deposition of cholesterol at the blood vessels. Take note that when the walls of the blood vessels are filled with cholesterol, the flow of blood takes a lot of pressure. With half of red grapefruit yielding 73.3 percent of vitamin C’s daily value and potassium, blood pressure is regulated.

4. Melons

   Melon comes in many forms. All of them not only provides vitamin C and A, but they also provide the necessary percentage of potassium for the body. Melons have many health benefits, such as preventing prostate cancer, protection from macular degeneration, improving insulin sensitivity, and lowering blood pressure. In the case of watermelon, the fruit is rich in citrulline. Citrulline produces arginine, a protein that makes nitric oxide that line at the blood vessels. Nitric oxide is actually the substance that helps in the relaxation of the blood vessels. By increasing this substance in the body through increase consumption of melons, blood pressure is being regulated.

5. Prunes

   Three important nutrients for the cardiovascular system are contained in prunes: vitamin K, fiber and potassium. One-fourth cup of prunes can provide a third of the vitamin K daily value of the normal adult. 12.3 percent of fiber daily value and 9 percent of potassium can be provided by prunes. Prunes are actually a dried version of plums. The nutrients it can provide can help in the regulation of blood pressure, and therefore lowers the risk of developing medical complications.

6. Berries

   Berries come in many forms. There is strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, elderberry and bilberry. According to a joint research conducted by Harvard University and the University of East Anglia, berries, especially blueberries, contains anthocyanin. For a period of 14 years, about 180,000 volunteers were assessed on their dietary intake. Those who consume huge amounts of berries are less likely to develop hypertension due to the flavonol, anthocyanin.

Sources
buzzle.com
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
lisanelsonrd.com
ehow.com
sciencedaily.com