High blood pressure: Three of the best drinks to help you lower your readings

High blood pressure means a person’s blood pressure is consistently too high and their heart has to work harder to pump blood around their body. It is easy to ignore high blood pressure as the condition doesn’t reveal any major symptoms initially. A person’s lifestyle strongly influences their risk of developing high blood pressure, with poor diet being a key contributor.

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The best way to find out if you have a high blood pressure is to have your pressure regularly checked either by your GP, a local pharmacist or using a blood pressure monitor at home.

High blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by some simple lifestyle changes such as eating healthy.

The NHS advises on cutting down on the amount of salt in your food and eating plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Adding heart-healthy drinks to your diet could make a huge difference. Combined with regular exercise and a smart eating plan, a person could help prevent and control high blood pressure.

Research shows that getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week could help prevent and control high blood pressure.

There is also three drinks that could help lower a person’s reading.

Low-fat milk

Low-fat milk is high in phosphorous, potassium and calcium which are three nutrients associated with healthy blood pressure.

Low-fat milk is also fortified with vitamin D which is a vitamin that promotes healthy blood pressure.

According to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition, swapping out full fat-dairy for low-fat diary version could help to lower blood pressure.

Hibiscus tea

Drinking hibiscus tea can significantly lower blood pressure, particularly when it is slightly elevated, according to a study in the Journal of Nutrition.

Researchers say hibiscus tea has anthocyanin and other antioxidants that may help blood vessels resist damage that can cause them to narrow.

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Pomegranate juice

Pomegranate juice is loaded with potassium and other heart-healthy nutrients and has three times the antioxidant activity of green tea or red wine.

A 2017 review of clinically sound studies found that regularly drinking pomegranate juice can significantly reduce blood pressure.

When it comes to the drink to avoid, alcohol is advised to be limited as much as possible. Exerts say any type of alcohol can make blood pressure rise. Cutting back on booze will improve blood pressure in as little as two to four weeks. The American Heart Association’s guidelines recommend no more than two drinks a day if you’re a man and one drink a day if you’re a woman. 

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