When you think about foods that lower blood pressure, reducing salt probably comes to mind along with potassium-rich foods. Your diet should also be stocked with fruits and vegetables. One food that you may not associate with lower blood pressure is sardines.
Living with high blood pressure can be quite dangerous because it can be symptomless while causing damage to your heart. When symptoms do present themselves, that is when damage has progressed so far that you are either on the cusp of a cardiovascular-related event or in the middle of one.
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Diet is just one part of lowering one blood pressure. For greater success, it should be combined with regular exercise, reducing your alcohol intake, not smoking, and reducing stress.
Sardines should be a part of your blood pressure-lowering diet. Although it may seem like an uncommon food for blood pressure, they are actually a great choice because they contain calcium and it is known that calcium can lower blood pressure.
When you think about calcium, you probably think of dairy items, but sardines pack 382 mg of calcium, making them a great non-dairy alternative.
To further reduce blood pressure, Italian researchers took patients taking hypertension medications and made them listen to soothing classical music, Celtic, or Indian music for 30 minutes each day while breathing slowly. After a week’s time, the participants’ blood pressure dropped 3.2 points. After a month, it reduced 4.4 points.
By incorporating healthy eating habits, healthy hobbies, and other lifestyle changes including exercise and not smoking, you can achieve reduced blood pressure. This can go a long way in protecting your heart.
Also read: 21 foods that raise blood pressure level
