High blood pressure is triggered by a series of unhealthy lifestyle decisions, and the cumulative effect can heighten your risk of developing life-threatening complications. Luckily, the condition can be reversed by making healthier lifestyle decisions and evidence is increasingly shedding a light on the foods that provide optimal benefits.
According to a study by the US Heart Foundation, research investigating the health benefits of eating sunflower seeds has found that a compound in sunflower seeds blocks an enzyme that causes blood vessels to narrow and tighten.
In addition, the magnesium contained in sunflower seeds has been shown to reduce blood pressure, said the study, which was published in US and UK newspapers.
The study said sunflower seeds are also rich in unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid, adding that the human body uses linoleic acid to make a hormone-like compound that relaxes blood vessels, promoting lower blood pressure.
According to results published by the Association’s journal, when complemented with a diet that’s low in saturated fats, eating walnuts may also help lower blood pressure.
In a randomized, controlled trial, researchers examined the effects of replacing some of the saturated fats in participants’ diets with walnuts.
They found that when participants ate whole walnuts daily in combination with lower overall amounts of saturated fat; they had lower central blood pressure.
