Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Are "superfoods" effective blood pressure remedies?

In my previous post I discussed a number of foods that have become known as “superfoods” for their ability to lower blood pressure and deliver other health benefits. Some of these foods such as garlic, chocolate, chilli peppers and beetroot do indeed produce documented reductions in blood pressure.

So it’s only natural that they get promoted as health remedies. On the web you can read about the “Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy” and other natural blood pressure remedies involving foods. Many superfoods are produced as supplements and promoted as health remedies.

But can eating any of these superfoods (or even all of them) really prove an effective high blood pressure remedy?

The short answer is no. There’s a big difference between lowering blood pressure a few points and being a practical and effective remedy. The vast majority of people suffering hypertension need double-digit reductions, especially in systolic blood pressure, and none of these foods deliver results that are even close.

And, unfortunately, the effects of specific foods do not seem to be cumulative. So eating a whole menu of superfoods (if you could stomach it) does not add up to big drops in blood pressure.

There are also a lot of practical problems with foods as high blood pressure remedies…

The amount of a food required to get even modest blood pressure reductions is often impractical or even unhealthy. Take chocolate, for example (not a hard thing to do!). In my previous post I cited a German study in which participants got lower blood pressure eating just a few grams of chocolate a day. The reductions averaged a whole 3 points systolic and 2 points diastolic! This is barely significant statistically. And in practical terms, though any reduction is helpful, it’s nearly insignificant.

The amount of chocolate needed for big blood pressure reductions is unhealthy

But in another test in Italy subjects dropped their blood pressure by an average of 12 points systolic and 8.5 points diastolic. These are truly significant reductions.

Unfortunately, the amount of chocolate required to get these results was 100 grams a day! The amount of sugar and calories from this amount of chocolate is unhealthy and counteracts the benefits to blood pressure.

Time for my bedtime beetroot smoothie!

Another practical issue that prevents superfoods from being effective blood pressure remedies is that their effects are only temporary, lasting from just hours to a day at most. That’s why it’s necessary to consume them every day. Of course this is also the case with medications but popping a pill does not present a practical problem. The only ones who could enjoy a daily half-liter of beetroot juice are the growers and food processors!

So in general, “superfoods” are not effective blood pressure remedies. Sure, it’s a good idea to include them in a healthy diet but don’t count on mind-blowing results. It may even be that the whole concept of superfoods is misguided… Either no foods are superfoods or all foods are superfoods.

For real effects on your blood pressure and overall health think DIET, not “foods”. And that’s what I’ll write about in my next post.