Lower High Blood Pressure-Eat your Fruits and Vegetables

Research shows nine or ten servings of fruits and vegetables a day is optimal for good health, but a minimum of five servings a day is recommended. The problem is that most populations are consistently not reaching even half this goal.

If you have hypertension, how a diet rich in fruit and vegetables can help to reduce your high blood pressure?

Scientists agree: there is evidence that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables reduces blood pressure. Many studies suggest that vegetable and fruit consumption is inversely related to blood pressure.

A study suggested that vegetable protein intake was inversely related to blood pressure. The researchers said that some types of amino acid and other vegetable components, like magnesium, have been shown to influence blood pressure. They concluded that a diet high in vegetable products should be part of healthy lifestyle for prevention of high blood pressure and related diseases.

Fruits and vegetables are also rich in potassium, magnesium and sometimes calcium, all of which seem to have a role in blood pressure.

Another approach suggests the benefits of fibers. In a study fiber supplementation changed both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Reductions in blood presure tended to be larger in older (>40 years) and in hypertensive populations than in younger and people with normal blood pressure. So their conclusion was that increasing the intake of fiber in Western populations, where intake is far below recommended levels, may contribute to the prevention of hypertension. Another study from China, found that fiber from cereals was associated with a lower body mass index, blood pressure, and homocysteine concentration; fiber from vegetables with a lower blood pressure and homocysteine concentration; and fiber from fruit with a lower waist-to-hip ratio and blood pressure. A third study found that blood pressure reduced by whole grains whether the fiber was predominantly soluble (barley) or insoluble (brown rice & whole wheat) in moderately hypercholesterolemic men. So they concluded that increasing whole grain foods in a healthy diet can reduce cardiovascular risk.

The “DASH” diet plan (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) was a clinical study that tested the effects of nutrients in food on blood pressure. Study results indicated that elevated blood pressures were reduced by an eating plan that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy foods and is low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol. A diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products might act as a natural diuretic that could help many people reduce blood pressure without the use of medication. The DASH eating plan includes whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts and has reduced amounts of fats, red meats, sweets, and sugared beverages.


Consider also the Mediterranean diet; a diet rich in plant-derived foods and also in fat. A study concluded that in a Mediterranean population with an elevated fat consumption, a high fruit and vegetable intake is inversely associated with blood pressure levels.

Another study examined tomato extract. Tomato extract contains carotenoids such as lycopene, beta carotene, and vitamin E, which are known as effective antioxidants, to inactivate free radicals, and to slow the progression of atherosclerosis. The purpose of their study was to evaluate the effect of tomato extract on systolic and diastolic blood pressure, on serum lipoproteins, plasma homocysteine, and oxidative stress markers. They concluded that a short-term treatment with antioxidant-rich tomato extract can reduce blood pressure in patients with grade one hypertension.


Finally scientists at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences examined the effects of short-term nitrate supplementation (nitrates: a chemical found in vegetables like spinach and lettuce) in a group of 17 healthy, non-smoking young adults. The results showed that average diastolic blood pressure was lower after three days of nitrate supplementation than it was after taking the placebo for three days. Researchers found that the nitrates help trigger the production of nitric oxide in the body, which relaxes blood vessels.

So our recommendation is: Eat your fruits and vegetables. A fruit and vegetable-rich diet can help to reduce your high blood pressure.