by: Charles Van Order
Are you one of the 62 million Americans over the age of six who suffers from high blood pressure? I personally found myself in awe when I went to the doctor and discovered that my blood pressure was quite high. The first thing the doctor wanted to do for me was prescribe blood pressure medicine to help maintain it. When I asked her “Once my blood pressure
returns to normal, can I stop taking the medicine?” Her answer was a plain and simple “No.” I had to make a decision right there. Was I going to take this medication starting at age 38 and be in debt to the pharmaceutical companies for the rest of my life or figure out another solution?
Since I am not much of a medication taker and even have trouble taking aspirin when I have a headache I decided on the latter. I told the doctor that I would like to try some home treatments before turning my life into my grandfather, taking pills everyday to survive. Once I got home, I immediately started researching ways to lower my blood pressure. There were the normal ways that we have all heard of, cutting out salt, doing more exercise, and alleviating stress. My research however, revealed some other information that I had never heard of. As a matter of fact, it broke down into two fruits that I already enjoyed eating.
Bananas
These inexpensive fruits are very plentiful and are available at stores year round. They are bursting with potassium. Now I knew that potassium was good to prevent muscle cramping, but I had no idea that it was beneficial in lowering blood pressure. As a matter of fact, by adding 1 1/2 to 2 bananas to your diet every day you could drop your blood pressure by 2 to 3 points.
Now I know that you are thinking that 2 to 3 points is not a lot, but actually that is enough to help cut your stroke risk by up to 38 percent. Now that is something to be excited about.
Raisins
Yes, raisins. Who would have thought that these fruits have a comparable amount of potassium in them? In fact, 1/4 of a cup contains approximately 272 milligrams of potassium. That is 10% of your daily value. But this magic fruit doesn’t stop there. It also contains a good amount of fiber as well as iron. Group that with the fact that this fruit almost never goes bad and you can keep it stored in your purse, desk at work or glove box in the car. Feel free to snack on them whenever you get a craving.
How It Works
By increasing your potassium intake, suggested about 3,000 milligrams a day, you are encouraging your kidneys to filter more pressure-boosting sodium out of your bloodstream. It also helps in aiding the tiny blood vessels to relax and makes pressure sensors in artery walls function more efficiently.
Important
Further discovery has led me to know that it is important that potassium is retrieved from eating fruit and vegetables. The reason is that relying on pills can actually be dangerous to the kidneys, especially if you are already having kidney problems. Another important note is to be careful if you are already on blood pressure medication. The reason is that you could actually raise your potassium levels too high. Be sure to check with your doctor if currently on medication before starting any diet.
How many bananas to you eat a day? Leave me a comment and let me know how you enjoy your fruit. In the morning with breakfast or as an afternoon snack? I look forward to hearing from you.
really fruitful……..