Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. High blood pressure damages your heart and causes heart problems. It also increases the chance of heart attack and stroke. Is juicing for high blood pressure the excellent remedy everyone seems to talk about?
With the prevalence of high blood pressure rising worldwide, there are a few things you can do to decrease your chances. Juicing helps provide the body with vegetables full of fiber and potassium that help to lower blood pressure.
This article will break down the best juices to decrease blood pressure and how they do so. I include some recipes along with their benefits on blood pressure.
Is Juicing Good for High Blood Pressure?
1. Detoxifying the Body
Yes, juicing provides many ingredients that help fight high blood pressure. These include potassium, fiber, and nitrates. Juicing extracts liquids from raw fruits and vegetables and concentrates the nutrients. Juicing also provides benefits such as detoxifying the body and increasing energy.
2. Potassium Miracle
Potassium relaxes tension in both blood vessels and specifically arteries. One cause of high blood pressure is the build-up of blood in the arteries. Potassium is a potent countermeasure. Potassium also decreases elevated blood pressure levels. Nitrates relax blood vessels and help improve blood flow in the body.
3. Add some Spark: Magnesium
Ingredients in juices such as spinach, banana, and melon contain magnesium. Magnesium naturally lowers blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels. The body’s most powerful antioxidant, glutathione, requires magnesium for its synthesis.
4. Fire Engines: Anti Inflammatories
Chia seeds, flaxseeds, and spinach contain Omega-3’s which have anti-inflammatory properties. This lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.
What Will Naturally Lower Blood Pressure?
- Losing weight
- Regular exercise
- Healthy diet
- Drinking less alcohol
- Reducing stress
Weight Loss
Losing weight is a great way to lower blood pressure naturally. Being overweight causes disrupted breathing while sleeping, which increases blood pressure. Carrying too much weight around the waistline also increases the risk of high blood pressure.
Regular Exercise
Regular exercise increases heart and breathing rates. This allows your heart to grow stronger and become able to pump blood with less effort. There is also less pressure on your arteries, which lowers blood pressure.
Back to the Eighties? Aerobics
Studies prove that those who take part in aerobic exercises are less likely to experience high blood pressure. Moderate to vigorous activity for 40 minutes per day is the best way to battle blood pressure.
Sweet Trap
We know that sugar and fructose increase blood pressure levels as well. But low carbohydrate and low-fat diets reduce blood pressure in individuals. Potassium is key when trying to lower blood pressure. It reduces the effects of salt on the body and eases tension in blood vessels.
Power Foods
High-potassium foods include milk, yogurt, fish, fruits, and vegetables. We should minimize consuming highly processed foods whenever possible because they contain high amounts of sodium. Sodium is a big factor in increasing blood pressure.
Too Salty?
An intake of over five grams of sodium per day increases blood pressure values. Reducing sodium intake reduces blood pressure and increases cardiovascular health.
Drink Responsibly
Alcohol also raises blood pressure even in healthy individuals. Light to moderate drinking will not pose an enormous threat. However, heavy drinkers are at a greater risk of increased blood pressure levels.
Take It Easy – Mind Body and Soul
Reducing stress in your life will decrease blood pressure. Meditation or yoga are good ways to help decrease stress. Studies have shown that yoga practices such as breath control, postures, and meditation are twice as effective at reducing stress.
Getting more sleep is another way to reduce stress and blood pressure. Blood pressure lowers when the body is asleep.
Recipes for Juicing for High Blood Pressure
Here are some juicing recipes you can incorporate into your diet to fight against high blood pressure.
Recipe 1: Green Juice
Ingredients:
- 1 x green apple
- 2 x cucumbers
- 4 x celery sticks
- A bunch of parsley
- 1 x lemon
- 1 x knob of ginger
Wash and cut the ingredients before placing them in the juicer. Serve chilled.
The potassium from this recipe will help enhance circulation and reduce the tension in the blood vessels and arteries. The lutein will prevent the wall of the arteries from thickening. Ginger prevents blood clots in arteries and blood vessels. Blood clots restrict blood from flowing and increase blood pressure.
Celery contains phthalates that help blood vessels relax and lower blood pressure levels. Parsley contains an exorbitant amount of nitrates that dilates blood vessels, improving blood flow and reducing blood pressure. Parsley is also rich in Vitamin K, which helps with blood clotting.
Recipe 2: Beetroot Juice
Ingredients:
- 1 x red beetroot
- 2 x carrots
- 2 x celery sticks
- ½ lemon
- 1 x knob of ginger
- 1 x apple
Wash all the ingredients and then cut them to fit into the juicer. Process all pieces through your juicer except for the lemon. Squeeze the lemon into the juice and serve.
Beetroot helps maintain cardiovascular health and helps lower blood pressure. Carrots contain phenolic compounds that relax blood vessels and reduce inflammation. Lemons contain plant compounds that keep the heart healthy, reducing blood pressure.
Recipe 3: Pineapple Orange Juice
Ingredients:
- 3 x carrots
- ½ pineapple
- 1 x orange
Add all the fruit into the juicer at once and process them. Serve with ice for a refreshingly chilled health drink. Oranges contain many anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. They also reduce cholesterol and increase heart health.
Juicing Tips
The juice tastes best when consumed shortly after making. The enzymes in the juice are only active for 30 minutes. A glass jar is best for storing as it will keep most of the air out. Clean the juicer immediately before the pulp dries for easy cleaning.
Conclusion – Juicing for High Blood Pressure
With the rise of blood pressure rates, everyone should be concerned with taking the steps to prevent it. High blood pressure leads to serious consequences such as heart attack and stroke. There are various steps that can be taken to decrease blood pressure, such as juicing. Juicing provides many vitamins and minerals proven to decrease blood pressure.
