High blood pressure hardly shows any symptoms. Keeping track of it using a speical monitor called a sphygmomanometer, whether at home or at the doctor’s, is key. Which juice has been shown to help lower your blood pressure reading?
A sphygmomanometer is usually a digital electronic monitor that is connected to an inflatable cuff that is wrapped around your upper arm.
Blood pressure readings are represented by two numbers: one measures the systolic pressure while the other measures the diastolic pressure.
Systolic pressure
Systolic pressure is the highest level of blood pressure – when your heart beats and contracts, pumping blood through your arteries.
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Diastolic pressure
Diastolic pressure is the lowest level of blood pressure – when the heart relaxes between beats.
An example of a blood pressure reading is 120/80mmHg – this would be considered a healthy reading.
Any reading above 140/90mmHg suggest high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension.
Although symptoms of hypertension are uncommon, some to look out for include: blurred vision, nosebleeds, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness and headaches.
In the Food Science and Nutrition peer-reviewed journal, Japanese researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and Tucson Plant Breeding Institute, revealed a certain type of juice lowered people’s blood pressure.
The year-long study involved 481 participants, with the average age being 56 years old.
Throughout the experiment, they were provided with as much unsalted tomato juice as they wanted.
The participants were asked to record how much they drank and then to return these logs to the researchers every three months.
Their blood pressure was measured before and after the study period.
Results found that 94 participants who showcased untreated prehypertension to hypertension saw a reduction in their blood pressure readings. This effect were the same regardless of gender.
Specifically, the average systolic pressure (the top number) went from 141.2mmHg to 137mmHg.
And the average diastolic pressure (the bottom number) went from 83.3mmHg to 80.9mmHg.
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The researchers concluded: “Unsalted tomato juice can improve systolic and diastolic blood pressure.”
The NHS recommends lifestyle factors to help reduce your blood pressure readings.
One such suggestion is to stop smoking, another is to be more active.
Other recommendations include eating a low-fat, balanced diet and reducing your salt intake to less than six grams a day.
The NHS has eight tips for eating healthier – which you can read up on here.
It does recommend eating lots of fruits and vegetables, cutting down on sugar and saturated fats, increasing fish intake and basing meals on starchy carbohydrates.
Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and cereals are classified as starchy carbohydrates.
The aim is to include one starchy food with a main meal everyday.
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