The American Heart Association estimates 80 million adults have hypertension (i.e. high blood pressure), which raises the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Thankfully, recent studies suggest that consuming these three foods can lower your blood pressure and keep your ticker ticking—so dig in!
Blueberries
After eating 22 grams of freeze-dried blueberry powder daily for eight weeks, postmenopausal women experienced a significant drop in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Get more: Top pancakes or Greek yogurt with fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries, or add 1/2 scoop of blueberry powder (Found in your local natural products tore) into your morning smoothie.
Pistachios
In a 2014 study, adults with controlled type 2 diabetes who ate 150 pistachios (3 ounces) per day for four weeks experienced reduced systolic blood pressure during sleep.
Get more: Sprinkle crushed pistachios over roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, or Brussels sprouts. Or toss whole pistachios with fresh salads.
Tea
Researchers monitored 1,109 Chinese men and women for five years and found that those who drank green or black tea daily had lower diastolic blood pressure than subjects who never drank tea.
Get more: Swap tea for vegetable broth in soup recipes or curries. Try adding fresh kiwi slices to unsweetened green tea to sweeten the taste.
