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The number of Americans with high blood pressure continues to climb every year. The American Heart Association estimates that currently, one third of U.S. adults over age 20 have high blood pressure. Incorporating more potassium in your diet may be the key to lowering it.
High blood pressure is a serious disease because it often has no symptoms, so it goes undetected for years. Left uncontrolled, it can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or kidney failure. The only way to determine if your blood pressure is high is to have it checked.
We used to think that controlling our sodium intake was the best way to keep blood pressure in check. It was not until 2005 when the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans came out that attention was given to the influence potassium has on our health.
The new guidelines sparked interest in the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which limits sodium intake to control hypertension. It also recognizes the role of three other minerals – calcium, magnesium, and potassium – in lowering blood pressure.
Volunteers who participated in the DASH study ate nine to 11 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, three servings of low-fat dairy foods, and lower amounts of sodium. The benefit of potassium was confirmed when their blood pressure decreased within two weeks of following the DASH diet.
The latest guidelines from the Institute of Medicine encourage Americans to consume 4,700 milligrams of potassium each day. Food is the best way to get the potassium you need, and most fruits and vegetables are full of it. If you thought bananas were your best bet for potassium, think again.
1,000 mg
Avocado (1 cup
Baked potato (8 ounces with skin)
Edamame (1 cup shelled, cooked)
750 mg
Winter squash (1 cup, cooked)
Tomato sauce (1 cup)
Salmon (6 ounces)
500 mg
Bananas (1 large)
Orange juice (1 cup)
Yogurt (1 cup plain low-fat)
250 mg
Broccoli (1/2 cup, cooked)
Orange (1 medium)
Milk (1 cup)
By eating fruits and vegetables throughout the day you will do more than just lower your blood pressure. They contain many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and the fiber in them will keep you full.
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