27 Aug Lower BP with vit C

Posted at 23:27h in Blood Pressure, Nutrition by

An orange a day keeps high blood pressure away! Research has suggested that maintaining a high intake of vitamin C can help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke by reducing blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide closely followed by stroke as the second – scary stuff. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle in order to keep blood pressure under control.

Vitamin C has come into the spotlight as a way to naturally reduce blood pressure. Studies have suggested that vitamin C works as a diuretic encouraging the kidneys to remove excess salts and water from the body. As a result, the walls of blood vessels dilate or relax and lower blood pressure. Before you rush out and load up on vitamin C supplements, scientists advise that more research is needed to determine whether there are any implications associated with vitamin C as an ongoing treatment. Regardless, there’s no reason why you can’t load up on vitamin C rich fruit and vegetables to help your body benefit in more ways than one.

Other benefits of vitamin C

Apart from influencing a healthy blood pressure, vitamin C also:

  • Acts as an antioxidant
  • Promotes brain health
  • Aids iron absorption
  • Builds collagen

Which foods are best?

Healthy eating guidelines recommend that adults gain 45mg of vitamin C daily. Take a look at the table below for a quick guide to the best fruit and vegetables for vitamin C:

Food                  Serving size             Vitamin C (mg)

Papaya               1 medium                  168

Bell Peppers      1 cup                          117

Brussels              1 cup                          97
Sprouts

Strawberries       1 cup                          85

Pineapple            1 cup                         79

Broccoli               1 cup                         79

Oranges               1 medium                 70

Kiwifruit               1 fruit                       64
(2” diameter)

Cantaloupe          1 cup                        59

Cauliflower          1 cup                        55

Kale                     1 cup                        53

Cabbage              1 cup                       52

Bok Choy             1 cup                       44

Grapefruit            ½ medium              44

Raspberries          1 cup                      32

Tomatoes              1 cup                      25

Lemons & Limes    ¼ cup                    24

Spinach                  1 cup                     18

Written by Perri Simon

SiSU Wellness Nutritionist

Sources

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/big_doses_of_vitamin_c_may_lower_blood_pressure

https://www.heart.org/idc/groups/ahamah-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_470704.pdf

https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/vitamin-c

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=109

https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

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