by Christina Sarich
November 07, 2013
from
NaturalSociety Website
A resurgent interest in treating
hypertension and high blood pressure with natural methods has shown
an inverse correlation between dietary potassium intake and arterial
blood pressure.
In short, if enough potassium is
included in the diet, the arteries are less clogged, and blood can
pass through them with ease and efficiency to be recirculated to the
heart.
In short again, research shows that eating more potassium-rich foods
can
lower blood pressure and boost heart health.
Other evidence also proves that
there may be a link between potassium and the modification of the
central or peripheral neural mechanism that regulates blood
pressure. Eating more potassium may even be more effective than
lowering sodium intake (which isn’t accurate anyway) to control high
blood pressure.
The recommended daily allowance is at
least 4700 mg for both women and men.
Potassium is a mineral which supports
the liver, the heart, kidneys and other organs to work properly, so
it is important for more than just controlling hypertension.
Here are 11
foods rich in potassium which
you should incorporate into your diet regularly:
-
Sweet Potatoes - Just one
medium sweet potato contains about 550 mg of potassium. They
also happen to be full of beta carotene and vitamin A.
-
Beet Greens - Not only
are these greens full of Vitamins A and K, there is a
whopping 655 mg in just a ½ cup of beet greens.
-
Potatoes with the Skin On
- Leaving the skin on your potatoes and eating just one medium
potato will offer you more than 610 mg of potassium.
-
Oranges and Orange Juice (Fresh
Squeezed, not GMO) - In 6 ounces of OJ, you can find
around 280 mg of potassium.
-
Apples and Apple Juice -
A single small apple or ½ a cup of apple juice has more than
150 mg of potassium.
-
White Beans - These great
little beans offer a source of protein, fiber and 595 mg of
potassium per ½ cup.
-
Medjool Dates - Although
you can choose dates of many varieties, Medjool dates offer
more than 550 mg per ½ cup of potassium.
-
Apricots - These
delicious little fruits, which you can eat fresh or dried,
contain 204 mg of potassium per 1 fruit or 5 dried pieces.
-
Papaya - A delicious
orange-yellow fruit, papayas will yield 391 mg of potassium
with just half a piece of fruit.
-
Prune Juice - Just 5
little prunes offers 313 mg of potassium.
-
Honey Dew Melon - Among
other potassium-rich foods, this fruit offers 365 mg of
potassium with just 1/8 of a piece.
Additional Sources
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