Romaine lettuce could help lower your blood pressure

Darielle Britto | Mar 29, 2019, 11:58 IST
Romaine lettuce helps lower blood pressure because it is low in sodium. The crispy green is packed with nutrients and low in calories.

The leafy green vegetable also contains potassium, which has been found to helps lower blood pressure. Romaine lettuce contains loads of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. You can consume this lettuce on a daily basis by putting it in salads like a Caesar salad or in a sandwich. You could also eat it on its own as a snack.

A diet rich in potassium, magnesium, and fibre and low in sodium can help manage hypertension for people living with the condition. Eating leafy green vegetables is essential for people living with this condition because they are high in potassium and can reduce the ratio of sodium. A cup of romaine lettuce contains just milligrams of sodium.Researchers have found leafy greens like romaine lettuce can help manage blood pressure levels. Turnip greens, collards greens, spinach, and kale are other greens you could also try to incorporate in your diet. A new study published in the journal Nutrients has also found that vegan diets can help lower blood pressure. A plant-based diet can significantly improve a person's overall health.

High blood pressure or hypertension has become a growing issue around the world. In India, one in five young adults reportedly lives with high blood pressure, according to research presented at the 70th Annual Conference of the Cardiological Society of India (CSI) in 2018.“However, in absolute numbers, this is a huge population. A bigger problem is that people are normally not aware that they have hypertension. This could potentially be a grey area affecting the numerical estimation," Dr Ramakanta Panda told a news portal. Managing the condition is crucial as it can lead to serious health issues like heart failure, kidney disease, stroke and vision loss.

There are various factors that contribute to people developing high blood pressure. “The basic reason for high blood pressure is atherosclerosis. There are multiple factors responsible which lead to atherosclerosis resulting in hypertension which include stress, sedentary lifestyle, faulty food habits, lack of exercise etc," Dr Vijay D’silva, critical care specialist of a heart institute, told a news portal. Adding, "A small group of patients with high blood pressure have what is called secondary hypertension, in which the high blood pressure is the result of another condition or illness, such as kidney diseases, disorders of the thyroid, pituitary or adrenal glands, pregnancy, obesity and sleep disorders and adverse effects of medicines.”

Experts say diet and exercise should be an essential component to not only managing the condition but also to avoid it altogether. “You can work to reduce your risk for hypertension by following a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and being physically active,"interventional cardiologist Dr Nilesh Gautam, told a news portal.
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