Celery and
High Blood Pressure
The vegetable known as celery and high blood pressure form a good
combination towards a healthy blood flow in the arteries. Hypertension is a very common but
serious medical condition. When you
have high blood pressure, you need to lower your numbers to protect your heart and cardiovascular system.
In many
cases, it is possible to lower your blood pressure by making lifestyle
changes.
Some foods are thought
to have an effect on your blood pressure too. Celery is one of
them, when adding it to your diet you may be able to take more
control of your
hypertension.
Most of the vegetables have properties that promote cardiovascular
health. Celery
in particular is noted having compounds that cause muscles in your
arteries to relax so they can open wider. This allows blood to flow
through your vessels at a lower pressure.
Celery
has a
long history as a natural treatment for hypertension. By eating a
healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise, you
may be able to avoid prescription medications.
In
addition to lowering blood pressure, celery has other health benefits
like:
- lowering cholesterol
- being a diuretic
- reducing stress
- preventing free radical damage
- boosting the immune system
- possibly reducing or stopping the growth of tumor cells
Celery and high blood pressure do
have some degree of controversy when it comes to the amount of celery
to consume each day due to its sodium content. Some experts advise
consuming 4 stalks per day while others recommend other quantities.
Since sodium intake is an important consideration to many people with
hypertension, it is important to calculate the amount of sodium you
take in from the celery too. There are nearly 40 milligrams of sodium in
a stalk of it. A low sodium DASH diet for controlling hypertension
is based on 1500 mg of sodium in a day. A positive aspect about using
the vegetable celery and high blood pressure is that it is an easy food to add to
your diet. Many people like to munch on celery stalks as a low calorie
snack.
Celery is also good to add to soups and other foods, it be used as
garnish as well.
Because it has a high water content, it should be stored in the
refrigerator to prevent wilting. To serve, simply slice off an end and
peel away the toughest fibers. Once celery has been prepared, it is
best to eat it within a couple of days. If you plan to eat celery
regularly as a natural treatment for hypertension, it is a good idea to
choose the organically grown variety.
How to prepare
celery
Washed, organic celery stalks are great for adding to carrot juice and
green smoothies. A simple way for enjoying the blood
pressure lowering benefits of celery is to juice together three
carrots, two stalks of celery with the leaves, and one half apple. Raw
celery and its juice tastes great but so does cooked celery,
particularly in combination with carrots and potatoes. Diced celery
adds the perfect crunch to tuna or chicken salad.
With a little imagination, you won't have any trouble adding celery to
your daily diet. You shouldn't rely on celery alone
to keep your blood pressure under control. You should try to improve
your diet overall, reduce your sodium intake and get more exercise.
Most importantly, you should monitor your blood pressure frequently
because your blood pressure can be high without presenting obvious
symptoms.
Top
Return
from Celery and High Blood Pressure to Foods that Lower Blood Pressure
Back
to How to Lower Blood Pressure Fast
