Eating more veggies can lower blood pressure

Eating fruits and vegetables is essential in remaining healthy, but new research from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, reinforces that notion.

The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, found that eating potassium-rich foods like sweet potatoes, avocados and bananas can significantly lower blood pressure. Research was spearheaded by Alicia McDonough, PhD, a professor of cell and neurobiology at the university.

"Decreasing sodium intake is a well-established way to lower blood pressure," McDonough said. "But evidence suggests that increasing dietary potassium may have an equally important effect on hypertension."

In her study, McDonough examined the link between blood pressure, dietary sodium and potassium. Results showed that high dietary potassium was linked to lower blood pressure, regardless of sodium intake. Even other research has suggested that potassium provides a direct benefit for blood pressure levels.

"When dietary potassium is high, kidneys excrete more salt and water, which increases potassium excretion," McDonough says. "Eating a high potassium diet is like taking a diuretic."

But ensuring one gets enough potassium can be difficult because humans natural crave sodium more often.

"If you eat a typical Western diet," McDonough said. "Your sodium intake is high and your potassium intake is low. This significantly increases your chances of developing high blood pressure.”