FOODS FOR LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE

Sesame and rice-bran oil 
People who cooked with a blend of the two, sold at health-food stores, saw a drop in blood pressure almost comparable with the decrease that results from taking medications, according to research from the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions. Researchers believe the effect is due to the oils’ fatty acids and antioxidants such as sesamin, sesamol, sesamolin, and oryzanol.

Purple Majesty potatoes 
Eating two small helpings a day decreased blood pressure by about 4 percent without causing weight gain,according to a University of Scranton study published last year. Researchers believe the drop is likely due to the high levels of healthful antioxidant compounds in the colourful spud developed at Colorado State University. Other studies have identified in all potatoes substances that have blood pressure–lowering effects similar to those of ACE inhibitors, a type of blood pressure medication

Beet juice 
People with high blood pressure who drank about 230 ml of beet root juice experienced a decrease in blood pressure of about 10 mm Hg, according to a study published in April 2013 in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension. The magic ingredient? Nitrate, which turns into nitric oxide, a gas that widens blood vessels and aids blood flow. A glass a day could help keep blood pressure at a lower, healthier level.