How Tomatoes Help Lower Blood Pressure
Tomatoes are a brilliant addition to any healthy diet. Yes, they’re loaded with antioxidants and vitamins, but they can also help lower blood pressure! Their superpowers don’t stop there, though: tomatoes are also significant cancer inhibitors. Why are they so beneficial to the human body? Let’s have a look.
As we’ve mentioned, this luscious fruit is packed with vital vitamins – things like vitamins A and C. Vitamin A contributes toward clearer skin and eyes. It’s also good for strengthening your respiratory tract. C vitamin helps your body to absorb iron, which is important for healing wounds and bolstering immunity.
If you’re looking for cardiovascular protection, you couldn’t find a better ally than a juicy, ripe tomato. Of course, this is how it helps lower blood pressure and keep it regulated – because it prevents LDL (bad) cholesterol from sticking to artery walls, which causes an accumulation of fat and increased blood pressure.
When your blood pressure is high, your heart must work harder to keep blood and nutrients circulating sufficiently to your body’s organs. This is because the arteries that transport it are compromised by the build-up of plaque and fat. All that extra exertion slowly damages the heart…as well as several other primary organs along with it.
Clogged arteries lead to several heart problems. When your heart isn’t healthy, you open yourself up to all sorts of complications such as arteriosclerosis, angina, kidney damage, vision problems, strokes and other associated conditions.
Can high blood pressure be cured?
Whilst high blood pressure can be treated relatively easily, it’s not curable. When you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, you’ll need to accept that it’s something you’ll have to watch for the rest of your life – but, again, the good news is that a few lifestyle changes will make it quite simple to do so. Here’s the rub: you must change your bad habits. Start with your diet. To avoid increasing your risk of developing more serious illnesses associated with hypertension, eat foods that will help it. For instance, embrace tomatoes. They protect health because they’re low in calories but high in fibre, so they’ll assist in keeping you slim.
Fabulously versatile, tomatoes can be eaten raw (in salads, sauces or as a revitalising juice) or cooked. Let your preferences guide you. There are myriad ways to enjoy the nutrient-dense tomato.
Don’t neglect the role of your GP, who has probably recommended that you control your salt intake. If you’ve been prescribed medication, do not stop taking it unless you’ve had your doctor’s consent to do so. If hypertension runs in your family, we urge you to see your GP. The same can be said if you’re a smoker, suffer from stress or crave and eat too many salty foods. Book an appointment as soon as possible.
These days, there’s no excuse for not periodically checking your blood pressure. You can do so free of charge at many large chemists’, so it doesn’t hurt too keep an eye on it. So many people can go on for long periods of time without knowing that their blood pressure is dangerously elevated. Symptoms are notoriously difficult to detect in the early stages, but the damage may be discovered too late.
As wonderful as tomatoes can be at fighting hypertension – and as easy as it is to incorporate them into your healthy lifestyle – don’t forget the other things you can do to reduce your odds of developing serious heart conditions. First and foremost: avoid any risk factors. Try to exercise at least 3 times a week. Keep a watch on your cholesterol levels, avoid foods high in saturated fat and moderate your alcohol consumption.
If your life has been mainly sedentary, do speak to your GP before embarking on a regular fitness regime. Your doctor will determine the level of physical activity you can safely pursue and give you ideas about what sorts of things you can undertake.
You really can’t underestimate the importance of a strong and healthy body as a first line of defence against many of today’s common complaints and diseases. Even where there’s no known cure, all is not lost. Making intelligent dietary choices and staying reasonably active will help keep illness at bay.
Of course, some people will be predisposed to certain risk factors sheerly by virtue of genetics, age or race. But, again: there are still ways to prevent worst case scenarios. With nature on your side, giving you ways to nurture and look after yourself, you can learn to live well for much longer.
