What Are the Best Whole Grains for High Blood Pressure?
If you have high blood pressure, you know it’s important to watch your sodium intake, get regular physical activity and eat plenty of fruits and veggies to help manage your condition and improve your heart health. All great steps to take! But here’s what might surprise you: While it’s true that bumping up your produce intake may reduce your blood pressure, that’s not the only category of food that can lower your numbers, according to a 2023 systematic review of studies published in the European Journal of Nutrition.
How Eating Whole Grains Supports Healthy Blood Pressure: Unlike refined grains (think: white bread, white rice and sugary breakfast cereals), whole grains contain all three components naturally found in grains—the endosperm, germ and bran. The refined kind, on the other hand, have the bran and germ stripped out, leaving only the endosperm.
Why does that matter? Because the germ and bran contain antioxidants, fiber and specific micronutrients—all key components of a heart-healthy diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend all Americans make half or more of their grains whole grains. Whole grains have also been called out by expert panels like the American College of Cardiology, and the European Society of Cardiology as an important category of food to help lower high blood pressure.
Excerpted from Eating Well
