If a person has high blood pressure, over time it puts extra strain on vital organs and can lead to dangerous heart attacks and strokes.
Therefore, keeping blood pressure low through healthy lifestyle habits is very important.
A potassium-rich diet can not only lower blood pressure but also reduce the risk of stroke by 24%.
While sodium causes the body to retain water, putting pressure on blood vessel walls, potassium, on the other hand, helps minimize the effects of salt on the body.
Not only does it help the body process and eliminate sodium, it also helps relax blood vessel walls.
Surprisingly, the potassium-rich food recommended by the American Heart Association to lower blood pressure is lima beans, according to Express .
Bananas are well known for being rich in potassium, but the potassium content in lima beans is almost one and a half times higher than that of bananas, with 508mg of potassium per 100g - compared to 358mg in 100g of bananas.
Research confirms the effects of potassium
The study, which analyzed 22 trials, including more than 1,600 participants, concluded: “There is strong evidence that high potassium intake reduces blood pressure in people with high blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke by 24 per cent,” the Express reported.
Bananas are known to be rich in potassium, yet the potassium content in black beans is almost one and a half times higher than in bananas.
These results suggest that increased potassium intake may help prevent and control high blood pressure and stroke.
Another analysis, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that an "adequate" potassium intake can lower blood pressure.
According to the UK's National Health Service, the average adult needs around 3,500mg of potassium a day and this is entirely achievable through diet, according to Express .
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