if you have high blood pressure does potassium like bananas really lower your blood pressure and if so how?
Sunday, June 21st, 2009 at
8:14 PM
just curious cause i think i had high blood pressure but recently ive been eating like 4 bananas a day and ive been feeling alot better. if potassium really does lower your blood pressure how does it do this? also how else is potassium beneficial to your health?
Filed under: Potassium In Food
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Hello! I’m actually online to write a quick one page paper on exactly how bananas affect blood pressure. We are learning in my college nutrition class that bananas are a miraculous food! Also, that they definately aid in controling blood pressure- there is even a section in our text book regarding this (Nutrition concepts and controversies, 11th edition, Frances Sizer, Ellie Whitney p. 287). This is an extra credit assignment to find extended information on the topic.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has tested and established what is referred to as the “DASH” diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). For the controll of blood pressure, they reccomend sutting down on sodium and salt intake, and they also recognize the roles of three minerals that help control blood pressure: calcium, magnesium, and potassium (bananas are an excellent source of potassium, and are very low in sodium). Because of this, Chiquita bananas have been certified to be labeled by the American Heart Association.
Hope this clears things up for you! Keep eating your bananas, they definately do a body good:)
for a start potassium doesnt lower blood pressure anyway
Potassium doesn’t lower blood pressure. Why do you think you have high blood pressure?
Each and every cell, especially the ones in the heart, use potassium to function. You can have serious health problems, including death if your potassium is too high or too low (both can cause serious and life threatening heart rhythms). Usually your kidneys will help you regulate potassium levels.
To high or too low levels can be caused by taking loop diuretics (water pills), severe fluid loss through vomiting and/or diarhea, or kidney disease.