“Summer Fruit” DOWNS Blood Pressure in Just 2 Hours?

Some people would have you believe that you need to eat a kale and tofu diet to improve your heart health.

No thanks.

Frankly, I want to ENJOY what I’m eating. After all, God made taste buds for a reason, right?

Fortunately, there’s a tasty summer fruit that can lower your blood pressure and improve endothelial (the tissues lining your heart and blood vessels) function.

Both of which can dramatically reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

In recent trial including overweight and obese people with moderately high cholesterol, researchers split participants into two groups.

One group consumed a beverage containing 25 grams of freeze-dried strawberry powder for four weeks, and the other drank a placebo drink.

(This is the equivalent of about 1.75 cups of fresh strawberries.)

After just ONE HOUR, the people drinking the strawberry beverage experienced an improvement in flow-mediated dilation.

This is an indicator of how well your endothelium is functioning. Endothelial dysfunction causes blood flow problems and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

After TWO HOURS, they saw a decrease in their systolic blood pressure!

Even better? The lower blood pressure reading was maintained four weeks later.

This isn’t the first study to show that strawberries are great for your heart. Other studies have tied eating strawberries to a reduced LDL cholesterol, reduced inflammation, and lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

And in one study, people who ate 1.5 cups of strawberries per week had a 34 percent lower risk of a heart attack.

This latest study adds improving blood pressure and endothelial function to the list.

And just in time, too!

Strawberries are typically in season around May to June.

You can buy some from your local grocery store, but if you REALLY want a treat, head to a local farm and pick them yourself.

You’ll be getting some direct sunlight and getting in some good movement.

And trust me, there’s nothing like biting into a juicy strawberry fresh from the vine.

P.S. Looking for more ways to lower blood pressure? Click here to read about a five-minute exercise that can lower your blood pressure — and ultimately lower your heart attack risk.

 

SOURCE:

Manaker, L. (2021, April 13). Eating strawberries every day may support vascular health, New Study suggests. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/daily-strawberry-consumption-vascular-health-5176454