“We Asked Registered Dietitians the Best Fruit To Eat Every Day To Lower Blood Pressure and They All Said the Same Thing.”
There are so many ways to improve your blood pressure through diet, including limiting salt intake to 2,300 milligrams daily (OK, ideally 1,500 milligrams). That common advice may leave you rather…salty, though. What can you eat for lower blood pressure? Dr. Lauri Wright, Ph.D., MS, RDN, a registered dietitian and associate professor with USF Health, says loading up on fruits is “one of the easiest and tastiest ways to support heart health.”
“I like to call [fruit] nature’s grab-and-go snack,” Dr. Wright says. “It’s portable, naturally low in sodium, packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, and satisfies a sweet tooth without added sugars.”
That’s probably welcome news if you’re one of the nearly 120 million U.S. adults living with hypertension (almost half of the adult population). While all whole fruits can have a positive effect on your heart health, Dr. Wright says that those high in potassium are especially useful for blood pressure management.
“One of the biggest heart-health superstars in fruit is potassium,” she says. “Potassium helps counteract the effects of sodium by encouraging the kidneys to flush out excess sodium and by helping blood vessels relax. Both support healthy blood pressure.”
Julia Zumpano, RD, a Cleveland Clinic registered dietitian, says another bonus with fruit: You don’t have to put too much thought into portion sizes. However, she clarifies that some people may want to be mindful of their fruit intake, such as those living with obesity, pre-diabetes or diabetes.
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