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Making simple changes in your diet and lifestyle can yield powerful results for managing your blood pressure, and that includes what you drink. Something as easy as adjusting and expanding your beverage choices can help to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.
Simple changes to what you sip every day can lead to some big heart health benefits.
Tea
Tea is a hugely popular drink around the world, but when it comes to blood pressure, not all teas are created equal. A 2014 literature review compared the effects of black and green tea on blood pressure. The results showed that long-term intake of both black and green tea lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, green tea showed the most significant reduction in blood pressure.
Skim milk
Skim milk and other low-fat dairy products like yogurt are a key component of the Dietary Strategies to Stop Hypertension or DASH diet, a science-based set of recommendations for preventing and treating high blood pressure.
In a 2011 literature review, researchers examined the intake of low- and high-fat dairy products in 45,000 adults and how each affected blood pressure. The conclusion was that the consumption of low-fat milk was associated with a lower risk of high blood pressure.
Add two to three servings of low-fat milk products to your diet each day. Take them as a glass of skim milk with your meals, add it to cereal, or use it as a base to your smoothie. Steamed skim milk is also a great addition to coffee.
What about coffee and alcohol?
Coffee and alcohol have varied effects on blood pressure.
Coffee
There has been a longstanding source of controversy about the effect of coffee on blood pressure. Caffeine appears to produce a temporary spike in blood pressure. But this seems to be less pronounced in regular coffee drinkers.
According to a 2017 literature review, moderate coffee consumption is safe, and may be beneficial for people with high blood pressure. If you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, you probably don’t need to cut out coffee completely, but it might not be the best time to start drinking coffee if you don’t already.
Alcohol
The effect of alcohol on blood pressure is complicated. Generally, it’s thought that moderate alcohol consumption — one drink per day for women and two per day for men — is beneficial in lowering blood pressure. But some research suggests that even moderate drinking may pose risks to heart health.
In addition, you shouldn’t mix blood pressure medications and alcohol.
When it comes to alcohol consumption, the American Heart Association recommends that if you don’t drink already, don’t start. If you do drink, talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of consuming alcohol in moderation. Some people should not drink at all, like women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, people under age 21 and people with certain health conditions.
References
- https://www.healthline.com/ health/drinks-to-lower-blood-pressure
- https://www.heart.org/en/ healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/alcohol-and-heart-health