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Is cinnamon good for high blood pressure?

Cinnamon May Help Lower Your Blood Pressure Cinnamon, in addition to being flavorful and associated with a number of health benefits, may also help reduce your blood pressure, according to a study published in April 2021 in the Journal of Hypertension.

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If you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, or high blood pressure, your doctor has probably advised you to make a number of lifestyle modifications, such as exercise and dietary changes. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), eating a diet of nutrient-rich, low-sodium foods can lower blood pressure naturally. “Natural nutrients are generally more packed with good antioxidants, which may get damaged when prepared for storage,” says John Higgins, MD, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the UTHealth McGovern Medical School in Houston.

Dietary Recommendations Include Prioritizing Unprocessed Foods

Dietary recommendations from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute — called the Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension, or the DASH diet for short — promote eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean sources of protein such as fish and poultry, beans, nuts and vegetable oils, while also limiting saturated fats, refined grains, processed foods, and added sodium. The advantage of getting these nutrients through whole foods, rather than through supplements, is that our body is able to use them better. “A number of times when we have just separated out the one nutrient that we think is good, such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, or vitamin E, and given it as a concentrated pill, it has been shown to be either not as effective or completely ineffective when compared to the natural foods,” Dr. Higgins says.

What Is Considered High Blood Pressure?

According to the guidelines by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, published in May 2018 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the criteria for high blood pressure are as follows:

Normal Less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg)

Less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) Elevated Systolic between 120 and 129 mmHg and diastolic less than 80 mmHg Systolic between 120 and 129 mmHg and diastolic less than 80 mmHg Stage 1 Systolic between 130 and 139 mmHg or diastolic between 80 and 89 mmHg Systolic between 130 and 139 mmHg or diastolic between 80 and 89 mmHg Stage 2 Systolic at least 140 mmHg or diastolic at least 90 mmHg Systolic at least 140 mmHg or diastolic at least 90 mmHg Hypertensive Crisis Systolic over 180 mmHg or diastolic over 120 mmHg, with patients needing prompt changes in medication if there are no other indications of problems, or immediate hospitalization if there are signs of organ damage A large study of more than 9,000 patients, published in May 2021 in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that participants who got their systolic pressures below 120 mmHg saw their incidence of heart failure, heart attack, stroke, and death drop substantially in comparison with those who followed a more standard treatment plan, where the goal was to reduce their systolic pressure to less than 140 mmHg.

Lifestyle Changes Recommended for High Blood Pressure

The American Heart Association encourages people with high blood pressure to:

Eat a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, and whole grain foods, as well as fish and skinless poultry

Limit alcohol

Increase their physical activity

Lose weight

Reduce the amount of sodium in their diet

Quit smoking

Manage stress

If you’re worried about your blood pressure, the first step is to see your doctor, in order to have your blood pressure checked. Then, after a discussion with your healthcare provider, it can help to start incorporating some of these foods into your meals. Your taste buds and your heart will thank you.

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Lean meats -- turkey, chicken breast and lean cuts of ham or roast beef -- are low in fat and a great source of healthy protein. Steer clear of higher-fat options like bologna, liverwurst and salami.

Ready-made foods also fill the chilled cases, and you really should proceed with caution when browsing these. The chicken, egg, tuna and macaroni salads may look tempting, but many of these foods are brimming with mayonnaise and saturated fat. A 1/4-pound container of traditional macaroni salad has almost 500 calories and more than 20 grams of fat! Better choices would be salads with vinaigrette dressings and whole grains like brown rice salads or bulgur wheat. Still, you should keep portions to 1/2 cup or so to be on the safe side. While not full of mayo, they're often drenched with oil instead.

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