The surprising blood pressure lowering effects of cucumber

People who want to control their blood pressure should eat more fiber. A study published in the journal Cureus found that fiber helps lower blood pressure. Although cucumbers are not high in fiber, they contain other nutrients that help lower blood pressure, according to the health website Medical News Today (UK).

Cucumbers are rich in potassium, an electrolyte that helps the kidneys increase sodium excretion through urine.

PHOTO: PEXELS

One of the first blood pressure lowering benefits of cucumbers that should be mentioned is that they are low in sodium and rich in potassium, magnesium, vitamins A, C, and K. When combined, these nutrients, especially potassium, make cucumbers an ideal food for people with high blood pressure.

In fact, people with high blood pressure need to reduce sodium and increase potassium intake. Salt is rich in sodium, which when consumed will cause the body to retain water, increase fluid volume and put more pressure on the blood vessel walls. As a result, blood pressure increases. Meanwhile, potassium is an electrolyte that helps increase sodium excretion through urine.

A study published in the journal Hypertension found that potassium can be used as a non-pharmacological solution to lower blood pressure. Specifically, when sodium enters the body in excess, which often occurs due to a high salt diet, the kidneys will be responsible for excreting this excess sodium to regulate the amount of fluid in the body and maintain blood pressure.

Potassium also helps the kidneys excrete excess sodium. Experts recommend that adults consume about 4,700 to 5,000 mg of potassium per day. A medium-sized cucumber contains about 440 mg of potassium but only 45 calories and very little vegetable fat.

There are many ways to incorporate cucumbers into your daily diet. This vegetable can be eaten as a snack during the day or as a side dish with a main meal. Cucumbers can also be washed and eaten fresh or stir-fried. In particular, do not dip cucumbers in salt because it will reduce the effect of potassium.

However, one thing to note is that people who are taking blood thinners should not eat a lot of cucumbers. The reason is that cucumbers contain high levels of vitamin K, which can interact with blood thinners, according to Medical News Today .