Foods To Lower Blood Pressure In Pregnancy

This post was most recently updated on July 25th, 2023

Hypertension is a common symptom during pregnancy. There are many foods that help lower blood pressure that you should know to prevent this symptom such as cucumber, olive oil, potatoes, and some other foods.

High blood pressure often causes problems during pregnancy and can lead to pre-eclampsia, a very dangerous complication in pregnancy. Therefore, you should include foods that help lower blood pressure. From there, you will have a safer pregnancy.

Here are the 12 foods that you need to take during pregnancy to lower blood pressure:

Foods that play a significant role in lowering blood pressure during pregnancy:

1. Apple- Foods rich in calcium- Celery- Cucumber- Foods rich in Vitamin C- High-fiber vegetables- Garlic- Olive Oil- Parsley- Foods rich in potassium- Vegetable juice- Beetroot

Apple

Apples are very helpful in helping lower blood pressure because this fruit has a diuretic effect and helps reduce the concentration of sodium in the blood. This really helps the kidneys a lot. During pregnancy, the kidneys must work harder to get rid of waste from the body. Therefore, eating apples will lower sodium levels and let the kidneys relax.

Foods rich in calcium

According to some researchers, foods rich in calcium help control blood pressure during pregnancy very well. High blood sodium levels are often the cause of high blood pressure in pregnant women.

Calcium tends to help lower blood pressure. That’s why calcium-rich foods like milk are recommended by doctors during pregnancy.

Celery

Celery is commonly used in Asian cuisine for centuries. A recent study conducted at the University of Chicago found that substances in celery can lower blood pressure. This vegetable helps to reduce the concentration of stress hormones, so it helps pregnant women feel relaxed.

Cucumber

Cucumber helps cool the organs in the body. A glass of cucumber juice, mixed with honey and lemon can help pregnant women reduce hypertension.

This food is quite safe and does not cause any side effects. You can drink this juice twice a day and enjoy pregnancy without too much hassle.

Foods rich in Vitamin C

Fruits like lemons and oranges are great for reducing blood pressure in pregnant women. Vitamin C directly affects hormones and helps the body maintain a stable temperature. That is why women should eat vitamin C rich fruits during pregnancy.

High-fiber vegetables

Fiber-rich vegetables like cabbage are great for lowering blood pressure. Fiber is good for blood vessels and helps strengthen the heart’s function.

Fiber has the ability to control and regulate blood flow through veins and arteries to help you have a gentle pregnancy. In addition, fiber is also good for the digestive system.

Garlic

Although garlic is a food that enhances the taste of the dish, it also has a great effect on blood pressure. During pregnancy, you often experience artery spasm. The cause of this condition is due to the hormonal changes of the body.

Eating lots of garlic keeps arteries from constricting and blood is carried to the placenta. Therefore, garlic also helps you have a healthy pregnancy.

Olive Oil

Eating plenty of cooking oil and greasy foods is thought to be harmful during pregnancy. However, taking olive oil is considered to have a positive effect on blood pressure. A study conducted by the University of Kentucky, USA, shows that olive oil can help lower blood pressure. So, if you are pregnant, you can use olive oil to mix salads, sprinkle on dishes or stir fry, not use olive oil to fry food, because the smoke point of olive oil is lower than other oils. If fried at high temperature, the flammable oil causes toxic substances to the body.

Parsley

Parsley is a very useful food that pregnant women should eat. It strongly and positively affects adrenalin and the thyroid. That’s why this vegetable helps relax veins and arteries.

Pregnancy causes adrenalin to increase. This has a negative effect on your pregnancy. So when you cook soup, don’t forget to add this spice vegetable.

Foods rich in potassium

A recent study showed the effects of potassium on pregnant women’s blood pressure. Pregnant women need to maintain a certain amount of potassium in the body. If not, a sudden rise in blood pressure can cause various problems. Therefore, it is important that you balance your diet to ensure an adequate intake of potassium. Foods high in potassium are bananas, tomatoes, watermelons, yogurt, beans, etc.

Vegetable juice

Vegetable juices like carrots or spinach also help lower blood pressure in pregnant women. You can squeeze carrots with spinach and use it daily throughout pregnancy. In addition to promoting health, these juices also help calm the nervous system and help control the amount of sodium in the blood.

Beetroot

Beetroots are a very special food that you need to consider adding to your diet. Beets are rich in nitric oxide, which helps to open blood vessels and lower blood pressure. You can use beetroot soup to cook soup with carrots, potatoes or make juice.