The #1 Best Food To Eat If You Have High Blood Pressure, Says Science

Being told you have high blood pressure can be scary and overwhelming. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to manage this diagnosis by talking with a doctor and making certain changes to your daily life.

One of the changes you can make to help lower high blood pressure is by switching up some of your eating habits. For example, one of the best foods you can eat if you have high blood pressure is fatty fish.

It's important to note that fatty fish isn't a miracle food that will automatically lower your blood pressure, but it can provide you with helpful nutrients for managing hypertension. Overall, lowering your blood pressure is a process that requires healthy eating habits, significant lifestyle changes, and oftentimes medication as well.

Fatty fish, which most commonly includes salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring, is proven to be an excellent heart-healthy choice mainly due to its high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3s are a type of fat known as essential fats. This means that unlike other types of fat that your body can make on its own, omega-3s need to be consumed by food products or supplements. One of the most common and effective ways of doing this is by consuming fish, either by eating fatty fish itself or taking a fish oil supplement.

Omega-3s are excellent for your overall heart health and reducing the risk of heart disease. For example, this fat has been found to help reduce triglycerides, which is a fat found in your blood that increases your risk of disease when the levels get too high.

Omega-3s (like those found in fatty fish) have also specifically been proven to help you lower and manage your blood pressure levels. According to a study from the Journal of Internal Medicine, consumption of fish oil was associated with lower incidents of hypertension.

And in another study of overweight young adults, eating salmon three times a week was linked to lower blood pressure levels. These results were similar to those who took fish oil supplements, but the results were better than those who ate "leaner" fish varieties.

As you can see, it may be helpful to eat more fatty fish on a regular basis as part of a healthy diet. Talk with your doctor before making any of these changes. And remember, lowering your blood pressure requires more than just adding in certain foods. But it's certainly a good place to start!

For more tips on heart health, check out these 26 Best Omega-3 Foods to Fight Inflammation and Support Heart Health.