4 Foods to Keep High Blood Pressure in Check and Prevent Heart Disease Risk

The study was conducted on about 1,46,748 pregnant women. After a follow up of of approximately four-and-a-half years, 997 women were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and 6,812 developed hypertension.

Findings in the study showed that women with hypertension during pregnancy had a 2.2 times higher chance of developing cardiovascular diseases, compared with women without hypertension during pregnancy. They also had a 5.6 times higher risk of developing hypertension after pregnancy.

"This study highlights the need for long-term follow-up of women with a history of hypertension during pregnancy to provide early management of risk factors for cardiovascular disease," said lead author Sonia Grandi, doctoral candidate at McGill University.

Gestational hypertension, also known as pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), can lead to a serious condition called preeclampsia that can further lead to serious, even fatal complications for both mother and infant. "To efficiently tackle modern lifestyle diseases like hypertension, we need to move from curative to preventive care. Regular health check-ups, reduction of salt, sugar intake, promoting physical activity, early detection and treatment are some of the possible ways to have a preventive approach towards such diseases," Kenneth Thorpe, Chairman, Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, said in a statement.

Hypertension or high blood pressure can be tackled with the kind of diet you choose in your regime. Here are foods that help keep high BP in check -

1. Lemon

Lemon is touted as one of the best remedies for hypertension. It is known to make the blood vessels flexible, further helping in lowering blood pressure level. It contains high amounts of vitamin C that act as an antioxidant, removing free-radicals from the body.

2. Garlic

Both cooked and raw garlic can help control high blood pressure and at the same time reduce cholesterol levels. It also helps relax blood vessels by stimulating the production of nitric oxide and hydrogen sulphide.

3. Banana

Banana is a fruit that's rich in potassium content that helps in lessening the effect of sodium. Eating one-two bananas daily may help reduce the problem of hypertension drastically.

4. Celery

Celery has high amounts of phytochemical 3-N-Butylphthalide that helps in controlling blood pressure. Phthalates may help relax the muscles in and around the arterial walls, thereby creating more space and allowing the blood to flow in without any difficulty.

Including these foods in your daily diet can help lower the blood pressure in pregnant women, further reducing the risk of heart diseases.

With Inputs from IANS