If you have high blood pressure, consume three pomegranates a day for three months at least, as per the nutritionist.
By Daphne Clarance: Pomegranates are among the most common fruits in India. While there are several benefits to having pomegranates, nutritionist Anjali Mukerjee shared, on Instagram, that having them every day for specific reasons could benefit the body.
"Pomegranate is very powerful anti atherogenic agent. It has very powerful antioxidants which clean the arteries, reduce blood pressure, protect the heart and prevent clogging of the blood vessels," she wrote in her post.
For those people having high blood pressure, it is a good idea to consume three pomegranates a day for three months at least, as per the nutritionist. "This will benefit their cardiovascular health and also lower blood pressure besides providing powerful antioxidant support," added the expert.
But simply consuming three pomegranates isn't enough to have a healthy heart. To lower blood pressure and keeping the arteries healthy, it is important to make certain lifestyle changes to enjoy its full benefits.
"A heart-healthy diet will help you in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, and decreasing the risk of diabetes, along with maintaining a healthy weight," she added while listing the ways in which you can make certain modifications to your lifestyle.
Eat more fibre: Eat whole grains instead of white breads and pasta.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
Limit dietary cholesterol-reduce consumption of whole milk, cheese, etc.
Eat healthy fats: Nuts, olive oil and avocado.
Avoid trans fats and saturated fats - found in processed foods.
Limit salt intake - high sodium in salt contributes to high blood pressure.
Limit alcohol intake as it contributes to weight gain as alcohol is high in calories.
Quit smoking.
Further, the nutritionist added that other supplements to protect the heart are white tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, a major polyphenol found in green tea), grape seed extract, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.
"However, one needs to incorporate a healthy diet along with the above-mentioned supplements to get the full benefit. I believe that good nutrition can take you a long way," Anjali Mukerjee underscored.