Is Kiwi Good for High Blood Pressure? (Expert Answer)

Short Answer: Kiwi is good for high blood pressure. Because it has vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants and they can lower blood pressure by relaxing your blood vessels, reducing inflammation, and protecting your cells from oxidative stress.

High blood pressure is a condition that affects your blood vessels and heart.

In high blood pressure, your blood exerts too much force against the walls of your arteries, making your heart work harder to pump blood throughout your body.

This can lead to various health problems, such as heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, and vision loss.

One of the key factors in managing high blood pressure is diet.

What you consume can affect your blood pressure levels, which can impact your high blood pressure symptoms and overall health.

To effectively manage high blood pressure, you should consume potassium-rich foods like bananas, potatoes, and spinach and avoid sodium-rich foods like processed meats, canned soups, and salty snacks.

Now, kiwi is a small fruit that has green or yellow flesh and tiny black seeds.

People usually eat kiwi raw, peeled or unpeeled, or add it to salads, smoothies, or desserts.

Kiwi is good for high blood pressure because it contains vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants.

These nutrients can help lower blood pressure by relaxing your blood vessels, reducing inflammation, and protecting your cells from oxidative stress.

One kiwi (69 grams) can give you 64 mg of vitamin C (71% of your daily needs), 215 mg of potassium (5% of your daily needs), and 1.4 mg of vitamin E (9% of your daily needs).

Vitamin C can lower blood pressure by improving the function of your endothelium, the inner lining of your blood vessels that regulates blood flow and pressure.

Potassium can lower blood pressure by balancing the effects of sodium, which can raise blood pressure by causing your body to retain water and increase blood volume.

Antioxidants can lower blood pressure by preventing or reversing the damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can harm your blood vessels and impair their ability to dilate and contract.

Furthermore, kiwi is a fruit and fruits are good for high blood pressure.

Because, fruits are low in calories, fat, and sodium, and high in fiber, water, and phytochemicals, which are plant compounds that have beneficial effects on your health.

You can eat two to three kiwis per day safely.

More than that can cause digestive issues, such as bloating, gas, or diarrhea, due to the high amount of fiber and fructose in kiwis.

Also, you shouldn’t eat kiwi if you have a kiwi allergy or a latex allergy to prevent an allergic reaction.

Because, kiwi contains a protein called actinidin, which can cross-react with latex and cause symptoms like itching, swelling, or difficulty breathing.

You can buy fresh kiwis in your local market or can order them online.

Always choose kiwis that are firm, plump, and have smooth skin.

Because, these are signs of freshness and ripeness.

You can store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or at room temperature for up to five days.

Finally, remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management and essential medical care is key to managing high blood pressure effectively.

I always recommend my high blood pressure patients to follow a high blood pressure-friendly diet to improve their overall well-being, and enjoy a longer and healthier life.

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About the Author

Abdur Rahman Choudhury

Abdur Rahman Choudhury is a nutritionist in West Bengal, India, with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biochemistry.

He has done his diploma in nutrition from Fabulous Body Inc (US), and completed various certification courses from several universities. He also has considerable research experience in PCOS.

Abdur currently lives in India and keeps fit by weight training and eating mainly home-cooked meals.

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