If you are trying to reduce your blood pressure, there are a few natural foods that might help:

• Barley
• Oats and oat bran
• Garlic
• Brewer’s yeast

Everyone has a different list of the top superfoods, but what most experts and nutritionists agree on is that superfoods must meet at least three of the following criteria:

• provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in abundance compared to other foods
• are unusually high in antioxidants and phytonutrients
• spark chemical reactions or processes in our bodies
• low in calories
• easy to find and buy

Even if you are not trying to lower your blood pressure, we always recommend our list of superfoods as part of a balanced diet for optimum health:

• Berries – blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, boysenberries, elderberries, raspberries and goji berries
• Pomegranate – drink 8 ounces per day (or at least a few times per week)
• Tropical fruits – mango, pineapple, passion fruit and papaya
• Sea vegetables – dulse, hijiki, kelp, kombu, nori and wakame
• Teas & Infusions – white, green, black, rooibos and Yerba Mate
• Green foods – spriulina, chlorella, blue algae
• Leafy veggies – chard, spinach, collard greens, turnip, beet and mustard greens 
• Cruciferous veggies – broccoli, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage
• Grasses & Sprouts – barley, wheat, oat, alfalfa and radish
• Walnuts & Almonds – eat a handful every day
• Fish – fatty cold-water fish like salmon, sardine and herring

If you have high blood pressure, there are foods, which are not necessarily “super” by our above definition, but they will help you lower your blood pressure.  They are:

Potassium-rich foods:

• Honeydew, cantaloupe, or watermelon   Apricots
• Prunes                                                     Bananas
• Lean veal                                                 Pumpkin
• Lima beans                                              Spinach
• Sardines                                                  Cod – not processed       
• Milk – low-fat                                           Stewed tomatoes
• Peas                                                        Orange juice
• Sweet potatoes                                       Flounder
• Peaches                                                  Green beans
• Squash – winter is best                           Potatoes
• Yogurt – low-fat

Magnesium-rich foods:

• Beans and legumes                               Okra
• Broccoli                                                  Oysters
• Spinach                                                  Chard
• Tofu                                                        Croaker
• Scallops                                                 Whole grains
• Mackerel                                                Nuts & Seeds

Eat the following calcium-rich foods:

• Broccoli                                                  Perch
• Turnip greens                                         Tofu                            
• Cheese – but only low-fat cheeses        Salmon            
• Dairy products – only low-fat                  Almonds
• Barley                                                     Bran
• Brazil nuts                                              Brown rice
• Brussel sprouts                                      Cabbage
• Carrots                                                   Cauliflower
• Coconut                                                 Corn meal
• Egg yolks (no more than 1-2 per week)Figs
• Hazelnuts (filberts)                                Leafy greens
• Kelp                                                       Lentils
• Millet                                                      Oats
• Prunes                                                   Rye seeds
• Sesame seeds                                       Soy milk
• Watercress                                             Whole wheat

Other good foods to help lower your blood pressure:

• Asparagus                                         Celery
• Currants                                            Chocolate
• Dandelion                                          Garlic
• Onion                                                 Kiwi
• Mangos