Study Shows Whole Grains Can Lower High Blood Pressure

The study involved over 30,000 men that at the time the study began did not have high blood pressure, cancer or heart disease. Less than a third of them had developed high blood pressure 18 years later when a follow-up was done. The follow-up also showed that the men that ate more whole grain, around 52 grams a day, were 19% less likely to have developed high blood pressure than those that ate the less, around 3 grams a day.

Based on nutritional guidelines, we are suppose to eat at least 3 ounces a day of whole grain. This amounts to around 85 grams.

If wheat is a issue for you, then you can take in your daily requirements for whole grains by eating oats, brown rice and rye. For some people wheat rises their insulin levels and others are allergic to it.

If you want to obtain all of the good nutrition from the whole grain you eat, then you need to first properly prepare the whole grain. Otherwise, the phytic acid in the grain will prevent you from being able to absorb all of the nutrients.

The phytic acid combines the calcium, copper, zinc, magnesium and iron. It then prevents you from absorbing these nutrients.

To remove the phytic acid from these nutrients, you need to soak the whole grain preferably overnight. A minimal of seven hours at least. Oats have the highest levels of phytic acid and will require more soaking. Brown rice is one that has the lowest and does not require as long of a soaking period.

Along with proper exercise and reducing your salt intake, you can now start lowering your high blood pressure by adding more whole grain to your diet. But be sure to soak your whole grains in order to receive the full nutritional value of them.

Written by Denise Clay
Hickory, NC
Exclusive to HULIQ