Could olive oil lower your blood pressure?

It’s a common belief that a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil is good for you, but what do the experts say? Karen Evennett writes the health news pages for Candis Magazine and she has recently looked at new research from King’s College London – and the good news is that every time you dress your leaves you could also be helping yourself to lower blood pressure.

That’s because the combination of nitrite-rich veggies (eg lettuce) and unsaturated fats (eg olive oil) form nitro fatty acids, which have been proven to lower blood pressure in mice, according to this new research.

You should also aim to eat six or seven portions of fruit and vegetables daily – this amount will give you enough potassium to lower your systolic blood pressure by 3-4mmHg according to the Blood Pressure Association www.bloodpressureuk.org.

Other natural aids include vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, hawthorn tincture, CoQ10, garlic and beetroot juice, according to medical herbalist and nutritionist Lucy Stephens of www.revaclinic.com.

See more of Karen’s health news stories at www.candis.co.uk.