As people age, their blood pressure tends to creep up. About half of those in their 60’s have high blood pressure, and if you survive to your 80’s, you have a 90% chance of being afflicted. But a fascinating new study provides some hope.
Researchers rounded up 110 people who already had diseased arteries and divided them into two groups. Both groups had good medical care, but the second group had ground flax seeds added to their diets. The first group had no change to their blood pressures. But those who ate the flax reduced their blood pressures by 7-10 points. That’s more than what most blood pressure pills will do! And what’s even more amazing – the flax only affected those with high blood pressure. Those who started the study with normal blood pressure saw no change.
These amazing little seeds have a hard, outer coat that’s too tough to chew. Swallow them whole and they’ll go right through you. To get the benefit, you need to grind them with a spice or coffee grinder. Sprinkle the powdered flax seeds on your cereal or salads. Sneak them into a healthy muffins or banana bread. You can even use them as an egg substitute in baked goods. Just use 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds and 3 tablespoons of water for each egg.
How much powdered flax seeds should you eat? Common recommendations are 1 to 2 tablespoons a day. The research subjects that had the amazing drop in blood pressure consumed 4 tablespoons a day.
Try the flax and see if it can take some pressure off for you!
by Dorothea Sarli, Nutritionist