Numerous studies point to fruits and vegetables as anti-high blood pressure agents. The new Harvard study showed that the women who ate the most fruits and vegetables were the least likely to have high blood pressure. Vegetarians generally have lower blood pressure than meat eaters, and switching to a vegetarian diet can lower blood pressure, other studies show. Preuss says garlic also works by dilating blood vessels. Eat more fiber.
Much research shows high-fiber foods keep blood pressure down.
The new Harvard study found that women who ate 25 grams of fiber a day were 25 percent less apt to develop high blood pressure than those eating only 10 grams daily. Insoluble fibers, as in wheat bran, don't work as well. C. Much research suggests vitamin C can both prevent and reduce high blood pressure. Consistently, people with high blood levels of vitamin C have lower blood pressure, according to research by Elaine B. Feldman of the Medical College of Georgia. She also found that taking 1,000mg of vitamin C daily lowered normal blood pressure about 4 percent.