High blood pressure: This healthy drink has consistent benefits, researchers say

High blood pressure, also referred to as HBP or hypertension, is when the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels is consistently too high. This can put extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs – such as the brain, kidneys and eyes. Blood pressure readings between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg could mean you're at risk of developing high blood pressure if you do not take steps to keep your blood pressure under control.

If you have high blood pressure, reducing it even a small amount can help lower your risk of a number of serious health conditions. Making healthy lifestyle changes can sometimes help to lower the levels of your high blood pressure. One such crucial lifestyle change is your diet.

Patients with high blood pressure need to take extra caution when it comes to their diet. Fried, salty or spicy food may cause a surge in your blood pressure levels. Avoid junk foods and processed foods since they are high in cholesterol and sodium. High sodium foods disturb the water balance of the body and exert pressure on blood vessels, which in turn hampers smooth flow of blood.

On the other hand, adopting a blood pressure-friendly diet may help keep your blood pressure within a healthy range. One such must-include item in your diet should be fresh pomegranate juice.

Read more: Croup vs. Coronavirus: How to differentiate between symptoms

Pomegranates are rich in nutrients such as folate and vitamin C, and have anti-inflammatory effects. Pomegranate juice contains antioxidants at higher levels than do many other fruit juices, nearly three times higher than those in green tea or red wine.

A 2016 literature review of eight randomized, controlled trials found that consuming pomegranate juice may help lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The effects on systolic blood pressure were independent of how long participants consumed pomegranate juice for and how much. The researchers recommend a dose of at least 240 milliliters (1 cup) to reduce diastolic blood pressure. It's thought that pomegranate juice may block or slow the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries, preventing higher risk of heart disease.

Try to consume only freshly-squeezed pomegranate juice, without adding any sugar. The sugar adds more calories to the juice, which reduces its heart-health benefits. If pomegranates are not available and you wish to purchase packaged juice, then check the label to be sure that you're drinking pure pomegranate juice, and not a mixture of juices that contains added sugar.

Read more: Dementia risk: These two health conditions make people more prone to dementia

Apart from including healthy foods in your diet, such as the pomegranate juice, you should reduce the amount of salt you eat, cut back on alcohol, lose weight if you're overweight, cut down on caffeine, and if you are a smoker you should stop smoking. Stress also can contribute to high blood pressure if you react to stress by eating unhealthy food, drinking alcohol or smoking.

Take some time to think about what is or are the reason(s) behind your stress. Once you know what it is, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress. Meditation, yoga, exercise or any other activity that helps you feel calm is encouraged to take your mind off stressing over problems or challenges.