ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — We’ve all heard the saying “you are what you eat.” But can what you eat really fix chronic diseases like high blood pressure and depression?
Nearly half of the adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, the leading cause of heart disease and premature death worldwide. Doctors identify high salt intake as a contributing factor.
“Most of the hypertensive population is salt sensitive. Meaning if they eat salt, their blood pressure goes up,” explained Maria Delgado, MD, hypertension specialist at the University of Miami.
But just reducing your salt intake may not lower your blood pressure alone. A new Canadian study suggests that adding more potassium-rich foods, such as bananas and broccoli, to your diet, can lower your blood pressure more than just cutting out salt. And when it comes to your mental health:
“There’s certain foods that have been shown to be good for brain health and potentially affect mood,” Tara Collingwood, registered dietitian nutritionist at Diet Diva told Ivanhoe.
New research has found that probiotic-packed fermented foods, like kimchi and miso, help reduce anxiety and depression symptoms. These foods work by targeting the bacteria in your gut that are:
“Dynamically interacting with our physiology, with our moods, with our medical health,” described Bruce Stevens, PhD, professor at the University of Florida.
And foods can be used to slow down aging. A study in Switzerland found that participants who ate foods with omega-3 every day had slowed their biological aging by a month each year. So sometimes the best medicine starts in the kitchen.
Limiting the time that you eat can also help you battle certain conditions. Researchers from Mass General found that people who only ate meals during the daytime reduced their risk of developing blood clots and heart disease.
Contributors to this news report include: Milvionne Chery, Producer; Chuck Bennethum, Editor.
Source:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4314-hypertension-high-blood-pressure
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7998524/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250414124820.htm
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/g64328042/mood-boosting-foods/
https://www.foodandwine.com/fermented-foods-gut-and-mental-health-benefits-11701758
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-024-00793-y
* For More Information, Contact: Kai Hill
Director of Medical Communications & Media Relations at University of Miami
and
Joanna Palmer
Executive Director of Media Relations & Medical Communications at University of Miami
and
Tara Collingwood
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
and
Bruce Stevens, PhD
Professor at University of Florida
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