Ever stayed up late at evening together with your abdomen growling and questioning for those who ought to dig right into a snack? Effectively, you’re not the one one—half of adults admit to reaching for a snack after 8 p.m. Whereas a bag of salty crackers or chips sounds scrumptious, it won’t be the best choice you probably have hypertension. That’s as a result of they’re loaded with sodium, which might increase your blood stress simply as you’re making an attempt to unwind.
When selecting snacks, choosing ones that received’t worsen your situation is crucial. And if they’ll enhance it—even higher! A nourishing snack can maintain you happy between meals and forestall you from waking up hungry in the course of the evening. So, what’s the very best snack you’ll be able to munch on late at evening? Dietitians suggest kefir! And right here’s why.
Kefir is a creamy, drinkable fermented milk product with a barely tangy style and a milkshake-like consistency. It’s full of important vitamins like probiotics, magnesium and potassium, which may help decrease blood stress and assist general well being.
When searching for kefir, you’ll discover that it is available in many sorts, together with nonfat, low-fat and whole-milk choices, in addition to flavored and unflavored. Whereas all of them are nice choices, the plain one is simple to decorate up with both candy or savory flavors—relying in your craving. For a candy deal with, strive our Raspberry-Kefir Energy Smoothie or Berry-Mint Kefir Smoothie.
What Makes Kefir a Nice Snack for Excessive Blood Strain?
It’s Wealthy in Probiotics
Kefir is wealthy in probiotics—an assortment of helpful micro organism, or “good bugs” to your intestine. Meals wealthy in probiotics, like kefir, can enhance digestion, steadiness intestine micro organism and assist immune and mind well being. Probiotics in kefir additionally seem to positively influence coronary heart well being by serving to to decrease ldl cholesterol and blood stress ranges.
Analysis signifies that sure probiotic strains in kefir can bind to ldl cholesterol, altering its absorption and serving to to cut back blood levels of cholesterol. Proof additionally means that an imbalance of intestine micro organism might contribute to hypertension in some people.
A small examine involving folks with metabolic syndrome discovered that those that drank kefir skilled decrease blood stress, decreased fasting blood sugar and decrease LDL (generally known as “unhealthy”) levels of cholesterol whereas additionally exhibiting a rise in HDL (generally known as “good”) ldl cholesterol. One other examine on people with hypertension discovered that those that drank 1 cup of kefir day by day for 28 days skilled a major lower in systolic blood stress (the primary quantity in a blood stress studying). It’s essential to notice that each of those research have been small, and extra analysis is required to substantiate these outcomes.
It Accommodates Potassium
Bananas aren’t the one meals that accommodates potassium. In reality, a cup of kefir accommodates virtually as a lot potassium as a medium banana. One medium banana accommodates 422 milligrams, whereas 1 cup of kefir has 399 mg. Potassium is crucial in blood stress assist, as it really works to calm down blood vessel partitions, which in flip lowers blood stress. Much more so, analysis has discovered a excessive potassium consumption is related to decrease blood stress numbers in folks with or with out hypertension.
Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist, factors out that potassium does a lot to your physique, together with regulating blood stress: “Potassium promotes sodium excretion by way of urine, which reduces the strain in your blood vessels.”
It Offers Magnesium
Kefir additionally accommodates magnesium, a mineral that performs a task in leisure. Taub-Dix says, “Magnesium helps to calm down blood vessels, which might decrease blood stress ranges. It additionally performs a task in regulating muscle and nerve operate, and it might additionally play a task in serving to us sleep.” She factors out poor sleep can worsen blood stress readings, so ensure you embody magnesium-containing meals like kefir in your weight loss plan to appease you to sleep.
It Is Low in Sodium
“Though too many individuals store with out studying meals labels, for those who’re instructed your blood stress is elevated, figuring out meals excessive in sodium might be a lifesaver for you,” says Taub-Dix. Kefir is of course low in sodium, simply containing 97 mg per cup. If you’re questioning what different meals could also be low in sodium and protected to eat late at evening, Taub-Dix says to take a look at the meals label: meals which can be thought of to be “low sodium” comprise 140 mg sodium or much less per serving.
What to Look For in a Snack for Wholesome Blood Strain
When selecting snacks that assist wholesome blood stress, Taub-Dix recommends on the lookout for choices that comprise potassium, magnesium and fiber and are low in sodium.
Potassium: “It is arduous to consider that almost all of us don’t get sufficient potassium, when it’s a nutrient that does a lot for us,” says Taub-Dix. Not getting sufficient potassium can truly increase your blood stress, whereas rising your consumption of potassium-rich meals may help decrease it. Meals excessive in potassium embody bananas, apricots, leafy inexperienced greens, potatoes and dairy merchandise like yogurt and milk—all of which make nice snack choices too!
Magnesium: Magnesium is one other key mineral that performs a task in blood stress regulation. Research have proven that supplementing with magnesium may help decrease blood stress. Magnesium is present in quite a lot of meals, from entire grains to leafy greens and nuts.
Fiber: Regardless of solely 10% of Individuals assembly their fiber targets day by day, it is a essential nutrient for higher blood stress management. Analysis exhibits a correlation between excessive fiber consumption and decrease blood stress. Taub-Dix says high-fiber snacks promote coronary heart well being and blood stress, decrease levels of cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar and maintain you full longer. Fiber might be present in fruits, greens, entire grains, nuts and seeds.
Low-sodium: Even when your snack appears nutritious, it is essential to test its sodium content material—generally, the quantity might be astronomical. When studying the diet label, have a look at sodium’s Day by day Worth. If it’s 5% or beneath, it is thought of a low-sodium snack; if it is greater than 20%, it is excessive in sodium. Snacks excessive in sodium can negatively influence your blood stress. Fruits, veggies, uncooked nuts, seeds and sure dairy merchandise like milk and yogurt are naturally low in sodium.
EatingWell
The Backside Line
Navigating late-night snacking might be tough, however selecting a snack that accommodates potassium, magnesium and fiber and is low in sodium may help preserve wholesome blood stress and even assist decrease it. Our greatest late-night snack alternative for hypertension is kefir. Kefir accommodates probiotics, magnesium and potassium, plus it’s naturally low in sodium, all of which might assist wholesome blood stress. Drink it by the glass or mix it into smoothies for a refreshing, blood-pressure-friendly bedtime snack.
