According to the Philippine Food and Nutrition Research Institute, two in every 10 Filipino adults of 20 years and over are hypertensive. A banana a day may keep high blood pressure (known in medical parlance as hypertension) at bay. This is good news, as Filipinos suffering from hypertension are increasing in number.
About half of 12.6 million Filipinos with hypertension are not aware of their condition until they begin to experience the associated complications. “Hypertension per se does not kill, but the complications are the ones that disable and kill a hypertensive,” said dr. Rafael Castillo, a cardiologist at the Manila Doctors’ Hospital.
One best way to lower blood pressure is by eating bananas, which are an excellent dietary source of potassium. Small bananas contain 362 milligrams of potassium, while medium bananas have 422 milligrams of the mineral. Large bananas provide 487 milligrams of potassium, more than 10 percent of the daily recommended amount of 4,700 milligrams for healthy adults.
Bananas, therefore, are good against hypertension. “We know that potassium lessens the harmful effects of sodium,” said Dana Greene, an American registered dietitian. “The more potassium you take in, the more sodium you excrete through urine.”
Source: businessmirror.com.ph
