Recommendation

Notes

Rationale

Eat foods high in essential fatty acids (EFAs).

Omega-3 fats are heart-healthy fats, improving cardiovascular health by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and blood pressure. No need to supplement with arachidonic and linoleic acids, EFAs already abundant in the average diet. Avoid or reduce consumption of saturated fats.

Eat potassium-rich foods.

Virtually all fruits and most vegetables contain potassium.

Increasing dietary potassium can alleviate hypertension, or high blood pressure, by improving the balance between sodium and potassium. Bananas have only about 10 percent more potassium than other fruits, such as oranges.

Use garlic.

Because garlic is a natural blood thinner, discuss its use with your doctor if you take other blood-thinning agents, like coumadin or aspirin.

Garlic (Allium sativum), from the lily family, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, stimulates the immune system, and may help prevent cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and prostate.