High blood pressure affects around one in three adults. The condition increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and dementia, according to The Sun.
The problem is that people often cannot tell when their blood pressure is too high. A survey of 2,000 adults by Blood Pressure UK found that only half had had their blood pressure checked within the past year.
At the same time, 21 percent mistakenly believed that they would normally feel ill if their blood pressure was too high.
Researchers examined diet
Researchers from the University of Winchester examined dietary data from 20,665 people with high blood pressure. The findings were published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
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One possible explanation for the researchers' findings is potassium. The mineral helps the body maintain the balance between salt and potassium and plays a role in blood vessel function.
Potassium is found in foods including bananas, potatoes, beans, lentils and avocados.
A handful a day
However, the most notable finding concerned nuts. People who ate around 30 grams of nuts a day, equivalent to roughly a handful, had a 26 percent lower risk of high blood pressure than those who did not eat nuts.
The researchers say the findings support recommendations to eat a serving of nuts every day.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.