Is your blood pressure a little high? Digging into some pumpkin – the season’s festive gourd – may offer tasty relief.
Why? Two reasons. First, pumpkin flesh is packed with phenols – antioxidant nutrients that fight free radicals and dangerous inflammation. What’s more, researchers found that phenols from pumpkin put a damper on the enzyme that many blood pressure drugs target to reduce vascular tension. And keeping blood vessels relaxed means better blood pressure… and better heart health.
Pumpkin can be used in a myriad of taste-tempting ways. Buy it fresh, slice it, and roast it for a delicious side dish or fall salad topper. Short on time? Pick up canned pumpkin – not sugar-laden pumpkin pie filling – to whirl into a smoothie, whisk into a creamy soup, or bake into your favorite low-glycemic breads and desserts.
[Ed. Note: As nutrition expert Kelley Herring points out, you can find plenty of all-natural methods for staying healthy. Now, you can access the latest breakthroughs in weight-loss programs... healthful recipes... and other ideas for achieving optimal health - all from one of the largest integrative-medicine practices in the country. Learn more here.
Survive the holidays with Kelley's brand-new recipe e-books, Guilt-Free Desserts and Healthy Holiday Hors d'Oeuvres. You'll find 60+ healthy recipes you can easily make at home.]
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