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“Can eating pumpkin seeds really lower blood pressure?” This was the first question Doctor Lao Zhao threw out at the beginning of his lecture in the library.
This caught the attention of Sun Jianwei. Sun Jianwei, 42 years old, is a creative director at an advertising company.
Recently, his health has raised a red flag – high blood pressure is looming, and his work pressure is adding to the stress.
He originally came to the library to borrow some books to relax his nerves, but unexpectedly stumbled upon a lecture by a traditional Chinese medicine master.
Doctor Lao Zhao is an experienced Chinese medicine practitioner with outstanding medical skills, especially in treating chronic diseases.
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He stood on the stage with a smiling face, using a slightly teasing tone, and said, “We usually pay attention to what we eat and drink for health preservation. Some people say pumpkin seeds can lower blood pressure, is it true? Today, let’s discuss how this ‘guardian’ works.”
Sun Jianwei couldn’t help but sit up straighter, his focus on health had surpassed his creativity in advertising.
At the mention of pumpkin seeds, his heart couldn’t help but flutter, thinking, “If such a simple thing really has such a miraculous effect, then I must have hit the jackpot?” But at the same time, he also had some doubts – can such a common food really lower blood pressure?
Seeing everyone’s interest piqued, Lao Zhao continued, “Actually, pumpkin seeds do contain rich nutrients, especially magnesium.
Magnesium, with its outstanding performance in maintaining cardiovascular health, shows excellent results by effectively promoting the dilation of blood vessels, thereby positively impacting blood pressure reduction. But this effect is not miraculous with immediate results upon consumption.”
The rich magnesium content in pumpkin seeds is indeed a major help in lowering blood pressure. Studies show that consuming sufficient magnesium daily can help regulate the balance of sodium and potassium in the body, thereby reducing pressure on blood vessels.
However, the blood pressure-lowering effect of pumpkin seeds is not limited to this. In addition, they also contain abundant unsaturated fatty acids, which play a key role in effectively reducing cholesterol deposits on blood vessel walls, significantly reducing the risk of hypertension.
Lao Zhao then added, “However, I must remind everyone that although pumpkin seeds are good, there is no miraculous cure in this world. Relying solely on pumpkin seeds for treatment is not realistic. If we want to lower blood pressure, we must take multiple measures at the same time, such as several other types of plant seeds that are also very helpful.”
Listening to this, Sun Jianwei’s ears perked up even more, knowing that the story was far from over. Lao Zhao continued, “Let’s talk about sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and chia seeds. These three types of plant seeds also have remarkable effects on lowering blood pressure.”
First is sunflower seeds. Lao Zhao mentioned, “Everyone loves sunflower seeds, especially when watching TV.
But you may not know that it is also one of the ‘trump cards’ against high blood pressure. Sunflower seeds are a rich source of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the health of blood vessel walls, effectively preventing arteriosclerosis and lowering blood pressure.”
More importantly, sunflower seeds are rich in plant sterols, a natural substance that lowers cholesterol by inhibiting cholesterol absorption in the intestines, indirectly lowering blood pressure.
Next, he mentioned flaxseeds: “Flaxseeds can be described as the ‘dark horse’ of lowering blood pressure.
They contain a large amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which are not only beneficial for brain health but also effectively lower blood pressure.
Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce triglyceride levels in the blood, decrease blood viscosity, make blood flow smoother, and thus reduce vascular pressure.”
As for chia seeds, Lao Zhao said, “Chia seeds are the new favorite in modern health foods, and many people consider them as superfoods.
They are rich in fiber and plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, which have a good effect on blood pressure control. In addition, chia seeds can also help the body excrete excess sodium, as high sodium intake is one of the main causes of hypertension.”
Sun Jianwei listened attentively, gradually clarifying his thoughts. Lao Zhao’s words made him understand that lowering blood pressure is not achieved by simply relying on one type of food but requires a comprehensive dietary adjustment.
To prove the effectiveness of these claims, Lao Zhao cited several practical cases.
“I have a patient, surnamed Li, in his fifties, in business, socializing and drinking all day, with dangerously high blood pressure, even reaching 180/110mmHg at one point.
After a period of medication and lifestyle adjustments, although there was some relief, fluctuations still occurred repeatedly.
Later, I suggested that he eat a handful of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds every day, along with adequate flaxseeds and chia seeds. The result – six months later, his blood pressure stabilized at 130/80mmHg, basically returning to the normal range.”
Hearing this, Sun Jianwei couldn’t help but exclaim that these plant seeds are indeed good helpers in lowering blood pressure.
Lao Zhao then added, “Of course, I’m not saying that relying on these seeds can solve the problem completely, after all, the causes of hypertension are complex, genetic factors, lifestyle habits, dietary habits, mental stress, etc., can all be triggers for hypertension.
However, by carefully planning the diet and making reasonable food combinations, often produces surprisingly positive results.”
Lao Zhao’s words sparked enthusiastic discussions among the audience. Everyone expressed that they only knew these seeds were nutritious but didn’t expect they could lower blood pressure.
Lao Zhao smiled slightly and reminded, “Everyone, don’t forget, the most important thing for health is perseverance. Don’t expect your blood pressure to drop tomorrow just because you ate some seeds today. To truly control blood pressure, attention to overall lifestyle is crucial.”
After the lecture, Sun Jianwei walked out of the library in contemplation. He decided to try Lao Zhao’s advice, adding these plant seeds to his daily diet to see if they were truly effective.
However, he still had a question in his mind: if these seeds are really so effective, can he stop taking blood pressure medication?
With this question in mind, Sun Jianwei made another appointment to consult with Lao Zhao. In the clinic, Lao Zhao patiently explained to him, “These seeds indeed help lower blood pressure, but they are only auxiliary measures, not a substitute for medication.
For patients with high blood pressure, medication control is still necessary, especially in cases of high blood pressure. However, with dietary adjustments and lifestyle improvements, if blood pressure can be controlled very well, gradually reducing the dosage of medication is also possible.”
“But, never stop or reduce medication on your own, this must be done under the guidance of a doctor,” Lao Zhao reminded earnestly.
Sun Jianwei nodded, he understood. Health is a long-term process, not an immediate solution, especially for chronic diseases like hypertension, which require long-term and comprehensive management and care.
Lao Zhao’s lecture undoubtedly gave him a new direction, which is that through rational dietary adjustments, assisting in blood pressure control might make his life easier.
What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to discuss in the comments section!
References
[1] He Haiyan, Liu Mengting, Yang Aiping, et al. Preparation of angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibiting peptides from pumpkin seed protein source and its blood pressure-lowering activity. Food Science, 2021, 42(23): 214-220.
