“Silent killer,” hypertension, is named for the characteristic of sneak attacks during our life-period. This common disease must be detected, but it is hard because hypertension may show no symptoms. High blood pressure puts patients at risk of heart diseases like stroke, and heart failure, and other developing diseases. Today, we are going to talk about the top 2 most important minerals for controlling blood pressure and foods containing those lot. You may find those easily in foods or daily consuming healthcare supplements.

Potassium
First in place, potassium helps to improve blood pressure, balancing the effects of sodium in the body. Sodium is an intrinsic factor that increases blood pressure by retaining water in the blood vessels. However, nowadays, scientists focus on potassium more than sodium.
Research has shown that increasing the intake of foods containing a lot of potassium, such as bananas, is more effective in lowering blood pressure than simply limiting salt intake. These findings were published in the medical journal Journal of Human Hypertension. The research team conducted an analysis based on data that analyzed the relationship between salt substitutes and strokes for about 30,000 people over 5 years in China in 2021.
The study found that participants in the potassium-rich group had lower blood pressure and a lower risk of stroke and heart disease. In particular, 3,000 people of the study had strokes during the five-year study period. Still, those who consumed potassium-rich salt were 14% less likely to have a stroke.
In response, results explained that about 80% of the drop in blood pressure was due to increased potassium intake, not reduced salt intake. Both sodium chloride excess and potassium deficiency are associated with the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and early death. Using a salt alternative containing potassium chloride can immediately lower this risk.
Potassium-rich foods include bananas, sweet potatoes, spinach, and avocados. It was revealed that taking an additional 1g of potassium daily, the amount in two medium bananas, a cup of spinach, or a large sweet potato, can be the simplest way to deal with high blood pressure. However, in rare cases, such as people with poor kidney function, hyperkalemia may appear when overdosing, so care should be taken.

Magnesium
Magnesium helps regulate blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels. An increased intake of magnesium may help suppress high blood pressure. A meta-analysis of randomized trials with magnesium on blood pressure suggested that high magnesium intake and reducing blood pressure are related [1]. Through 20 studies with a total of 1220 participants, the magnesium supplements resulted in an overall reduced pressure. There was an apparent dose-dependent effect of magnesium, with reductions in systolic and diastolic pressure.
However, evidence from clinical trials is not enough to understand the exact mechanism. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels, helping patients caused by vasoconstriction. It also lowers the risk of heart disease. According to a 30-year follow-up of 7,172 people, those with a daily intake of 186 mg or less had a 1.8 times higher risk of developing heart disease than those with a daily intake of 340 mg or more, according to a paper published in the American Journal of Cardiology. However, the maximum daily intake of magnesium 350 mg should not be exceeded.
Some people need to be careful about magnesium intake. A person with kidney disease, decreased kidney function, or the intestine is too sensitive. The kidneys control moisture discharged from the urine and electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and hydrogen ions. People with kidney disease or decreased function do not have much control over this ability, and excessive intake of magnesium can damage the body’s balance.
In addition, since magnesium is an ingredient that stimulates the intestine enough to be often used as a constipation medicine if the intestine is sensitive and diarrhea occurs frequently, there is no need to take magnesium supplements.
Good sources of magnesium include nuts, seeds, whole grains, and leafy green vegetables. Almonds, cashews, peanuts, and whole other seeds are all excellent choices for magnesium intake. Fish such as mackerel, salmon, and tuna also contain this mineral, and of course, lots of omega-3 fatty acids in fish may regulate blood pressure. Potassium-rich avocados and bananas also have magnesium.

[1] The effect of magnesium supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials*
Sun Ha Jee, Edgar R Miller, Eliseo Guallar, Vikesh K Singh, Lawrence J Appel, Michael J Klag Author Notes
American Journal of Hypertension, Volume 15, Issue 8, August 2002, Pages 691–696,

Calcium
Calcium is vital for maintaining the health of blood vessel walls. Calcium plays a role in regulating blood pressure through its effect on muscle movement. This muscle movement includes both contraction and relaxation of blood vessels.
Blood vessels lined with smooth muscle cells can contract or relax to control pressure and make the blood flow fluent. Calcium ions in the body are essential for this contraction process in the initial step. These ions affect vascular tone by regulating the balance between contraction and relaxation in the blood vessel walls. Calcium signaling within endothelial cells helps modulate the production and release of many molecules involved in blood pressure. Hormones of blood pressure regulation, like parathyroid hormone and calcitonin, are affected by the level of calcium.

While calcium supplementation is not recommended for blood pressure management, getting enough calcium from dietary sources like dairy products, tofu, and leafy green vegetables can be beneficial. While minerals alone may not be sufficient to overcome high blood pressure (hypertension), they can play a supportive role in managing blood pressure when combined with other lifestyle changes and medical interventions.