Debbie Williams said thedrink requires only three ingredients
A nutritionist has shed light on a simple smoothie recipe that could help people with high blood pressure. The US-based influencer, Debbie Williams, said the little-known drink requires only three ingredients and posted a step-by-step tutorial on TikTok.
“If you want to get your blood pressure in a much healthier range, try drinking this juice,” she told her 1.2 million followers in a previous video. “So, we’re going to be using celery, dandelion leaves and a green apple. I’m going to cut all this up and put it into my Nama J2 juicer.”
As she chopped her ingredients, Debbie spoke about celery, explaining that it contains a special component known as ‘phthalide’. This phytochemical, also present in blackberries, is renowned for its impressive ability to relax muscles in the walls of blood vessels.
In turn, this can help to combat high blood pressure – a factor that gives rise to serious health issues including heart disease, vascular dementia and strokes, when left unchecked. Meanwhile, other scientific evidence suggests that eating dandelion leaves may bolster this positive impact even further.
This is largely thanks to their rich potassium content, though more research is required to understand this further. It’s also crucial to ensure that dandelion leaves are clean before consuming.
Debbie continued: “Phthalide lowers blood pressure and makes it easier and smoother for the blood to flow. The potassium in dandelion leaves reduces blood pressure and green apples lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
“Now, I don’t have high blood pressure but making this juice can help you if you have it, help you manage your blood pressure in a great way. You can put them in jars and freeze them when you need to.”
If you are not so keen on a dandelion-packed smoothie, making use of bananas, kiwis and dates may also do the trick too. Last year, researchers found that eating more of these potassium-rich foods had a crucial role in slashing blood pressure.
At the time, Dr Liping Huang, Research Fellow at The George Institute, explained: “High levels of sodium intake and low levels of potassium intake are widespread, and both are linked to high blood pressure and greater risk of stroke, heart disease and premature death.
“We have always known that potassium has a role to play in blood pressure control, but until we did these analyses, we didn’t realise just how important it could be.”
What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is generally symptomless. The only way to confirm that you have it is through a blood pressure examination.
However, in rare cases, the NHS claims that you might experience the following:
- Chest pain
- Blurred vision
- Headaches
If you’re concerned about your blood pressure, it is crucial to seek medical guidance.
