Bananas...

marine-1

is it true that bananas could lower blood pressure, coz i've read it in newspaper, im just a little confused coz i've read an article (i dont remember) that it would increase your bp. can it also lower your cholesterol??

Ira

I think you mean a late 90s study conducted by Johns Hopkins.

The study concluded that eating food high in potassium can help lower blood pressure by almost half as much as hypertensive drugs (ACE inhibitors) can. This would entail intake of over 2000 mg potassium--around 5 bananas. It might cause constipation though, and high blood potassium if you have a kidney disease--I suspect that's what would only cause an increase in BP.

Bananas, as with other foods high in fiber like vegetables, can help lower cholesterol.

GilmoreGal

there are diff kinds of bananas right? which ones cause constipation?

Ira

All of them.

car728

Doc Ira, can you explain further the high blood potassium you said earlier if you have kidney disease? How is this so? And does that mean that if I have a kidney disease I shouldn't eat bananas at all? Or how much is the maximum number I can eat (say, in a week?) Thanks in advance.

swordfish_01

i see, thanx for explaining doc.

Ira

People with serious kidney disease/failure are advised to restrict their intake of potassium-rich food because their kidneys cannot excrete the potassium effectively, and the accumulation of potassium in their system can cause dangerous heart arrhythmias.

car728

Oh I see. Thanks doc! I'll avoid potassium-rich food then. What other food is high in potassium? All I know for sure are bananas kase.

Ira

Foods known to be rich in potassium may include avocado, salmon, spinach, melon, mushroom, tofu, lobster, tuna, almonds, etc.