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Spicy Food May Lower Blood Pressure

Sharon Palmer

I’m a big fan of spices—those little, flavorful plant parts, like buds, bark, flowers, and leaves—which are packed with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, as well as flavor. One of the best benefits of a spice-filled diet is that you don’t need to add as much salt to ratchet up the flavor. And research supports this premise. A study in the journal Hypertension found that people who ate the most spicy food consumed about 2.5 fewer grams of salt per day and had lower blood pressure than people who ate a bland diet. Researchers said spicy food may help make people more salt-sensitive;  thus, reducing their consumption of salty foods.

So get going with more spicy foods, such as Indian dals, spicy salsas, and tangy vinaigrettes. Check out one of my favorite spicy filled-dishes: Jackfruit Black Bean Quinoa Tacos (shown above). You can also cut your salt intake by using alternative spices.

Read the full study here.

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