Eating a certain group of ‘superfoods’ may help lower risk of developing high blood pressure, a new study found.
Roughly 120 million Americans have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, which causes the blood to push too forcefully against artery walls.
To keep up, the heart must pump harder than it is built to, raising the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure.
Processed foods and those high in saturated fat have long been shown to raise blood pressure, while vegetables and legumes, which include beans, peas, soybeans and lentils, have the opposite effect.
In a new study, researchers sought to understand how much of certain legumes and other healthy nutrients it takes to lower blood pressure.
The review of 12 prospective cohort studies followed participants’ diets over varying periods of time.
The evidence was promising – people consuming the most legumes had a 16 percent lower risk of high blood pressure, and those eating the most soy – such as tofu and edamame – had a 19 percent lower risk, when compared with those eating the least.
Experts also discovered that eating about 5oz per day of legumes and about 2.8oz per day of soy can slash the risk of hypertension by almost a third.
Experts also discovered that eating about 5oz per day of legumes (pictured above) and about 2.8oz per day of soy can slash the risk of hypertension by almost a third (stock)
Legumes are rich in two minerals that can help combat hypertension – potassium and magnesium. Legumes also contain fiber, and when certain fibers are broken down in the gut, compounds that relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure are produced.
Similarly to legumes, soy has plant compounds called isoflavones that mimic the hormone estrogen. Research has linked isoflavones to improved blood vessel function which can help lower blood pressure.
The 2026 study published in BMJ Journals collected data from existing studies that followed participants’ diets over time from several regions, including the US, Asia and Europe.
For the legume analysis, 10 cohorts were analyzed, which involved 309,853 participants and 86,098 cases of high blood pressure.
Experts then compared participants who ate the most legumes to those who ate the least, and found those who ate more had a 16 percent lower risk of developing hypertension.
Afterward, researchers conducted a dose-response analysis to determine whether the risk changed as legume consumption increased. They found that the greatest reduction in hypertension risk was associated with consuming about 5oz of legumes per day.
The same process was implemented for soy – seven cohorts were analyzed, with 278,200 participants and 93,934 cases of hypertension.
After comparing people who consumed the most soy with those who consumed the least, researchers found that the highest-consumption group had a 19 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure.
In a dose-response analysis, researchers found that the benefit appeared to level off at about 2.8oz of soy per day.
Other factors including age, sex, smoking, physical activity and diet were taken into account in the previous studies, experts said.
The above shows the prevalence of high blood pressure in the US by county for the year 2021, the latest for which nationwide data is available
In people with normal blood pressure (left), potassium’s blood-pressure-lowering effect is modest, plateauing after about 60 mmol per day above baseline. In those with hypertension (right), the effect is much stronger — blood pressure drops more significantly, with continued benefit up to roughly 90 mmol per day above baseline
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Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against artery walls as the heart pumps.
Monitoring blood pressure and tracking trends – when it tends to spike or what works to lower it to baseline – is vital for preventing deadly blood clots, heart attack or stroke.
A normal level is below 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg), while high blood pressure, or hypertension, is 130/80 mmHg or higher.
Causes of hypertension include some reversible factors, such as poor diet, inactivity, obesity, smoking and stress, as well as genetics.
Nearly half of US adults have high blood pressure, and most require medication. About 40 percent take at least one drug, such as beta blockers that stop adrenaline from attaching to beta receptors in the heart, lowering blood pressure.
Legumes have high levels of potassium and magnesium, which are linked to lowering high blood pressure. Potassium helps the kidneys remove extra sodium, keeping the body balanced, while magnesium naturally blocks calcium and stops blood vessel muscles from tightening too much.
In addition to legumes, other foods that are rich in these minerals include bananas, avocados, spinach and plain low-fat yogurt. These minerals are also available as standalone supplements.
In addition to being ‘heart-healthy,’ soy isoflavones may also help prevent bone density loss and reduce hot flashes for those going through menopause because they mimic the effects of protective estrogen.