Magnesium-rich foods may lower blood pressure, study suggests

*Almonds, dark chocolate, bananas, avocado are high in the mineral
Eating magnesium-rich cocoa may lower your blood pressure, according to new research.

People with higher than average blood pressure are deficient in magnesium, a new study reveals.

Magnesium may lower high blood pressure, known as hypertension, by helping the body to regulate blood flow, according to the researchers.

Their results suggest including magnesium-rich foods in your diet may be vital to staving off the condition, which increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Besides cocoa, foods that contain magnesium include: almonds (268mg per 100g), Brazil nuts (376mg per 100g), bananas (27mg per 100g), avocado (29mg per 100g), spinach (79mg per 100g), broccoli (21mg per 100g), and boiled lentils (36mg per 100g),

Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire analysed 25 people diagnosed with high blood pressure and 21 people without the condition.

Participants completed food diaries to determine their average daily magnesium intake.

A control group made from the general United Kingdom (U.K.) population was also included, using data provided by the National Diet and Nutrition Survey.

Results, published in the World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases, revealed that those with high blood pressure had a significantly lower intake of dietary magnesium than the general healthy population.

This data was further analysed to determine any changes in magnesium intake with age.

The results found a significant difference between age groups, with magnesium intake being lower among older people.

Yet, overall, all the study participants had a lower than recommended magnesium intake, regardless of their blood pressure status, the study found.

Lead researcher Lindsy Kass, said: “Magnesium is a key factor in blood pressure regulation and our study suggests that not only can low dietary magnesium intake lead to hypertension but that worryingly, dietary magnesium intake is at lower than currently recommended levels across the board.”

This comes after researchers from the Centre for Research and Advanced Studies in Mexico found that tequila’s magnesium content could help keep bones healthy.