While the apple has long been heralded the one single piece of super fruit that will keep the doctor away, the kiwi fruit seems to be holding top spot for the fruit that can help lower your blood pressure. 

This study could not have come at a more important time as this since high blood pressure is at an all time high in our modern society.  More and more adults are on pharmaceutical drugs to try and lower their blood pressure, with many trying to seek more natural and arguably healthier alternatives.

Like kiwis, perhaps.

People with a normal blood pressure level tend to hover somewhere around the 112/64 mmHg mark.  Then there are two different levels of moderate to high blood pressure.  A person is considered to have what is referred to as “prehypertension” when their blood pressure is between 120/80 and 139/89 mmHg, and one is considered to have high blood pressure when their blood pressure level is 140/90mmHg or higher.  Currently, about two-thirds of those who are over the age of 65 have high blood pressure, and those who do not have high blood pressure at the age of 55 have a 90% risk of developing high blood pressure during their life time.

The kiwi has a lot of great benefits for our health.  For one, it’s loaded with vitamins that are essential to our health.  It is similar to the apple in that it does have a high amount of vitamin C.  As a matter of fact, kiwi fruits have more vitamin C than an orange!  What makes it particularly important in regards to blood pressure, however, is that contains lutein, a carotenoid and antioxidant that can also be found in a number of other foods such as dark green vegetables (spinach, kale, collard greens) and egg yolks.  Not only can it help lower blood pressure, but it has been fund to also help prevent clogged arteries.

Led by Mette Senden of the Oslo University Hospital in Norway, this 8 week study involved 118 participants who averaged the age of 55.  Each of the participants had mildly high blood pressure prior to the study.  The group was divided in half, with one group adding 3 kiwis to their diet a day while the other group had an apple a day.

Eight weeks after the study had commenced, the researchers found that those who had consumed three kiwi a day had a 24-hour systolic blood pressure that was, on average, 3.6 millimeters of mercury lower than those who had one apple a day.

Systolic blood pressure is the number that you will find on the top of any blood pressure reading.

The diastolic blood pressure was also measured and found to be lower in the kiwi group.  Further studies will have to be conducted to try and find the connection of the lower diastolic blood pressure to kiwis specifically however, and are planning on doing a larger study later on to try and uncover that mystery.