If you are searching for foods good for high blood pressure then there's a good chance that you have high blood pressure and you are dissatisfied with the side effects of the medicines you are taking. While there was a brief trend for doctors to prescribe changes in lifestyle for pre-hypertensive patients, a new study has come out suggesting aggressive drug therapy for persons with a systolic pressure of 121 to 140.

That is really unfortunate. High blood pressure is completely reversible, except in secondary hypertension which is cause by an organ dysfunction, using changes in lifestyle and diet.

So what foods are good for high blood pressure?

We want to have our diet include foods that provide the minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium. In addition, we want foods that provide antioxidants, vasodilators and the ability to thin blood. Foods rich in these properties will attack and repair damage done by free radicals, damage done by calcium channel blockers and restore blood vessels ability to contract and expand and efficiently control pressure.

A quick word about preparing these foods before we list them. Fresh is best. Canned foods and other processed foods have enormous amounts of sodium in them. Raw is the best way to get the most out of the food. If you need to cook your food, steaming is the best alternative, followed by boiling, followed by cooking in the oven. 

Avoid microwaving. Some studies show that microwaves, because of the way that they create heat by causing friction at the molecular level, actually destroy up to 90% of the nutrients. In other words, you are eating dead food.

Here are some great foods that will not only have an impact on your blood pressure, but provide benefits for a number of other ailments as well.

• Bananas: High in potassium and fiber, the banana is convenient, tasty, inexpensive, and with a little imagination can make a sinfully delicious dessert.

• Tomatoes: Another source of potassium and also of calcium. The tomato has a powerful antioxidant called lycopene that can also help prevent heart disease. Lycopene prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and sticking to the blood vessels. Fresh is best. If you get your tomato through juice, make sure it's pure and does not contain additives and salt. If you're into pasta, try making your own sauce. It can be fun and the house will smell wonderful as you are making it.

• Blueberries and Blackberries: Both are packed with powerful antioxidants and are another source of dietary fiber.

• Garlic: Garlic is one of those miracle foods that has been used medicinally for over a thousand years. It has the capacity to thin the blood thereby making it easier for the heart to pump. It has also been suggested that garlic is a defense against certain digestive cancers including colon cancer.   

• Cold Water Fish: Salmon, sardines, halibut, tuna and mackerel are great sources of Omega-3. Try to replace a red meat meal two or three time per week with one of these fish.

• Dark Chocolate and Cocoa:  Yes there is some fat and sugar in there but there is also some very powerful antioxidants. More importantly, if you are going to change your diet you still need to have some kind of reward food for sticking to it. Combine that dark chocolate with baked bananas and you have a very tasty dessert.

• Water: Okay you may not think of water as a food but it is essential not only to your blood pressure but to your entire body.  Dehydration is becoming a bigger health issue than it was before. As a rule, you should drink half your body weight in ounces daily. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces of water or about 4 standard bottles a day.

This is just a partial list of foods good for high blood pressure. There are many more and you are sure to find a combination that you can enjoy. Remember fresh is best!