![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blueheronhealthnews.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Gazpacho_high_blood_pressure-300x291.jpg\" "\\"Gazpacho_high_blood_pressure\\"")
It might seem counterintuitive to recommend foods high in salt to aid in the reduction of high blood pressure.<\/p>\nIt might seem counterintuitive to recommend foods high in salt to aid in the reduction of high blood pressure.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s true that many high-sodium foods are terrible for you. However, it\u2019s not because of the salt, necessarily, that this is so. It\u2019s all because of the other ingredients of a particular food.<\/p>\n
Scientists put this idea to the test recently and found that one very salty soup is very beneficial to health and even lowers blood pressure.<\/p>\n
What do tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onion, vinegar, garlic and olive oil all have in common? Other than each being really good for you separately, they are all ingredients in fresh gazpacho, a very healthy Spanish chilled soup.<\/p>\n
The ingredients of this tasty traditional dish can vary from region to region, but basically include all the ingredients above, plus other seasonings- like salt.<\/p>\n
Gazpacho is pretty high in salt, no matter how it\u2019s prepared, but the high salt content can\u2019t ruin the tremendous health benefits, says a research group out of Barcelona, Spain.<\/p>\n
After looking at the effects on almost 4,000 people studied, the conclusion was that blood pressure could be dropped by more than 25% by including fresh gazpacho regularly in diets.<\/p>\n
Each of the ingredients has its own long list of health benefits, and the fact that it\u2019s chilled and not cooked preserves most of them.<\/p>\n
Cooking degrades the nutritive value in any food, and gazpacho is served chilled after it\u2019s blended in a food processor. Using fresh, organic ingredients makes it even healthier.<\/p>\n
The antioxidant and vitamin benefits of the soup, it is theorized, far outweigh the detrimental effects of the added salt.<\/p>\n
Ingredients:<\/strong>
\n 1 cucumber, sliced into chunks
\n 4 large ripe tomatoes
\n 1\/2 bell pepper, any color
\n 2 cloves garlic
\n 1 celery rib, chopped
\n 1 tbsp lemon juice
\n 1\/2 sweet onion, quartered
\n 3 tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
\n 1\/2 tsp salt
\n dash black pepper
\n 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
\n 1 tsp chopped fresh basil
\n 1\/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)<\/p>\n