Can a salad recipe lower blood pressure?

12 years ago, I published the recipe below in my professional association newsletter. A colleague told me that her father, Bill, who suffered from high blood pressure, took a liking to it and started consuming it daily. He reported that it lowered his blood pressure.

Now I know what you're thinking. It seems like a stretch, and it probably is. There may have been other factors Bill needed to consider. But it isn't important what you or I think. It's only important what he thinks and that he keeps consuming something good for himself.

The recipe is for a kale salad, so you might also think that was the key to whatever benefit he saw. But no food can do the heavy lifting by itself. The recipe represents a team of beneficial ingredients that could affect the results he experienced.

Kale: A clinical study shows kale can help lower blood pressure, but it's not the only study.

Celery: Helps regulate blood pressure

Onion: Raw onion may reduce hypertension

Cashews: Lowered systolic blood pressure in a clinical trial (no effect on diastolic blood pressure)

Parsley: Has antihypertensive properties along with other benefits

Honey: Lower blood pressure after 15 minutes of intake

Yogurt: Higher intake of yogurt is associated with lowering blood pressure in hypertensive adults

Olive oil Due to its high polyphenol content, olive oil is considered to be antihypertensive

Garlic: Has been shown to lower blood pressure

When we look at the research on this list of salad ingredients, we can see that maybe the salad did help Bill's blood pressure.

These ingredients, plus the lemon juice, dill, and mustard powder, positively affect the gastrointestinal tract and the gut. A healthy gut microbiome can also positively affect hypertension.

It doesn't get any better than that.

We must start seeing recipes as more than the sum of their parts. We need to look at what's in the recipes, not a single ingredient. Unfortunately, this is not how food is studied, so we don't understand how to value a healthy diet. And it would be impossible to research food this way efficiently.

However, we can still apply common sense to our food and how we build our recipes.

As for this recipe, I have no issue with kale. I wish it well on its kale journey. But it's not for me. And while its heyday seems to be over, it's still a star with much to offer.

Blood pressure is just the tip of the iceberg for its benefits. It may help with blood sugar and cholesterol. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. And it's high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Kale is also a prebiotic, feeding good bacteria and good for the liver.

Kale has a love-hate relationship with consumers. It's surprising how popular it became for something that isn't tasty. But then, with all things that become popular, it is now often the butt of jokes and has lost some of its shine.

But every time someone tries to say that kale is done and the fad is over, it rises again and is still making headlines. It does have the health credentials that we should value.

We shouldn't throw it out the window just because we don't think it is what it once was and that a new food may be better.

However, if kale is not your thing, you can still make this salad. Just be sure to pick something equally beneficial. I like to use Romaine and spinach, which also have numerous health benefits.

Purple Kale Salad

1 head purple kale*, washed

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 small red onion, sliced, cut into half circles

1/2 cup chopped cashews (can be lightly roasted) (optional)

2 tbsp parsley

Yogurt dressing – enough to cover the kale

Trim the kale and tear it into pieces suitable for a salad. Add the celery, red onion, and parsley. Mix well. Add the yogurt dressing and mix. Allow the salad to sit for an hour before eating to soften the kale. Chopped cashews can be added to make it more substantial and provide extra grounding and satisfaction. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

*Green Curly Kale or Lacinato Kale (sometimes called black kale, even though it's dark green) can also be used.

Yogurt Dressing

3 tsp raw honey (or to taste)

1/2 cup full-fat organic yogurt*

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 tsp dry mustard powder

1 tbsp fresh dill

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Making the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. The dressing can be stored in a jar with a lid in the refrigerator for several days.