New York: Eating potassium-rich foods like sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach, beans, bananas -- and even drinking coffee -- could be key to lowering blood pressure, new research suggests.

"Decreasing sodium intake is a well-established way to lower blood pressure, but evidence suggests that increasing dietary potassium may have an equally important effect on hypertension," said Alicia McDonough, Professor at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC).