My Health
15 natural ways to lower your blood pressure
Medically reviewed by Atli Arnarson Ph.D. — Written by Kerri-Ann Jennings, High blood pressure is a dangerous condition that can damage your heart. It affects one in three people in the US and 1 billion people worldwide .
In the U.S., moderate alcohol consumption is defined as no more than one drink a day for women and two for men. If you drink more than that, cut back.
If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure raises your risk of heart disease and Bottom line: Drinking alcohol in any quantity may raise your blood pressure. stroke. Limit your drinking in line with the recommendations. But there’s good news. There are a number of things you can do to lower your 4. Eat more potassium-rich foods blood pressure naturally, even without medication. Potassium is an important mineral. Here are 15 natural ways to combat high blood pressure.
It helps your body get rid of sodium and eases pressure on your blood vessels.
1. Walk and exercise regularly Exercise is one of the best things you can do to lower high blood pressure. Regular exercise helps make your heart stronger and more efficient at pumping blood, which lowers the pressure in your arteries.
Modern diets have increased most people’s sodium intake while decreasing potassium intake. To get a better balance of potassium to sodium in your diet, focus on eating fewer processed foods and more fresh, whole foods.
Foods that are particularly high in potassium include: In fact, 150 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking, or 75 minutes of vegetables, especially leafy greens, tomatoes, potatoes, and sweet potatoes vigorous exercise, such as running, per week, can help lower blood pressure and fruit, including melons, bananas, avocados, oranges, and apricots improve your heart health. dairy, such as milk and yogurt, tuna and salmon, nuts and seeds, beans Bottom line: Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, which are rich in potassium, can What’s more, doing even more exercise than this reduces your blood pressure help lower blood pressure. even further, according to the National Walkers’ Health Study. Bottom line: Walking just 30 minutes a day can help lower your blood pressure. More exercise helps reduce it even further.
2. Reduce your sodium intake
Salt intake is high around the world. In large part, this is due to processed and prepared foods.
5. Cut back on caffeine
If you’ve ever downed a cup of coffee before you’ve had your blood pressure taken, you’ll know that caffeine causes an instant boost. However, there’s not a lot of evidence to suggest that drinking caffeine regularly can cause a lasting increase (14Trusted Source).
In fact, people who drink caffeinated coffee and tea tend to have a lower risk of For this reason, many public health efforts are aimed at lowering salt in the food heart disease, including high blood pressure, than those who don’t drink it. industry. Caffeine may have a stronger effect on people who don’t consume it regularly. Many studies have linked high salt intake with high blood pressure and heart events, including stroke. If you suspect you’re caffeine-sensitive, cut back to see if it lowers your blood pressure. However, more recent research indicates that the relationship between sodium and high blood pressure is less clear. Bottom line: Caffeine can cause a short-term spike in blood pressure, although for many people, it does not cause a lasting increase. One reason for this may be genetic differences in how people process sodium. About half of people with high blood pressure and a quarter of people with nor- 6. Learn to manage stress mal levels seem to have a sensitivity to salt. Stress is a key driver of high blood pressure. When you’re chronically stressed, your body is in a constant fight-or-flight mode. On a physical level, that means If you already have high blood pressure, it’s worth cutting back your sodium a faster heart rate and constricted blood vessels. intake to see if it makes a difference. Swap out processed foods with fresh ones and try seasoning with herbs and spices rather than salt. When you experience stress, you might also be more likely to engage in other behaviors, such as drinking alcohol or eating unhealthful food that can adverseBottom line: Most guidelines for lowering blood pressure recommend reducing ly affect blood pressure. sodium intake. However, that recommendation might make the most sense for people who are salt-sensitive. Several studies have explored how reducing stress can help lower blood pressure. Here are two evidence-based tips to try: 3. Drink less alcohol Listen to soothing music: Calming music can help relax your nervous system. Drinking alcohol can raise blood pressure. In fact, alcohol is linked to 16% of Research has shown it’s an effective complement to other blood pressure therahigh blood pressure cases around the world. pies. Work less: Working a lot, and stressful work situations, in general, are linked to While some research has suggested that low-to-moderate amounts of alcohol high blood pressure. may protect the heart, those benefits may be offset by adverse effects. Bottom line: Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure. Finding ways to manage stress can help.
9 TT 144 | MAR 15th - 21st | 2022
