Heart Experts Offer 9 Natural & Efficient Ways to Lower Blood Pressure
I enjoy becoming a dietitian because I get to tell people about the incredible power of food. Some meals can support the healthy operation of internal systems like our digestive tract, while others can help manage health issues like diabetes. Furthermore, eating has the power to elevate our mood, increase our energy, and decrease blood pressure—all of which are critical for people with hypertension.
Hypertension, another name for excessive blood pressure, affects over half of adult Americans. 1 Hypertension results when blood pressure against the arterial walls is continuously too high.
The good news is that there are various strategies for managing blood pressure through food choices and lifestyle improvements without relying on drugs. To assist you in navigating these alternatives, we spoke to a team of heart health professionals, including a cardiologist and two registered dietitians. They have provided advice on how to lower blood pressure, which is supported by science naturally.
1. be cautious when handling sodium
Most of the staggering 3,400 mg of sodium that American people ingest each day doesn’t come from the salt shaker. Since meals we eat out typically include more significant amounts of sodium than meals cooked at home, pre-made meals may cause most people’s high salt intake. Other salty culprits like condiments, items in cans, and snacks like chips, pretzels, or crackers may also be the source. It might surprise you that your favourite barbecue sauce has a very high salt content. Lal also recommends utilizing.
2. Pay attention to potassium
Veronica Rouse, MAN, RD, CDE, owner of The Heart Dietitian, asks, “Did you know that potassium does the exact opposite of sodium in your body?”Adding additional potassium-rich foods to your diet will help counteract the detrimental effects of salt on your blood pressure. Examples of these meals include spinach, sweet potatoes, legumes, and avocados,” the speaker advises. Potassium not only mitigates the effects of sodium but also aids in lowering blood vessel wall tension, whereas salt raises blood pressure by encouraging fluid retention. To increase your consumption of foods high in potassium, prepare a spinach salad, add sweet potatoes to your next batch of chilli, create burgers with lentils, and include avocados in your morning smoothie.
3. Opt for Whole Grains
According to media dietitianAuthor of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, is also the originator of BetterThanDieting.com, whole grains may assist in improving heart health since they are high in fibre and can lower cholesterol and blood pressure. “Whole grains” or “whole wheat” ought to be the first ingredients specified on a bread product, according to her. Brown rice, whole wheat pasta, sorghum, and oats are additional whole grains that you may add to your shopping cart, according to her.
4. Proceed with Movement
moving more has heart health benefits, but after a long day, lounging on the couch seems more enticing than putting on sneakers and heading to the gym. The most effective treatment for hypertension is
5. Consume More Calcium
Consuming adequate calcium helps maintain your blood pressure in addition to supporting your bones. According to Rouse, calcium facilitates smoother blood flow and lessens the strain on the arterial walls by helping blood vessels contract and relax as necessary. Yoghurt, cottage cheese, cheese, and milk are excellent choices to reach your goals if you enjoy dairy products. Suppose you have lactose sensitivity or dislike dairy. In that case, you can still consume adequate calcium by eating kale, spinach, tofu, canned salmon, or sardines, as well as drinking orange juice that has been fortified.
6. Suck on Seeds and Nuts
Eating nuts and seeds, whether it’s pistachios, walnuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds, can help reduce the risk of heart disease.4 According to Taub-Dix, “Nuts and seeds provide magnesium and potassium, fibre, antioxidants, and vitamins that may help to reduce blood pressure, and they have been shown to support heart health.” Nuts and seeds are beautiful because of their adaptability. They go well with everything, including cereal, oatmeal, yoghurt, grain bowls, soups, and salads. They impart lots of crunches and a nutty flavour. Just make sure the types you choose are unsalted.
7. Restrict Alcohol Use
Reducing the wine or beer you drink daily can make your heart content. According to Lal, regularly consuming large amounts of alcohol daily can also raise your risk of hypertension. According to guidelines, men should only have two servings per day, and women should only have one. One serving is the same as twelve one-and-a-half ounces of wine, five ounces of lager, or liquor.5. However, you don’t have to give up alcohol entirely (unless your doctor advises you to). One of our mocktail recipes is a tasty and alcohol-free choice.
8. Consume Extra Magnesium
Magnesium, one of the most prevalent minerals, is essential for over 300 human functions, including blood pressure regulation. According to Rouse, “Magnesium is an essential mineral that relaxes blood vessels to help regulate blood pressure.” Fortunately, many delectable foods, like whole wheat bread, cashews, pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, black beans, and dark chocolate, are high in magnesium.
9. Increase Your Berries
For a boost to your heart health, grab a bowl of berries. “Flavonoids, which are abundant in berries, are natural compounds that help control hypertension,” according to Taube-Dix. According to research, berries may help people with hypertension bring their blood pressure back to normal. Six Furthermore, berries are high in fibre, and a diet high in fibre lowers blood pressure.
Powerful Ways to Immediately Lower Blood Pressure
The best techniques for reducing blood pressure are long-term, medication-assisted lifestyle modifications like eating a balanced diet and giving up smoking. These can lower your blood pressure to 120/80 millimetres of mercury (mmHg), which is considered healthy for most people.
A systolic (first number) or diastolic (second number) result of 130 or higher indicates the onset of elevated blood pressure.2. Regretfully, lowering blood pressure without medical assistance and close observation is not possible quickly. This post offers 11 methods for reducing blood pressure, along with long-term choices you may make. Among these are suggestions for decreasing.
Modify Your Nutrition
It’s standard advice for those with high blood pressure to consume less salt. However, it might be challenging to cut back on sodium in your diet because many items that you would not consider salty actually contain high amounts of the mineral. A dietician can assist you with this. You’ll need to modify your diet and keep an eye on food labels.
Sodium-Rich Foods You Should Eat Less of
Have a Diet That Is Heart-Healthy
One systematic study concluded that the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is the most effective dietary strategy for lowering blood pressure.3. (NHLBI) developed and financed this diet, which calls for a daily sodium limit of 2,300 mg, a restriction on fried, sugary, fatty, and
Foods High in Calcium
Among the foods high in calcium are: 5
greens with leaves (kale, spinach)
Nuts and seeds
Canned salmon
Rich in Potassium Foods
One essential nutrient is potassium, found in foods like 6.
Fruits (cantaloupe, oranges, and bananas)
vegetables (sweet potatoes, avocados, and acorn squash)
Vegetables (beans and peas)
Dairy (yoghurt, milk)
Six All-Natural Methods to Reduce Blood Pressure
Adults in the US have high blood pressure one in three times. Are you aware that you are one of them? Because it rarely exhibits symptoms, this illness indicates that excessive blood pressure on the walls of your arteries is known as “the silent killer.”
High blood pressure, sometimes referred to as hypertension, can cause artery damage and significantly raise your vulnerability to heart failure, stroke, heart attack, and renal failure if left untreated. However, those hazards can be reversed. The two figures in a blood pressure reading are the diastolic (bottom) and systolic (top) numbers. It has been demonstrated that it lowers these hazards. Two are present.
According to Luke Laffin, MD, a preventative cardiologist, blood pressure control is frequently 70% lifestyle and 30% medicine. “They must travel together. Your blood pressure medicine will only function well if you take it and alter your lifestyle.
Natural methods for lowering blood pressure
The phrase “lifestyle changes” suggests altering every aspect of your life is necessary to lower blood pressure. However, little adjustments can have a significant impact, and you can gradually progress to more significant ones. Dr. Laffin offers opinions on a few suggested natural (non-pharmaceutical) blood pressure-lowering changes.
1. Reduce your sodium intake
if you don’t currently have a diagnosis of hypertension, there is disagreement over whether eating salt lowers or raises blood pressure. However, if you’ve already received a hypertension diagnosis, pay attention!
Dr. Laffin states, “The most important way to lower your blood pressure is to cut your salt intake.” A low-sodium diet has the same impact as one and a half to two blood pressure drugs, according to research. (3,500 mg) as the American Heart Association (AHA) recommended, which states that no more than 1,500 mg, or roughly one teaspoon, of salt should be consumed daily. However, Cleveland Clinic clinicians set the limit at 2,300 mg because this number is so stringent.
Dr. Laffin states, “The AHA recommendation is an aspirational goal.” “It’s great if you can get there without drastically altering your diet and suffering, but reaching 2,300 milligrams or less can greatly help.”
Avoiding sodium can be challenging but possible because it is concealed in many meals. Selecting salt alternatives such as potassium chloride can be beneficial. A low-sodium diet takes around 10 to 14 days to acclimate to, after which some items will start to taste too salty.
IMPACT: Your blood pressure should decrease by 2 to 3 mmHg if you reduce your sodium consumption from a staggering 3,500 mg to a much more reasonable 2,300 mg. Keeping sodium intake within the more stringent 1,500 mg recommended by the AHA
2. Increase your potassium intake
because potassium helps your kidneys eliminate extra sodium, it can help reduce blood pressure. Furthermore, as you have discovered, reduced salt means reduced blood pressure.
Dr. Laffin says, “Potassium is the inverse of sodium.” “High blood pressure is caused by too much sodium and too little potassium.”
A diet heavy in processed foods, fast food, carbs, potatoes, and meat increases the likelihood of being low in potassium, which raises blood pressure. Instead, aim to consume 3,000 to 3,500 mg of potassium daily through the consumption of foods such as:
Grape seed
Kiwi with Lima beans
Citrus fruits
Spinach
However, there’s a significant warning here: if you have kidney illness, you may be unable to excrete enough potassium from your body.
IMPACT: If you have hypertension, you should experience a 4–5 mmHg reduction in blood pressure by increasing your potassium consumption to the recommended levels.
3. Change to a DASH diet
The DASH diet’s primary goal is to lower blood pressure. The evidence supporting this diet is so strong that it is currently regarded as one of the most significant non-pharmaceutical hypertension management methods.
According to Dr. Laffin, “The DASH diet is a balanced diet that can be combined with a low-sodium diet and is rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.” “It can help lower blood pressure, especially if you work with a nutritionist or dietitian to review the fundamentals.”
Adopting the DASH diet typically results in weight loss and adherence to low-sodium and high-potassium standards.
IMPACT: adhering to the DASH diet may result in
4. Take a physical
Desk work, ugh. Dr. Laffin cautions that being sedentary or not exercising might raise blood pressure. Now get your Olivia Newton-John on because it’s about to get real!
Exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, can effectively lower blood pressure. Your blood vessels are forced to dilate and constrict, maintaining their flexibility. Among other advantages, it promotes the growth of new blood vessels and improves blood flow.
Other choices include isometric resistance workouts (such as wall push-ups) and dynamic resistance exercises (like weighted bicep curls). Depending on how frequently you perform them, how many repetitions you complete, and the weights you use when performing dynamic resistance exercises, they may reduce your blood pressure by 4 to 5 mmHg.
IMPACT: Engaging in 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week can lower blood pressure by 5 to 8 mmHg. Furthermore, it’s normal to have an increase in blood pressure immediately following a workout. According to Dr. Laffin, “blood pressure increases as we exercise but is significantly lower following exercise.” “That is typical.”
5. Restrict alcohol intake
Alcohol use increases the chance of high blood pressure. Additionally, alcohol may play a role in your high blood pressure diagnosis if you already have one.
One drink or less is safe for women and two or fewer for men daily. However, what’s safe for you depends on several factors, including your height, weight, and general health, so speak with your healthcare professional for more specific advice.
And not everyone finds it simple to cut back on alcohol. You might have an alcohol use problem if you’re finding it challenging to modify your drinking patterns. Support is available.
IMPACT: Cutting back on your alcohol consumption may lower your blood pressure by as much as four mmHg if you have hypertension and routinely consume more than is advised.
6. Reach a balanced weight
your systolic blood pressure can be significantly lowered by dropping even a few pounds because your blood pressure rises as your weight does.
Dr. Laffin states, “The fat cells we get around our midsection are metabolically active.” “They release a variety of hormones, which eventually cause blood pressure to rise.”
Naturally, the solution is rarely as straightforward as “Just lose weight.” Many medical conditions and lifestyle choices have an impact on weight, making it a complicated and multifaceted topic. But here’s the thing: weight loss is probably going to happen if you’re trying your hardest to adhere to steps one through five on this list, especially if you’re working with your healthcare practitioner to make sure you’re doing things correctly.
IMPACT: Blood pressure should decrease by one mmHg for every 2.2 pounds lost.
Extra advice
even though there is less proof to support Dr Laffin’s further recommendations, he maintains they are still necessary and will not directly affect blood pressure.
Give up smoking. Both smoking and high blood pressure damage the lining of your blood vessels. Although quitting smoking can be challenging, it’s a great habit to break for your general health.
Achieve adequate restful sleep. There are several alarming consequences of sleep deprivation on your health. “We now know that widely fluctuating blood pressure is just as dangerous as high blood pressure, so getting six to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night can help prevent both of these conditions,” Dr Laffin explains.
