How To Lower High Blood Pressure Naturally

Photo by Jan Antonin Kolar on Unsplash

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a prevalent, sometimes dangerous condition.  Because many of my family members and loved ones struggle with high blood pressure, this is an area of health that I’m particularly interested in.  If you or your loved ones have high blood pressure, read on to learn about symptoms, risk factors and some natural remedies you can try to help lower your blood pressure.

Heart.org states here that in many cases, there aren’t symptoms with high blood pressure.  And if you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure, it should be done by a professional. 

Despite high blood pressure not normally exhibiting symptoms in some people, if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, it could indicate a larger problem with high blood pressure and you should see your doctor immediately or seek medical help.

Symptoms of really high blood pressure:

• Irregular heartbeat
• Chest pain
• Vision problems
• Fatigue
• Confusion
• Lightheadedness or Dizziness
• Pounding in ears, neck or chest

High blood pressure can lead to long term problems like:

• Heart attack – Due to the thickening of arteries due to consistently high blood pressure (called atherosclerosis), a heart attack is much more likely.
• Stroke – Atherosclerosis can also increase the chances of a stroke for someone.
• Atherosclerosis – Thickening of artery walls that can lead to a heart attack or a stroke
• Metabolic syndrome – Metabolic syndrome is defined as someone who has high blood pressure, high triglycerides, larger waist circumference, low levels of “good cholesterol” (HDL), and is insulin resistant.
• Heart failure – Higher blood pressure forces the heart to work harder, which thickens the heart muscle and makes it harder to pump blood
• Vascular dementia – This is caused both by decreased blood to the brain due to atherosclerosis or a stroke.
• Memory problems – This problem is associated with people who have high blood pressure.

Fortunately, and in addition to high blood pressure meds that your doctor might prescribe, there are natural ways you can decrease your blood pressure.

Here are some ways you might be able to lower blood pressure with natural remedies: 

• Hibiscus Tea – This herbal tea shows promise in being able to lower blood pressure.  In one study, participants were able to significantly lower their systolic blood pressure numbers (the systolic number is the top number when you check your blood pressure).  In another study, participants lowered both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure numbers when they drank hibiscus tea.  We carry some great hibiscus tea products here.
• Fish Oil – Besides lowering inflammation and triglycerides, fish oil can also lower blood pressure.  In this study, participants were able to lower their blood pressure significantly (both systolic and diastolic) more than the participants who took a placebo.  Before taking fish oil, check with your doctor to make sure it doesn’t interact with or affect any other meds you’re on.  And be careful with taking fish oil if you have low blood pressure. Please click here for fish oil supplements.
• Garlic – In addition to its other numerous health benefits, garlic also helps the body to increase production of nitric oxide, which helps the blood vessels to dilate.  You can get a good amount of garlic in your diet by using more of it in your recipes and meals.  If you want even more garlic, try this garlic supplement that we sell at Otte Foods.
• Lose Weight – Being overweight or obese can put a lot more strain on your heart.  This can damage blood vessels and lead to serious, long-term health problems.  There are many ways to lose weight.  Although losing weight generally comes down to eating less calories than you use, this is not always the case.  If you’re having a hard time losing weight despite lowering your daily calories, talk to your doctor to see if any lab testing is needed to look at hormones or other factors.
• Exercise Regularly – Exercising can help you to manage weight and it can lower blood pressure by strengthening your heart so it can pump blood more easily.  This helps to reduce pressure on the arteries, which helps to lower blood pressure.  The best way to stick with an exercise routine is to do exercise that you love.  Walking, swimming, hiking, etc. are all healthy ways to get your body moving more!  And read our article here about the benefits of being outdoors.  Exercise is one of those benefits! 
• Manage Stress – when a stressful event happens, your body releases hormones that can cause your heart to beat faster and it causes your blood vessels to become more narrow.  Chronic stress can keep your blood vessels narrow and make it harder for the heart to work.  And it keeps your blood pressure high.  If you are experiencing chronic stress, it’s very important for you to look for ways to lower it.  Here are a few ideas:
  • Get more and higher quality sleep at night.
  • Meditate.
  • Keep a journal to record the things you’re grateful for.  Being grateful helps us to disrupt a negative cycle of stress, depression and anxiety and focus on the present time.  As your focus on more positive aspects of your life, you negate the harmful effects of stress (and their hormones).  You can make your journal as simple as you want, and there are some great gratitude journals you can purchase for a great price.
  • Listen to music that relaxes you.
• Stop Smoking – Nicotine increases your blood pressure.  It can raise your heart rate.  It also narrows blood vessels and hardens their walls.  All of this is the perfect recipe for high blood pressure.  Quitting smoking is one the best things you can do to lower blood pressure.  There are also many other health benefits to quitting smoking.  Plus you can save some money by not buying cigarettes!
• Eat Magnesium-Rich Foods – Magnesium helps reduce blood pressure by helping to keep bloods vessels from constricting, which helps to improve blood flow.  This makes it so the body doesn’t have to work so hard to pump blood through blood vessels.  Foods that are rich in magnesium are black beans, whole wheat food products, spinach, avocado, dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, salmon, mackerel, halibut, bananas, and leafy greens.
• Eat Potassium-Rich Foods – Potassium can help to reduce the effects of sodium on the body, which helps to alleviate pressure in the blood vessels.  This makes it easier for blood to pump throughout the body.  Great sources of potassium include bananas, potatoes, beans, melons, raisins, dates, prunes, broccoli, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, pumpkins, tuna, trout, halibut, nuts and whole grain foods.  For a delicious snack, try these dried fruit blends we sell.
• Eat More Dark Chocolate – as mentioned above, dark chocolate is a great source of magnesium, which helps to lower blood pressure.  Dark chocolate also specifically heart- healthy compounds, called flavonoids.  Flavonoids help to create endothelial nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels to dilate, which helps to improve blood flow.  When eating dark chocolate for its health benefits, try to aim for chocolate that is at least 70% dark.  Divine makes some delicious dark chocolate bars.  If you’re not eating as much sugar, Lily’s Sweets makes yummy sugar-free bars and chocolates.
• Get Checked for Sleep Apnea – If you have sleep apnea, you might already know that sleep apnea sufferers can have high blood pressure.  Sleep apnea happens when your breathing stops for 10 seconds or longer at night.  Each time your breathing stops and then starts up again, it’s called an “episode”.  If you have obstructive sleep apnea, you are at higher risk for high blood pressure because your soft palate relaxes too much and the soft palate and tissue surrounding it can relax so much it narrows or closes your airway while you sleep.  This decreases your ability to get enough oxygen while you sleep and is also what contributes to high blood pressure.  Without enough oxygen, your heart has to work extra hard to pump blood throughout your body.  It can put severe strain on the cardiovascular system.

We hope that as you move into the new year, you can take control of your health so that you feel better and do better. Managing high blood pressure is one thing that can help immensely.

The post How To Lower High Blood Pressure Naturally appeared first on Otte Foods.