High blood pressure is caused by arteries in distress and, in most cases, is one of the easiest symptoms of poor health to treat with simple, natural remedies.
Since medicines that lower blood pressure do have side effects – some of the risky and unpleasant – it’s important to always begin by treating high blood pressure with nondrug methods. If you’re taking medicine for high blood pressure, your physician should be monitoring you regularly and should have a goal of getting you off the medication.
When you’re taking drugs to lower blood pressure, it’s important not to take herbs that directly lower blood pressure, such as hawthorn, without checking with your doctor and monitoring your blood pressure so you can make the necessary reductions in medication. Since the following blood pressure-lowering program works effectively to lower blood pressure, if you are also taking a hypertension drug you will need to measure your blood pressure daily at home to be sure it doesn’t drop too low.
If you suddenly find you have high blood pressure, be sure to check with your doctor to rule out heavy metal poisoning (i.e., lead, mercury, cadmium.
Weight Loss and Exercise:
If you are overweight, the first and most important step in lowering blood pressure, even if it is genetic, is to lose weight. People with high blood pressure weigh an average of 29 pounds more than people with normal blood pressure. For every 2 pounds of weight you drop, your blood pressure will drop at least one point in both the systolic and diastolic readings.
The natural partner of weight loss is exercise, which also improves circulation. If you exercise, you are 34 percent less likely to develop hypertension than if you’re a couch potato. Just a brisk half hour walks three or four times a week can lower blood pressure from three to 15 points in three months. Exercise will also help reduce stress, an important component in hypertension.
The Six Core Principles of Optimal Health are your foundations for treating hypertension naturally. When you’re treating hypertension, it’s especially important to keep your antioxidant levels high, eat plenty of fiber-filled vegetables and whole grains, and drink plenty of water.
Keep Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, and Sugar in Balance:
For about 30 percent of the population, reducing salt in the diet will help lower blood pressure naturally; Keep your salt intake moderate regardless, at 2,000 to 3,000 mg per day. Studies have shown that an extremely low-sodium diet causes more problems than it solves, so don’t overdo it.
Reducing your salt intake won’t be effective unless your potassium intake is also high, and yet people who take diuretic drugs to treat hypertension often become potassium-deficient. Signs of potassium deficiency include muscle cramps, weakness, and an irregular heartbeat. Since potassium supplements may cause problems of their own, including diarrhea and nausea, eating a potassium-rich diet is the best way to maintain healthy potassium levels. Most fresh fruits and vegetables contain potassium. Those highest in potassium are bananas, apples, avocados, lima beans, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, peaches, cantaloupes, and apricots. Fish and meats also contain potassium.
Sufficient magnesium is essential for healthy blood pressure. It plays a key role, with sodium and potassium, in maintaining fluid balance in the cells and regulating how much water the cells hold. When your cells are holding on to water, your blood pressure can go up. Just taking a magnesium supplement can significantly reduce blood pressure. Magnesium deficiency can cause a variety of heart problems, including irregular heartbeat and it contributes to diabetes.
