Your heart can be damaged by high blood pressure. It affects one in three people in the world and if it is left monitored, it increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. But the good news is that there are a number of things one can do to lower his or her blood pressure naturally, without medication.
Drink less alcohol
Drinking alcohol can raise blood pressure. In fact, alcohol is linked to sixteen percent of high blood pressure cases around the world. While some research has suggested that low to moderate amounts of alcohol may protect the heart, those benefits may be overridden by negative effects. Drinking alcohol in any quantity may raise your blood pressure so limit your drinking to no more than one drink a day for women, two for men.
Eat more potassium-rich foods
Potassium is an important mineral in a human’s body and it helps your body get rid of sodium and ease pressure on your blood vessels. Modern diets have increased most people’s sodium intake while decreasing potassium intake. To balance potassium to sodium in your diet, you have to focus on eating fewer processed foods and fresh food stuff. Foods that are particularly high in potassium include Dairy, such as milk and yogurt, tuna and salmon, nuts and seeds, beans, vegetables, especially leafy greens, tomatoes, potatoes and sweet potatoes, and lastly fruits, including melons, bananas, avocados, oranges and apricots. By eating these kinds of food stuff, you may lower your blood pressure.
Walk and exercise regularly
One of the best things that you can do to lower high blood pressure is to do some exercises. Doing exercises regularly aids in making your heart solider and also for it to pump blood more efficiently, leading to the lowering of pressure in the arteries. In fact, one hundred and fifty minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking, or seventy-five minutes of vigorous exercise, such as running, per week can help lower blood pressure and improve your heart health. So frequently do exercise so that you can lower your blood pressure without the use of medication.
Cut back on caffeine
If you have ever downed a cup of coffee before you have had your blood pressure taken, you will know that caffeine causes an instant boost. In fact, people who drink caffeinated coffee and tea tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure, than those who don’t. Caffeine can cause There might be a short-term spike in blood pressure, after you take something that contains caffeine although it does not cause a lasting rise. If you suspect you are caffeine-sensitive, cut back to see if it lowers your blood pressure.
Learn to manage stress
A key driver of high blood pressure is stress, so when you are chronically stressed, your body is in a constant fight-or-flight mode. You can reduce stress by listening to soothing music because calming music can help relax your nervous system. Studies revealed that it is an effective complement to other blood pressure remedies. Working a lot, and stressful work situations in general, are linked to high blood pressure so you have to work less. Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure. Finding ways to manage stress can help.
Eat dark chocolate or cocoa
Eating a lot of chocolate probably won’t help your heart, but only small amounts may help you. That is because dark chocolate and cocoa powder are rich in flavonoids, plant compounds that cause blood vessels to dilate. So dark chocolate and cocoa powder contain plant compounds that help relax blood vessels thus lowering blood pressure.
Quit smoking
Smoking is hazardous to health. Every puff of cigarette smoke causes a minor, impermanent rise in blood pressure. Chemicals which are in tobacco are also acknowledged to damage blood vessels. Since smoking and high blood pressure increase the risk of heart disease, one has to quit smoking so as to aid in the reversal of that risk.
Lose weight
If you are overweight, losing weight can make a big difference for your heart health. Research has reviewed that losing five percent of your body mass could significantly lower high blood pressure. Losing weight can meaningfully lower high blood pressure and the effect of losing weight is even greater when you exercise.
Try meditation or deep breathing
The two behaviors can also fall under stress reduction practises, meditation and deep breathing deserve specific mention. Both meditation and deep breathing are thought to activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
Eat calcium-rich foods
People with low calcium intake often have high blood pressure. While calcium supplements haven’t been conclusively shown to lower blood pressure, calcium-rich diets do seem linked to healthy levels.
Eat berries
Berries are full of more than just juicy flavour. Berries are also packed with polyphenols, natural plant compounds that are good for the heart. Researchers surveyed a group of middle-aged people. One small study had middle-aged people eat berries for eight weeks then after 8 weeks the participants experienced improvements in different markers of heart health, including blood pressure. So consuming berries and polyphenol-rich foods help lower your blood pressure.
Eat foods rich in magnesium
Magnesium is an important mineral that helps blood vessels relax. While magnesium deficiency is pretty rare, many people do not get enough. Research have reviewed that getting too little magnesium is linked with high blood pressure, but evidence from clinical studies has been less clear. Still, eating a magnesium-rich diet is a recommended way to ward off high blood pressure. You can incorporate magnesium into your diet with vegetables, dairy products, legumes, chicken, meat and whole grains.
Take natural supplements
Some natural supplements may also help lower blood pressure. Here are some of the main supplements that have evidence behind them:
Aged garlic extract: Aged garlic extract has been used successfully as a stand-alone treatment and along with conventional therapies for lowering blood pressure.
Berberine: Traditionally used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, berberine may increase nitric oxide production, which helps decrease blood pressure.
Fish oil: Long credited with improving heart health, fish oil may benefit people with high blood pressure the most.
Hibiscus: Hibiscus flowers make a tasty tea. They are rich in anthocyanins and polyphenols that are good for your heart and may lower blood pressure.
No Comment