Lower blood pressure naturally

It is estimated that one in four people in the United States suffer from high blood pressure. Recent studies have also shown that up to 15% of deaths in America can cite high blood pressure as a contributing factor. In actual fact, high blood pressure is one of the leading killers along with heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, cognitive decline and kidney failure.

We often turn to extremely powerful medications such as Lisinopril, Losartan and Amlodipine to combat this life-threatening affliction. However many people are prone to unpredictable health risks and costly side-effects from taking medication. Fortunately you are able to lower your blood pressure naturally. With that being said, promoters of natural health products are often prone to making outlandish claims and this can leave you feeling extremely confused and very sceptical.

You are actually able to lower your blood pressure naturally, but this will take some commitment on your part and also some very important health and lifestyle changes. As we get older, our blood pressure is likely to rise as well and recent research has shown that we face a 90% chance of developing high blood pressure at some point in our lifetime. There are numerous things you can do to combat this and these include:

Ensuring you partake in regular and moderate physical activity. This can not only strengthen the heart, but it can help you to lower your blood pressure naturally. As we are well aware, exercise can help you lose weight and is an important part of stress management. These are two more things that may contribute to you having high blood pressure. Something as simple as 30 minutes a day of brisk walking, easy cycling or swimming is more than enough to lead you on the right path.

Almost all the research conducted on this subject has shown that by maintaining an optimum body weight or ensuring that you do not carry excess weight, you are far less likely to suffer from high blood pressure. It has been estimated that if you are able to lose 7-8 pounds of weight, you stand a 50% less chance of having high blood pressure, than someone who hasn’t lost any weight at all.

One of the most popular ways to lower your blood pressure naturally is to take part in meditation and learn other relaxation techniques. These may include yoga and tai chi. It is important that you learn to let stressful thoughts leave your mind and body as soon as possible. This can help to calm your nerves and may also lower your blood pressure quite significantly.

Another great way to lower your blood pressure naturally is to cut back on your sodium intake. It is recommended that you should not have more than 1500 mg of sodium per day, which in actual fact is half of the American average. However merely reducing how much salt you consume at the dinner table may not make that much difference. It is believed that the salt shaker only contributes to about 15% of your daily sodium intake. You must realize that the majority of salt in your diet is actually hidden within processed and restaurant foods.

There are various negative elements that constitute part of our normal days that you should aim to eliminate. These include junk food, stimulants such as coffee, smoking, saturated and trans fat, excessive alcohol, stress, excessive salt and sugar intake and generally living the couch potato lifestyle. All of these things will have an extremely negative effect on your blood pressure, so if you really wish to lower your blood pressure naturally, it may be time to cut down on these things.

We are fully aware that eating nutritious diet is something that can help us to live a healthy lifestyle. However how many of us actually do this? You should start eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and increase your intake of high fiber foods and whole grains. Try to eat lean poultry and fatty fish and ensure that you stick with low-fat dairy products. You should also ensure that you drink plenty of water each and every day.

A final way to help you lower your blood pressure naturally is to start taking more heart healthy supplements. These are vital in your overall health and can do a lot to lower your blood pressure. Some of the supplements that you should look to take include vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, potassium and fish oils.

If you are serious about trying to lower your blood pressure naturally and wish to avoid the use of drugs, then you really should look at making these simple lifestyle changes in order to live a better life.

Last updated on Apr 28th, 2011 and filed under Cardiovascular Disorders. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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