Natural Support for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure happens when the pressure on the arteries and blood vessels becomes too high and the arterial wall becomes distorted causing extra stress on the heart. Long term-high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and diabetes. It affects 1 in 3 Americans and most don’t even realize they have high blood pressure until serious problems arise. It is a particularly common in people over the age of 50. Fortunately, there are things you can do to lower your blood pressure naturally. Please discuss these strategies with your doctor if you have high blood pressure.

Lifestyle

Reducing stress, getting good sleep, and exercising can all help lower blood pressure. If you are stressed, then adding relaxation techniques such as yoga, journaling, and practicing gratitude can help. Maintaining a healthy weight is also important in keeping your blood pressure normal. The higher your body weight, the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. As the volume of blood circulated through your blood vessels increases, so does the pressure on your artery walls and your blood pressure rises.

Foods

A healthy diet is important for everyone, but especially if you are trying to lower your blood pressure. Avoid processed foods that often contain inflammatory oils and excess salt. Instead, load up on high fiber vegetables, fruits and seeds. Foods rich in potassium and magnesium are particularly helpful for lowering blood pressure. Potassium rich foods include melon, avocado, and banana. Coconut water is another great source of potassium. Magnesium helps relax your blood vessels and is important for over 300 chemical reactions in the body. Some examples of magnesium rich foods are spinach, swiss chard, legumes, chinook salmon, and dark chocolate.

Healthy Fats

The commercially produced fats found in soybean, canola, corn, and safflower oils are known to cause inflammation due to their high omega-6 content. This is why it is important to avoid processed foods and incorporate heathy omega-3 fats. Many studies have shown that high quality fish oil reduces inflammation. Labdoor is a good starting place for finding a high quality fish oil supplement. Flax seeds, chia seeds and olive oil are also full of healthy fats.

Herbs and Tea

Garlic is a natural vasodilator and studies have shown that it is beneficial for cardiovascular health. If you don't get much in your diet, then you can take it in pill form. White tea is the least processed of true teas and it also contains the most antioxidants. The flavonoids in it help dilate the arteries and lower blood pressure. It does contain caffeine, which can increase blood pressure in those sensitive to caffeine. But it is generally recommended as part of a heart healthy diet. Ginseng tea is also thought to help lower blood pressure.

Essential Oils

Essential oils may help lower blood pressure by dilating the arteries. They also act as antioxidants and can decrease emotional stress. Some good options include neroli, lavender, ylang ylang, sweet marjoram, clary sage and frankincense. You can use these oils in a diffuser or you can add a few drops to a neutral carrier oil or lotion, and use them on your body.

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