Hypertension has been described as the ’silent killer’ by many as there is often no warning that you even have it. But before addressing the possible natural remedies for high blood pressure, it may be first wise to say what normal blood pressure is. There is some variation between individuals as to normal blood pressure and one needs to seek medical help to ascertain whether your blood pressure is naturally high or low, but as a rule-of-thumb, for an otherwise healthy adult the target blood pressure is 115/75 although this figure may differ slightly between health departments in different countries.

The higher figure refers to the systolic rate (in this case 115) and the lower to diastolic. Diastolic refers to the pressure in the interval between heart beats and the systolic to the maximum arterial pressure during the contraction of the left ventricle of the heart. Unfortunately, if your BP (blood pressure) is 20/10 more than the target, then you have doubled your cardiovascular risk.

A great deal of people worldwide have a natural aversion to taking drugs, particularly as they often affect other parts of the body and lead to some unpleasant side-effects. Yes, it is accepted that you may have hypertension because of genetics, but that does not mean you are unable to do something about it. Even if you take drugs already, if you want extra help to allow you to stop, try some natural remedies for high blood pressure. The good news is that even small drops in your BP have a significant effect and there are a few, but efficient natural remedies for high blood pressure to return you to a healthy rate.

It is suggested that the primary natural remedies for high blood pressure include watching your diet, stress/anxiety avoidance and exercise. With regard to what you eat, please seek medical advice before taking any supplements as some can interact with other medications (garlic for example can thin the blood).

There are specific supplements to include in your diet such as Coenzyme Q10 (which is a naturally recurring substance in the body), fish oil, hawthorn, calcium, potassium, magnesium and folic acid. The ones to avoid as they can raise blood pressure, are primarily ephredra, Asian ginseng and rosemary essential oil. The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) has been promoted by several health departments worldwide and has been advocated to improve hypertension. The diet basically includes fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, beans and nuts but limits sodium.

Looking at exercise, aerobic exercises such as a moderate stroll is well known to reduce hypertension and walking is one of the most enjoyable and pleasant ways to exercise if you are able. Yoga has also been suggested to have a useful effect.

It should come as no surprise to learn that stress and anxiety can increase blood pressure, so you must learn to relax. Again Yoga is useful here, as is meditation (try autogenic and biofeedback training, and tai chi are reasonable suggestions.

I hope you have found the above natural remedies for high blood pressure useful and a good starting point to continue your quest to return your BP to the healthy zone. This is just the beginning of your long and healthy life.

Tags: Blood Pressure

Share This