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How (And Why) to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally

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Lowering your blood pressure naturally is key to long-term health. Creatas/Creatas Images/Thinkstock

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most important risk factor for premature death, accounting for half of all deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and 13.5 percent of all deaths each year. It affects 26 percent of the population worldwide, and one-third of the population in the U.S. Nine in ten Americans are expected to develop high blood pressure by the age of sixty-five.

With this in mind, it’s no exaggeration to suggest that keeping your blood pressure under control is one of the most important things you can do to extend your lifespan.

Mild hypertension can nearly double your risk of heart disease—but drugs don’t work. What can you do? #hypertension #diabetes #metabolicsyndrome

This has become even more apparent in light of recent research which suggests that even “high normal” blood pressure (120–129 / 80–84 mmHg) increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 46% on average. For women, the risk was slightly lower; for men, it was much higher—80%, regardless of age. (1) These results are alarming in light of the fact that 3 of 10 US citizens have a blood pressure in the 129–139 / 84–95 mmHg range.

Making the problem worse, studies have shown that drug therapy for “high normal” blood pressure and even mild hypertension is not effective. A large review of randomized, clinical trials performed by the prestigious Cochrane Collaboration found that anti-hypertensive drugs used to treat mild hypertension (140–159 / 90–99 mm/Hg) did not reduce disease complications or the risk of death. (2)

How to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally

But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do.

Like most other chronic diseases, high blood pressure is caused by a mismatch between our genes and the modern diet and lifestyle. High blood pressure affects only one percent of hunter-gatherer populations following a traditional diet, but its prevalence increases when those cultures adopt a western diet and lifestyle that is characterized by processed and refined foods, sedentary behavior, chronic sleep deprivation, a lack of sun exposure and excess use of caffeine, alcohol and tobacco. (3)

If you have “high-normal” blood pressure or mild hypertension, here are my top three recommendations for decreasing your blood pressure naturally.

Diet

As I mentioned above, high blood pressure is practically nonexistent in traditional hunter gatherer societies. There are likely several reasons for this, but diet is certainly one of them. Here’s what to pay attention to:

  • Sugar. Increased consumption of sugar—especially sugar-sweetened beverages like soda—is associated with high blood pressure, and reducing sugar intake has been shown to lower blood pressure. (4)
  • Potassium. High dietary intake of potassium is associated with lower blood pressure. In fact, many researchers believe that the protective effects of potassium are one of the major reasons why hunter-gatherers like the Kalahari Bushmen and traditional pygmies of Sub-Saharan Africa have such a low incidence of high blood pressure. In Paleolithic diets, the average daily intake of potassium was approximately 10,500 mg/d. In comparison, the average American consumes about 2,800 mg/d. (5)
  • Cold-water fish. I’ve written before about the numerous health benefits of EPA and DHA, the polyunsaturated fats found in cold-water fish. Studies have shown that DHA, in particular, is very effective at reducing blood pressure. You don’t need to take a fish oil supplement to get this benefit; eating cold-water fish three times a week is just as effective as taking a high-dose fish oil supplement, and the protein in the fish may also have a blood-pressure lowering effect. (6)
  • Magnesium. A high dietary intake of magnesium has been shown to reduce blood pressure, though its effect is not as strong as what is observed with potassium. Nuts, seeds, spinach, beet greens, and chocolate are the highest food sources of magnesium on a Paleo diet. Magnesium’s effect on blood pressure is magnified when combined with increased potassium intake. In fact, increasing potassium and magnesium intake together while moderately reducing sodium intake can lower blood pressure as much as a single medication. (7)

What about salt? We’ve been told for years that a high salt intake is one of the primary risk factors for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, but it’s time to shake up the salt myth. Though some studies do suggest that restricting salt can lower blood pressure, the evidence supporting a connection between salt intake and cardiovascular disease is weak at best. What’s more, some evidence suggests that restricting salt too much may be harmful to our health. (For more on this important topic, read my special report on salt.)

As usual, individual variation plays a role. It appears that a minority of the population is “salt-sensitive”, which means they’re susceptible to developing hypertension when consuming a diet higher in sodium. For the rest of us, there’s no strong evidence that reducing salt intake below one and one-half teaspoons (3,600 mg/d, which is the average intake in the US today) is beneficial.

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Lifestyle

There are a number of steps you can take in terms of behavioral and lifestyle change to lower your blood pressure. These include:

  • Weight loss. Excess body fat can raise blood pressure, and reducing it can lower blood pressure.
  • Exercise. Endurance exercise, strength training, high-intensity interval training and simply moving around more during the day (outside of a distinct exercise period) have all been shown to significantly reduce blood pressure.
  • Sleep. Both short sleep duration and poor sleep quality increase the risk that you’ll develop high blood pressure. (8) Correcting sleep apnea has been shown to reduce blood pressure. (9)
  • Sunlight. Exposure to ultraviolet light (via sunshine or tanning beds) increases the production of a chemical in our bodies called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a powerful vasodilator; it helps our blood vessels to relax, which in turn lowers blood pressure.
  • Meditation. Several studies have shown that meditation can be effective for lowering blood pressure, possibly via its relaxing effects on the nervous system. (10)
  • Deep breathing. Deep breathing is part of many traditional practices such as yoga, qi gong and certain forms of meditation. Even short periods of deep breathing have been shown to modestly lower blood pressure, and using deep-breathing techniques over weeks to months may lead to long-term reductions in blood pressure. Research suggests that three to four fifteen-minute sessions per week of deep breathing are sufficient to have this effect. (11)
  • Biofeedback. Biofeedback, the process of becoming aware of the body’s physiological functions, has been shown to effectively reduce blood pressure, with no side effects or risks. (12)

First get your weight loss, exercise, sleep and sun exposure dialed in. Then choose either meditation, deep breathing, or biofeedback and stick with it for a month. You’ll be amazed at the results.

Supplements

Several supplements have been shown to be quite effective for lowering blood pressure. In fact, research suggests that when combined together, diet and lifestyle changes and supplements can be even more effective than drug treatment.

Here’s a list of the supplements you should consider:

  • CoQ10. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an antioxidant that plays an important role in protecting the heart. Levels of CoQ10 decrease with age and are lower in patients with diseases that are characterized by inflammation and oxidative stress, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. At doses of 100–225 mg per day, CoQ10 reduces systolic blood pressure by 15 mgHg and diastolic blood pressure by 10 mgHg. (13) CoQ10 is fat soluble, which means it’s best to take with meals that contain fat. However, newer formulations are available that significantly improve absorption and lead to higher serum CoQ10 levels. I use these in my practice: QH Absorb 100 mg and 200 mg.
  • Garlic. Clinical trials have shown that long-acting garlic supplements have a modest but significant impact on blood pressure in people with high blood pressure, with an average reduction of 8.4 mmHg (systolic) and 7.3 mmHg (diastolic). (14) Approximately 10,000 units of allicin (one of the active ingredients in garlic)—the amount contained in about four cloves of garlic—is required to have the desired effect. However, not all garlic supplements are comparable in their ability to lower blood pressure. This is what I use in my practice: Vital Nutrients Garlic 6000.
  • Magnesium. Magnesium taken in supplemental form at doses of 500–1,000 mg/d over an eight-week period has been shown to significantly reduce blood pressure. I recommend chelated forms of magnesium such as magnesium glycinate for optimal absorption and tolerance. This is what I use in my practice: Douglass Laboratories Magnesium Glycinate.
  • Vitamin C. Vitamin C has been shown to modestly reduce blood pressure and improve arterial health in clinical studies. This is especially true for people who are low in vitamin C to begin with. The recommended dose is 1,000 mg a day. Liposomal forms of vitamin C are much better absorbed than typical oral preparations. This is what I use in my practice: Optimal Liposomal Vitamin C.
  • Potassium. Potassium may help reduce blood pressure, especially when dietary intake is inadequate. (15) The main dietary sources of potassium are starchy vegetables like potato, sweet potato and plantain, fruits like banana, and some species of fish, like halibut, rockfish, and salmon. If you’re not eating these foods (e.g. you’re on a very low-carb diet), you may wish to supplement with 1,000–2,000 mg/d of potassium (though you should check with your doctor before doing this, and monitor your potassium levels; high-dose potassium supplementation over a long period of time may lead to mineral imbalances and can be dangerous).
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305 Comments

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  1. Repeated studies from some of the most respected universities in the world have proved that all types of blood pressure medications in fact INCREASE the risk of dying from stroke and heart attack.

    Even if they sometimes lower blood pressure, the side effects can kill.

    Here are some examples…

    http://www.bestquicktips.com/blood-pressure-truth

    Hope that helps.

  2. I’m new to Paleo and Chris. 2 weeks I’m my BP has gone from 140 something/high 80s on medication to 115/71 with no changes other than paleo 30 day cleanse. Amazing results so early. I monitor it daily and haven’t seen numbers like that ever.

  3. The article states: “recent research which suggests that even ‘high normal’ blood pressure (120–129 / 80–84 mmHg) increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 46% on average. For women, the risk was slightly lower; for men, it was much higher—80%, regardless of age.”

    So, an 18 year old boy with a BP of 120/80 has an 80% greater chance of dying of cardiovascular disease while their teens?

    This is just patently false. I don’t know how these “statistics” are compiled but they are no actual representation of reality.

    • What is the risk of dying of a cardiovascular incident for young healthy person (20s) with “perfect” BP (115/75)?

      Obviously it would be exceedingly minute. For the sake of discussion, lets say that it is 1 out of 1000 (0.001%). If an increase of BP into the 120s/80s causes an 80% increased risk, we take the original risk (0.001) and add 80% to that number. This gives us an overall risk of 0.0018…which is still an infinitesimally small risk and essentially indistinguishable from the original risk percentage.

      This is why so many people are mislead by statistics.

  4. Always get a good night’s sleep. That is one way of taking care of your blood pressure naturally. BTW, nice article here. Very informative indeed!

  5. i have 40 years.i had 90/165 when i started medication,i always had the habit of daily exercising in gym & distance running (7 kilometres atleast….so i want to come back to my earlier good habits….now not practising weight training…just going for morning walk of 3 kilometres),i had stress and anxiety regarding my business when i started the medicine……i want to know whether it is suggestable to avoid medicines after bringing down the bp

  6. Wow, surprised Chris didn’t mention beets. Consuming beet juice drastically reduced my blood pressure, in some cases 20 points on the high number (forgot the term-stylistic or dialistic)

  7. Hello i am 24 years old. recently My bp found at 150/90.My doctor has given medicine.I want to recover without taking medicine.is it possible for me?

    Thanks in advance

    • Try laying flat on bed with chest down (prone position) for “at least an hour or so”. If you check you bp after 10-15 minutes you’ll notice the significant decrease. But don’t change position right away. Coz if you do you won’t achieve the normal bp for too long. Make it your new sleeping position. It won’t go down lower than normal nothing to worry. The only problem you’ll encounter next is stiffed neck. Lol. It’s better to have stiffed neck than high blood pressure, right? Try it. Hope it works on you.

    • Sandy can you tell me a little more about citrulline malate? How much did you take? For how long? How high was you bp? How much lower did it get? What’s your lifestyle (fit and otherwise healthy?)?

  8. My blood pressure was 15/90. Some of the medication I have taken are Cholesterol lowering statin Crestor and Lipidil. I have also taken COQ10 for around three years now. My Cholesterol level has dropped back to being normal and my Blood Pressure has gone from 150/90 to 125/70

  9. Hi i am 41. My Blood pressure never comes down from 154(upper) and 96(lower)… it only goes up.. never comes down…! I’m am a little worried and this chronic problem is not looking to control. Can anyone suggest me what to do?

    • I have mamged to reduce my BP by fasting, usint the 8 -16 ratio, eat within an 8 hour period and fast, except for some water for the rest. it has helped to reduce my body fat and general weight loss. IF diet or 8 hour diet books and references on google etc

    • Try laying flat on bed with chest down (prone position) for “at least an hour.” Your blood pressure will go down to normal. It won’t go lower than normal nothing to worry. Notify us if it works on you so you can pass along the good news. I’ve been doing this for 2 years now. But please consult your cardiologist for maintenance.

    • I read a lot especially about blood pressure. It stated there is no proof blood pressure meds keep you from dying of a stroke or heart attack. Matter a fact too many people taking these drugs. It puts you at risk to have to take even more drugs….. .. the drug co. puposely like everyone on blood pressure meds. So you end up on more expensive drugs. Thes blood pressure meds makes your legs hurt,causes insomnia, and lots more. Read it for yourself. Its very hard to get off this drug. Almost there,and feeling good again.

  10. i am 63 and have had BP of 220 /110 recently, with tests showing normal kidney, liver and thyroid. Vit D tests still to come. I cannot exert myself much and my calves and chest get very tight. I supplement with minerals, vits and have just started K2 and magnesium. What is going on?

    • Shelia, I am 64 and had mild HBP so I started with vitamins and read that a Vegan diet was best for HBP. I began the vitamins and noticed a rise in my BP, and then I went to a Vegan diet and began eating soy products instead of meat and my HBP went through the roof! I got to my dr.’s office and it was 210/110 and I had two small strokes. I immediately stopped the vitamins and my HBP came down a bit, and after a few days of stopping all soy products it was back to 130/85. After a few weeks, I did a little experiment and took the multi-vitamin again and within a few hours my HP went back up to 150/95. Something in the vitamin did not agree with me! I read an article about Soy Isolate and that it can cause HBP especially in women. I now stay completely away from all soy products and multi-vitamins. I stick with taking individual tablets of Vit-C, Vit-D, Vit B-12, and a small dose of Mag. My BP is now 112/75.

      • I am 47 and have hbp. Can you please tell me how much mg of each vitamin you take and how much of the mag you take? I appreciate it very much.

    • I am sure your primary has check your adrenal glands and ruled out pheochromocytoma, it is a simple 24hr urine and blood screen, if not, please call your primary.

  11. Thanks for all of the helpful information. Tomorrow I will purchase hibiscus tea, apple cider vinegar and tons of garlic cloves. If that does not bring my BP down, I will add vitamin supplements.

    • Magnesium has made the most difference in my blood pressure! Getting it naturally in the foods is best cause supplements can cause diarrhea. Almonds, leafy greens like spinach, turnip greens, dark chocolate are some foods rich in magnesium. Also taking an Epson salt bath will allow you to absorb magnesium through the skin. My blood pressure use to be as high as 185/126. Now it’s 125/75. Plus magnesium has helped significantly with anxiety and stress. Magnesium is so important to our well being. It really has made the biggest difference in my health. I feel so much better!

    • I read that we need 2-3 cups of hibiscus tea a day. I am drinking one cup….but i cheated….i put TWO tea bags in the cup so i get double the dose. I also ordered some hibiscus capsules on the net cuz easier for me to take them instead of drinking so much tea. Try buying the capsules.