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.
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.)
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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).
Better supplementation. Fewer supplements.
Close the nutrient gap to feel and perform your best.
A daily stack of supplements designed to meet your most critical needs.
““high normal” blood pressure (120–129 / 80–84 mmHg) increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 46% on average”… is a bit hard to believe based on one reference.
A relative statistic can also be misleading. Is it 46% of one in ten or 46% of one in a million?
Is it accurate to say that ‘my blood pressure is…(x)”? Blood pressure goes up and down all day. Far more meaningful to express one’s own blood pressure in a range.
Also, the implication of your article is that ‘lower is better’. Low blood pressure is just as much a curse as high blood pressure. Might it not be better to refer to “optimal range”? Of so 130/80 at the top end does not seem problematic.
Pardon me, the last sentence should read, “if so”.
Virtually all the risk of high blood pressure is focused on heart disease.
You don’t want to focus on lowering your blood pressure but heart disease itself. Heart disease is caused by artery plaque and calcification of arteries. That’s what you want to focus on.
Fibrinolytic enzymes can prevent heart attack and strokes. There have been no studies in the US because it would compete with TPA and coumadin. They have done thousands of studies in China on a fibrinolytic enzyme that comes from caterpillar. You can actually buy that online.
The supplements that Chris recommends have to be taken every day over decades but will not address more severe and dire conditions. The reality is that people who feel healthy just aren’t going to take them so impractical. PLus they don’t really know if it is doing any good. When your young, old people diseases are irrelevant.
Use nattokinase to clear away plaque with no side effects. Cost is economical. It can replace coumadin and TPA.
Use vitamin K2 and D3 to clear away calcium from arteries.
Use them separately but make clearing away plaque the priority since clogged arteries will kill you much faster.
For people over 50, they should take nattokinase on empty stomach before going to bed. If they have heart disease symptoms, they should go 3 times a day until symptoms clear up. It will take one month to see improvement. It can take around 3-4 months to clear away half the artery blockage if severe. You can also add serrapeptase for added effect.
After plague issue addressed, I’d do intermittent monthly cleanses with vitamin K2 MK7 and D3. Take with food. Anecdotal reports say people have seen drastic improvement in calcium reduction only a couple months. Vitamin K2 MK7 stays in blood for 4 days. It will compete with fibrinolytic enzymes so generally don’t use them at same time.
In my situation, I use vitamin K2 MK7 once every 5 days since I have chronic coagulation and I have a little K3 floating around in me. I have to play it by ear.
People under 40 generally are not at risk so I would just do a couple month cleanse every 10 years just like an oil change. Between 40 and 50, you have to eyeball your own situation in what is best.
In an emergency situation during a heart attack or stroke, you can swallow a whole bunch. The body will only use whatever it needs so no overdose. It’s like taking TPA but dirt cheap.
The only caveat is don’t take with aspirin. Many people are taking aspirin to prevent heart attacks but it won’t be needed anymore with nattokinase.
I am glad someone brought up the use of fibrinolytic enzymes. Ihave heard a lot of encouraging data about them. What is your take on this path Chris?
It will be difficult for him to comment on it because there are no US scientific studies. The other barrier is that the English translation of the chinese studies may not be available.
If one has heart disease symptoms, it’s pretty straightforward to just try it out and know if it is working. Ones symptoms should start dissipating in a month. Plus it will not cost much. There is very little lose and a lot to gain.
I have never heard that Vitamin K2, MK7 competes with fibrinolytic enzymes in the blood. Since my daughter takes both, I would love to see some references on the subject. Any links you could point me towards? Thanks!
There’s research out there.
Allergy Research Corporation has done some double-blind studies using Nattokinase, with and without also taking other drugs to control cholesterol, etc.
Nattokinase worked very well.
Some fibrinolytics work better or different than others–different chemistry pathways in the body.
Vitamin K helps control clotting functions.
There are various forms of K, each works a bit differently.
It’s now recommended to use K when taking D3. OR, eat LOTS of dark green leafy veggies, preferably raw or in smoothies–they work synergistically.
I’ve always wondered why take a drug, if the nutritional supplement, herb, or food, is doing the job with less side effects?
Nattokinase seems to work great in our household, helping keep blood vessels in better shape.
Since many supplements I take, also act as blood thinners, taking sufficient amounts of Vitamin K prevents bruising, for instance.
Vitamin K2 is a coagulant.
Nattokinase is an anticoagulant.
You can look it up.
One can probably take both but it depends upon a persons current state of health and what they are trying to accomplish. What I try to do is provide a general framework of understanding. Ultimately, one must customize the information to suit ones health situation.
It’s really about experimenting. As people use it more, more anecdotal experience will accumulate on the do’s and dont’s of using both at same time. I have to play it by ear week to week in using both for my situation so I can’t give any better guidelines than what I posted.
If one has arterial plague that is causing problems, I’d concentrate on plague first since it can kill much faster. Once arteries are clear enough, they have more leeway to use K2. If your daughter is under 40 then plaque usually isn’t a problem.
If under 40 and relatively healthy, she could do cleanses with each for 2-3 months every 5-10 years to remove built up artery plaque and calcium. Maybe 5 years from now there could be different recommendations.
D3 works with K2 so important.
For people who are prone to nose bleeds, vitamin K2 is what I would suggest as a remedy.
SORRY BUT WAS AWARE VIT K WAS A COAGULANT BUT THAT K2 HAD NO AFFECT ON BLOOD CLOTTING, JUST TO HELP METABOLIZE CALCIUM. CAN YOU DIRECT ME TO ANY RESEARCH ON THIS CLOTTING EFFECT OF k2
Something that no one has mentioned is chemicals in the environment and heavy metals. We are all probably suffering from this. I have a ton of mercury and am trying to detox that. Don’t know what chemicals I have as I haven’t tested for that. Also hormonal issues is another thing. I always had a good blood pressure until menopause and then that combined with a very bad reaction to a natural thyroid medication sent everything crazy. Not been able to get better since.
FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE CLINICS WILL HAVE TESTS TO DETERMINE TOXICITY
I too have heavy metals in my body. I got my urine tested and i was off the charts…3x more lead than the average person. EDTA will remove heavy metals, all kinds, including mercury which i am surprised i was low on. EDTA removes heavy metals, melts the plaque away and removes calcium from the arteries. It was the only thing that lowered my lower number from 98 to80-85. It worked for me in six wks, but i read that it could take up to a yr to remove the plaque. Just depends on how bad you are. When i try to take a water pill with the EDTA my blood pressure will go too low….85/65 so i can’t take the water pill anymore. I don’t need it. I got light headed when pressure went too low.
Stress reduction? My otherwise fit and healthy, active 49 year old husband had increasing blood pressure over a 3 to 4 year period which reduced to a normal level pretty much immediately on resolution of a stressful family situation
I have been doing many of these things for years. Only now to find out I have erthromelalgia. I have reynauds also. The problem is that the vasodilation causes the flare ups. My blood pressure is much better using these supplements. I’m trying to figure out how to help one. I figure blood pressure is more important. I will have to just learn to manage the symptoms of the em. Any suggestions from anyone.
Can’t you sell a liposmal c without additives?
Having 1 teaspoon of cinnamon a day sprinkled on yoghurt or added to drinks i believe has helped drop my blood pressure medication in one year from 32mg per day down to 8mg. I now plan on doing some form of exercise to reduce my medication to 0. 🙂
There are two kinds of cinnamon. One is good for you and the other can damage the kidneys. Do a search. I forget which is which. I think Cassia is good, but not sure.
I use QH Absorb and I’ve found that it has more of an effect on lowering my resting heart rate rather than my blood pressure. But a few things I’ve found that have made a huge impact on lowering my blood pressure:
Supplementing with coconut oil. It was when I was taking 3 Tbsp. a day that my bp went so low that I told my doc I had to stop taking my bp meds. I’ve never gone back on them. Now I find that a good sized dollop in my coffee every day is enough to keep it in the normal range.
Another one is a product called Chlorofresh, which is a liquid chlorophyll product that’s touted as an internal deodorant. A few weeks after taking it daily and my bp numbers dropped considerably. The product doesn’t make any claims about lowering blood pressure, but it was a nice, unexpected side effect.
It contains parsley, no doubt, and parsley is a diuretic.
Hi Chris
In your article there is no mention of calcium channel blockers and the link between EMFs and high blood pressure.
MDs often prescribe calcium channel blockers in order to lower blood pressure but these have a number of side-effects such as ankle swelling, headaches, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, lung congestion, nausea, heart palpitations, abdominal cramps, diarrhea or constipation.
Calcium Channel blockers otherwise known as calcium antogonists block calcium from going into blood vessel and heart cells. This helps to relax and widen artery walls. They are also used in the treatment of conditions such migraine headaches, arrhythmias and certain other circulatory problems
Magnesium, Pottasium and calcium are all synergistic and indeed magnesium acts as a natural calcium antagonist. There are also a number of other natural calcium channel blockers such as hawthorn. This article http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210006/ is entitled “Role of natural Herbs in the treatment of hypertension”.
In addition, one of the known effects of man made non native radiation from mobile phones, wifi etc is that it causes calcium to be pushed out of cells into the blood system. Excess calcium in the blood system can contribute to atherosclerosis (thickening of the artery walls) and leading to high blood pressure.
In June 2013, Prof. Martin Pall published an article in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular medicine entitled “Electromagnetic fields act via activation of voltage-gated calcium channels to produce beneficial or adverse effects”
See http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcmm.12088/full
This page also lists over a dozen studies on the role of EMFs and calcium
http://electricwords.emfacts.com/index-Ca.html
Paul is correct here.
Furthermore, we can see a link to the vitamin D deficiency epidemic in this pathway. As calcium continues to be effluxed, the body downregulates vitamin D production to avoid excitotoxicity and apoptosis.
I get lots but not megadoses of vitamin D. From a megamulti and also Glucosamine Sulfate with MSM supplement (Jarrow jointbuilder).
The Lisinopril helps my cramps. The side effects on the Nifedipine ER was nasty on the first day (nasty pain shooting up the neck arteries), tolerable for two weeks, and eventually went away. The Lisinopril hasn’t bothered me at all. No cough. The Garlic is hard on the stomach (Niacin is worse – must be taken an hour or so after a full meal or the pain is absolutely horrible for 20 min; garlic can go with a snack) but otherwise doesn’t bother me. The Nifedipine ER as well as soda makes Niacin flush worse, but Nifedipine ER doesn’t cause flushing on its own.
Thank you for the links. I will pass on the information.
Hi Chris,
My blood pressure has never been high, but it fluctuates depending on my weight. I’ve posted before that I lost 80 pounds many years ago. Well, when my weight is around 134 my blood pressure is 110/70; recently I gained 8 pounds without being fully aware – agghhh! – and my blood pressure was 120/80. It was amusing – I told the doctor his scale was broken, but when I saw the blood pressure the pieces starting coming together.
Now, my diet has included most of what you suggest above, in fact, all of it! I’m only 5′ 1″ so weighting 140 something is fat – no wonder my blood pressure is higher. But – here’s the problem – when my weight is lower, around the 134, which isn’t exactly skinny, I am weaker, have less energy, am dragging, am moodier, and get sick – I have a cold as we speak.
So, which is healthier, and more to the point, why does my body seem happier when it’s fat? I’m wondering if one piece I’ve missed is digestive enzymes and stomach acid, and so I have actually ordered your new products. We’ll see.
Thanks for the great post.
I have heard from researchers say that adequate calcium is the most important element in controlling high blood pressure. I keep my pressure low with just calcium and potassium.
My blood calcium is 10.2. I get 1000mg calcium per day from the vitamins, plus I am a heavy dairy consumer. If calcium did anything for me, it is included in the 145/105 initial unmedicated BP..
Hi Jesse, have you ever had your PTH (parathyroid hormone) checked? There’s a Dr. in Tampa who seems to be “the guy” on parathyroids, and he says “”High calcium and ANY PTH LEVEL that is not very low means you have hyperparathyroidism”
~ http://parathyroid.com/diagnosis.htm
High blood calcium – http://parathyroid.com/high-calcium.htm
Symptoms of hyperparathyroidism (can include high bp) – http://parathyroid.com/parathyroid-symptoms.htm
I consulted with the Tampa doctor when I consistently had high blood calcium levels and he thought I should have surgery. I then got a second opinion from a local endocrinologist who tested my vitamin D levels and found I had low vitamin D. I have supplemented with vitamin D since then and have had normal blood calcium levels. When I told this to the Tampa doctor, he told me that my local endrocrinologist was wrong. This was 9 years ago and haven’t tested high for calcium since.
You should probably be on vitamin K2 and D3 for hypercalcemia.
As far as the Tampa doctor, I am suspicious after reading his website. He seems focused on surgery.
In studies that have been done, they found that magnesium is critical to controlling the ratio of calcium ratio cell to plasma. It normally is 1 / 10000. Empirical evidence on a tribe which had high calcium intake but got 300 mg of magnesium per day didn’t show any affects and were healthy. A magnesium deficiency could be another possible cause of high calcium in the blood.
I sweat alot, so my sodium, potassium, and chloride all run near the bottom of the reference range on my blood tests. Calcium sits on the top, but the olive leaf extract lowered but but that got neutralized when I started taking a multi-mineral supplement (to get more magnesium, which comes with twice the caclium). Magnesium is at the mid-point of the reference range. The water in AZ is also very hard and I use a gravity filter which leaves all that calcium and magnesium in.
If you take calcium, look into vitamin K2 MK7 and D3 otherwise you could be damaging your arteries with too much calcium. I think those doctor recommendations of 1500mg are way too much calcium.
I have low magnesium so need to take calcium with it every day. I take no more than 600mg of calcium supplement.
Sayer Ji (GreenMedInfo.com) cites a study that reports significant B/P reduction by eating flax seed daily. Here’s the article:
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/flaxseed-reduces-blood-pressure-and-decreases-oxylipin-levels
Any comment Chris?
— Thanks
Among a multitude of health issues, i have one functional kidney, the other is still there but the renal artery has been completely occluded by lymph masses that I have all over my abdomen. Therefore creating high bp. I have been told I cannot live without meds. I live a fairly healthy lifestyle, not quite paleo, not quite vegan, I eat chicken. I am unable to do any type of cardio as I have restricted circulation due to masses. I am 5’6 112 lbs, am I stuck with meds for life?
Taking Olive Leaf Extract capsules also help to naturally bring your high blood pressure down to a normal level. I have been using it for two years after being told by my doctor to either change my lifestyle or she was putting me on medication that I would have to take for the rest of my life. I changed things and found Olive Leaf Extract capsules! My highest BP was 169/109. And now it’s anywhere from 106/69 to 129/79 depending on when I take it throughout the day.
I didn’t read the olive leaf extract affects blood pressure much. I take it in high doses and it doesn’t affect mine at all. Olive leaf (antiinflamatory, antibacterial, antiviral) along with the garlic (antiinflamatory, antibacterial, antiviral), niacin (histamine depletion due to flush) and quercetin (antiinflamatory) is great for allergies and colds though.
Hi Jesse,
I originally found out about Olive Leaf Extract by a cardiologist (I can’t remember his name….but I will find it) that reported on it. It worked for me, my father and my mother (who normally takes prescription medication for high BP.) It took her BP down to normal levels in two and a half weeks. My father is still on it as well.
Here are just three places that talk about Olive Leaf Extract and lowering you BP:
http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20080829/olive-leaf-to-treat-hypertension
http://www.emaxhealth.com/1275/olive-leaf-extract-reduces-blood-pressure-captopril
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/09/25/olive-leaf-extract-lowers-blood-pressure.aspx
Hope that helps. I’ll still look for the Cardiologist’s name that I originally found out about it through.
Olive leaf does zilch on my blood pressure. It is standardized to 18% Oleuropein. And I take lots of it – 4000mg of it every day, 720mg of Oleuropein. Also take 4800mg of standardized Garlic extract – 48mg of allicin and 105.6mg of alliin. None of the nitric acid or antioxidant supplements affect my blood pressure. Only the garlic, the two prescription meds (Ace Inhibitor and Calcium Channel blocker), and going to the gym.
nitric oxide
READ SOMEWHERE THAT UNDIAGNOSED INFLAMATION CAUSED BY INFECTION IN BLOODVESSELS CAN CAUSE HIGH BLOODPRESSURE, SO THIS SI MWHY OLIVE LEAGF AND SERRAPEPTASE WORK
Hi how much do you take and how long did it take to work.
thanks
+Carol,
I don’t know about the other methods…only about using fresh garlic.
Fresh minced/aired garlic was minced/aired/eaten, to normalize high BP events [195/115]. [Letting it air for about 15 minutes, once it’s minced, makes the difference].
I used one and a half heads of garlic per day like that, for a few weeks, then gradually tapered down to several fat cloves per day processed like that, after a few months.
That dropped it back to normal range .or better., within only an hour or so….so it does seem to start working immediately.
That seemed also to last easily for 12 to 24 hours-
–note: more was needed for higher BP’s, and did better, split over the day for more even coverage, when BP was very high; as it came down, I could use it all at once, daily.
It was also a good idea to improve what I consumed. By doing that I was, after several months, able to skip days. Now, several years later, I can pretty much go without doing that, unless I notice BP is creeping back up, or, just because I love garlic!
The only supplement that lowers my blood pressure is standardized garlic extract (Allicin). I’m taking it in high doses and it lowers my BP by about the same amount as Lisinopril.
CoQ10, Niacin, Fish oil, Flaxseed oil, L-Arginine, L-Carnitine, Quercetin, and Hawthorn have zero effect on my blood pressure. Niacin and Fish oil have worked wonders on my HDL (45->64) and triglycerides (185->85) though.
Two weeks of 3-4 times per week at the gym is lowers my blood pressure too. When blood pressure gets near 115/75, my heart rate stays over 90 sitting, near 110 standing.
10mg bid Lisinopril, 30mg od Nifedipine ER amplified by 125mg bid grapefruit seed extract (doc would have a cow if he knew about this), and 2400mg bid standardized garlic extract get my BP from 145/105 to just a tad over 120/80. The gym can get it down below 115/75 but my body fights it with sustained elevated heart rate but dropping the CCB gets it back over 120/80 and removes the elevated heart rate.
I also get a lot of magnesium and vitamin C, but been taking high doses of these thorugh a mega-multi and a mega b-complex/C combo for a decade and a half, so if these lower my BP at all, its included in the base 145/105. My mom’s unmedicated blood pressure is 220/160.
Hawthorne made mine worse, because i turned out to be allergic to it.
My blood pressure dropped into the normal range, after taking meds for 3-5 years for hypertension. It think it was diet based. I have what I’ve diagnosed my self as yeast overgrowth, manifesting as sores under my top lip, reddening my top gums and giving me a chapped lip look/feel on the outside of my top lip. I’ve stopped sugar, carbs for 2-3 months, and low and behold, my blood pressure is consistently in the normal range, except for a few spikes/3-5 over a 30 day period, into the 140s range. I base it on diet!
I am pregnant about 16 weeks. Have hasimotos thyroid and my first pregnancy had mild hypertension which they were scared of preeclampsia so I had to induce. At the time I was not diagnosed as hasimotos…I got diagnosed 10 months post pardum when I gain 10pd and my hair was still falling out. I with all my heart want a completely natural birth this time so
I am curious as to what supplements to lower blood pressure would be safe at this time. I am usually measure about 120/80. so this article calls that high normal. Since pregnant I exercise mildly at least 4 to 5 days a week am out side plenty running after my two year old boy. So I feel like supplements are the next step. I am also lower carb paleo with some heavy cream, keifer, grass fed butter and grass fed raw milk and grass fed raw cheese occasionally. I was tested for dairy allergy and didn’t have a sensitivity. Plus I am still nursing my two yr old and feel better with dairy. I do take some about 300 magnesium gycinate, as well pure encapsulations nutrient 950 with vit k. And fermented cod liver oil. As well as extra vit d and folate. Was thinking I should add potassium and up my magnesium as well as add the garlic or COq10?
I had low BP until I developed preeclampsia during pregnancy (it was a high stress period and I feel that stress affected me.) though preeclampsia is generally resolved with delivery of the child — for me this was not the case. Though it lowered from hospitalization levels, it remained mild hypertensive. I’ve spent the last 5 years searching for answers, trying everything to get back to my “old” numbers. It was great to read this piece Chris and see my own findings confirmed — “. . . studies have shown that drug therapy for “high normal” blood pressure and even mild hypertension is not effective.” I kept pointing to a potential hormonal problem causing my BP but no one in western med wanted to listen. Even supplements, like those mentioned above and exercise were not stabilizing it at a lower level (I would have weeks where it would spike with increased exercise!) After continuing to search, I added L-Theanine to my protocols (for anxiety) and the residual effect was an instant drop in my blood pressure — back to normal levels. Though my heart rate was still over 100. After finding out that my Ferretin levels were tanking recently (11!) I’ve begun taking Blood Builder as well and my heart rate has dropped to 80 (still a bit higher than I’d like but I think exercise will take it the rest of the way, the BP went even lower as well and I now, no longer have to take the Theanine. I also find NKO to work SO much better than regular fish oil. I do most of what you have listed above (I’ll probably add the Q10 for heart health — thanks!) I just took my BP and it’s 116/74. It’s been a long hard road, trying to parse the info on my own. For those of you still struggling — don’t give up, sometimes the smallest change can make a HUGE difference!
Also drink more water. I didn’t see it mentioned in the article, but I’m told dehydration can contribute to hypertension. I’ve been consciously drinking 5-6 glasses of water daily since I heard that, and more if I’m in hot weather or drinking coffee/alcohol.
Hi everyone and Chris,
I suffered from “low” blood pressure all my life and I keep being frustrated! Since hypertension kills and hypotension doesn’t, articles are always about hypertension. But even if hypotension doesn’t kill, it makes people live a miserable life.
I wish sometime someone would write something about hypotension. I am sure it would make a lot of people less lonely…
😉
Anyway, thank you Chris for all the healthy advices you “feed” us every day!
Pascale
Ditto!! Any advice for us hypo’s?
Have you tried salt loading in the morning? i.e. 1/2-1 tsp of sea salt mixed with warm water?
Interesting…in the article you say reducing salt intake does not reduce blood pressure. But here you say increasing salt intake will increase blood pressure. Huh?
Thanks for mentioning it, Pascale. I may not die from low BP, but many days I already feel half-dead, having to move very slowly to keep myself from getting too dizzy to function. Doctors only suggest more salt – and congratulate me. Clearly, they have no clue how lousy life is at 100/60 or lower. Neither aging nor gaining weight nor adrenal support has helped bring it up. An answer to this problem would transform my life.
Test your aldosterone and, if it is low, supplement with florinef.
Thank you! I’ll look into that.
I guess there is not a lot written because there isn’t a treatment for it. I’ve only heard of in extreme cases it being treated with steroids (prednisolone). You don’t really want to do that.
I think Chris should write something about hypotension. Many of us have tried everything and can’t get it to raise. Caffeine or alcohol is the only thing that gets mine to a low normal status and I definitely don’t want to do either of those.
Your heart muscle may be weakened.
I can give you some suggestions on what to do
Look at possible causes and experiment with possible remedies.
Did you experiment with Ubiqinol ?
Some possible low blood pressure causes …
Weakened Heart Muscle
Pericarditis
Pulmonary embolism
bradycardia.
here is a link to start with
http://www.raystrand.com/recommendations_open.asp?eid=1000&n_recommendation_id=226