10 Ways to Reduce Blood Pressure Naturally

It is important for you to reduce blood pressure if it is higher than the ideal of 115/76 mm Hg. Some of the following 10 suggestions are natural ways to reduce blood pressure:

Eat a more nutritious diet of less than 20 mg of saturated fat per day.

Eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day with at least one being a tomato sauce.

Get more physical exercise.

Lose weight. Even 10 pounds of weight loss may do wonders to help you to reduce blood pressure.

Stop smoking immediately.

You should try to reduce your sodium intake to less than 1600 mg per day. You should consult your doctor however about this. Many people find this measure very difficult.

You should increase your intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium.

You should try to prevent as much inflammation as possible by doing such things as preventing gum disease.

Try to avoid stress and consider strategies that can reduce your level of stress such as socializing or using relaxation therapy, exercise, cognitive therapy, or yoga.

You should reduce blood pressure if it is higher than 130/84mm Hg. (Many doctors feel that this is where the aging "danger zone" begins) You should talk to your doctor about taking medications to reduce your hypertension at least until non-drug techniques reduce your blood pressure to under 130/84 on their own.

If you have blood pressure higher than the ideal you should pay special attention to stress reduction, excellent nutrition and exercise. Also, if your family has a history of cardiovascular disease, you should also pay special attention. Small changes in food and physical activity that incorporate artery healthy habits into your lifestyle may make it quite possible to reduce blood pressure.

Ask your doctor for a plan to reduce blood pressure that looks at your specific needs and concerns. Your doctor should help you to look at whether you need to be on a medication or not. There are many options and treatments, and your doctor will be able to consider them all. If you experience side effects to your medications you should not stop them before consulting your physician. This may provoke a severe aging event such as a stroke or heart attack, so you should talk with your doctor about possibly switching to another treatment or whether he/she recommends a withdrawal of your current treatment.

Sometimes people hesitate to set up a plan to reduce blood pressure with their physician because they think that if they start to take medications they'll have to take them for their entire life. Fortunately that is not always true. Some people start with medications and then are able to move on to non-medication solutions at a later point in time to reduce blood pressure.

Additional Information and webpage by Paul Susic MA Licensed Psychologist Ph.D. Candidate