You may not need to take drugs to bring blood pressure down.
Do you have high blood pressure? You most likely do without even knowing it.
In a new report, 48% of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, yet 41% are not aware of it, according to the National Centers for Health Statistics.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is often referred to as a “silent killer” because it typically presents with no symptoms while quietly damaging blood vessels, which can lead to serious health issues, such as heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.
Normal blood pressure is defined as less than 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury, a measurement of pressure), according to the American College of Cardiology..
The top number, systolic blood pressure, refers to the pressure in the blood vessels as the heart beats. The bottom number, diastolic blood pressure, is the resting pressure between heart beats.
If your blood pressure is consistently elevated (systolic of 120 to 129 and diastolic of less than 80) or you have stage 1 hypertension (systolic of 130 to 139 over diastolic of 80 to 89), treatment typically doesn’t begin with medication. Instead, you’ll probably start with non-drug, lifestyle-based approaches. The more of these healthy changes you make, the more you can optimize your numbers.
Learn more about 11 proven ways to naturally control and manage high blood pressure.
Lose weight
Losing weight can help patients shed pounds and decrease their blood pressure.
Several studies provide strong evidence that weight loss, especially through lifestyle interventions involving diet and physical activity, can effectively lower blood pressure.
A 2023 meta-analysis published in The Journal of Clinical Hypertension reviewed several studies evaluating the effect of weight loss on blood pressure. The study found that participants who lost weight had significantly decreased blood pressure. On average, systolic blood pressure (the top number) dropped by 5.79 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) dropped by 3.36 mmHg after a modest weight loss of about 5 pounds. With a larger weight loss of about 9 pounds, systolic blood pressure dropped by 6.65 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure dropped by 3.63 mmHg.
Of course, as with any treatment method, the effects will vary from person to person.
Exercise
An inactive lifestyle is an invitation for high blood pressure.
Aside from helping you lose and manage your weight, physical activity strengthens the heart, improves circulation and helps regulate blood pressure. Exercise decreases stress hormones, like adrenaline and cortisol, which are known to raise blood pressure, and increases the heart’s efficiency at pumping blood, which reduces the force on artery walls, effectively lowering blood pressure over time.
“We typically recommend 30 minutes, five times a week, so 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise,” says Dr. Jacqueline Latina, an interventional cardiologist with Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “That can lower your systolic number by 5 to 9 mmHg.”
Drink less alcohol
Raising your beer mug or wine glass can also raise your blood pressure. If you’re having more than a couple of alcoholic beverages a day, cutting down can improve your health.
The issue with alcohol and blood pressure isn’t what alcohol contains, but how the body reacts to it. Alcohol triggers the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s “fight or flight” response. This activation boosts heart rate and narrows blood vessels, leading to a temporary rise in blood pressure.
“Limiting alcohol can reduce your blood pressure by about 2 to 4 mmHg, so limit yourself to one or two drinks a day,” Latina says. “Cutting back to one drink if you’re a woman, two if you’re a man — or less — tends to lower the blood pressure a little.”
Follow a healthy diet
There is excellent evidence that the DASH and Mediterranean diets can lower blood pressure.
The DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, was specifically designed as a healthy eating plan that is low in salt and high in nutrients to lower high blood pressure. Similarly, the Mediterranean diet is a balanced diet that emphasizes plant foods such as veggies, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes and olive oil.
In addition to the health benefits of nutrient-rich diets like the Mediterranean diet, specific nutrients within these foods can have specific beneficial effects on lowering blood pressure. For instance, a specific nutrient, like nitrate, may have independent antihypertensive action.
Participants in one 2015 study published in the journal Hypertension who drank about 8 ounces of nitrate-rich beet juice daily for up to six weeks experienced a roughly 7 to 8 mmHg decrease in blood pressure compared to no decrease for participants who had placebo drinks.
Limit salt
Avoiding salt can help keep high blood pressure at bay.
Reducing salt includes setting aside your salt shaker and avoiding hidden sources of sodium, including processed and packaged foods.
The American Heart Association advises limiting sodium intake to no more than 2,300 milligrams daily, with an ideal goal of no more than 1,500 milligrams per day for most adults, especially those with hypertension. Reducing sodium by just 1,000 milligrams per day can significantly benefit blood pressure and overall heart health.
You may not realize that certain over-the-counter and prescription medications also contain sodium. Check with your pharmacist to see if your medications include a hidden source of sodium.
Sleep more
Insufficient sleep can elevate your blood pressure.
Sleep allows the body to regulate stress hormones and help maintain a healthy nervous system, both of which are crucial for blood pressure control. During deep sleep, blood pressure naturally lowers as a heart rate and stress hormone levels decrease.
In fact, even a single bad night’s sleep can cause blood pressure to spike the next day, according to a study in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
The National Institutes of Health advises getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Quit smoking
Not only does smoking damage your lungs that suffer, but it can ruin your heart health as well. With each cigarette, your risk for stroke and heart disease rises along with your blood pressure.
“Long-term smokers can certainly have hypertension, and, unfortunately, the effects can be permanent,” Latina says.
Smokers may have high blood pressure even after quitting the habit because their blood vessels are permanently damaged. If someone quits, their blood pressure could lower by 5 mmHg, Latina adds.
Of course, quitting can be difficult. Talk to your doctor about methods such as smoking cessation aids and counseling.
Increase potassium
Eating more potassium-rich foods — like bananas — can help lower your blood pressure by about 4 to 5 mmHg, Latina says. The American Heart Association recommends 3,500 milligrams to 5,000 milligrams daily to prevent or treat high blood pressure.
Potassium helps to counteract the effects of sodium in the body by easing tension in blood vessel walls. In addition, it regulates fluid and helps the kidneys excrete excess sodium through urine.
However, in some cases, too much potassium can be harmful to people who take certain medications or have certain conditions (such as kidney disease, adrenal gland disorders or diabetes).
Before adjusting your diet to increase your potassium intake, talk to your doctor as they may actually recommend a low-potassium diet.
Evaluate medications
Certain prescription and over-the-counter medications can increase your blood pressure.
These include:
— Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin)
— Naproxen (Aleve and Naprosyn)
— Decongestants containing pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
— Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications, such as methamphetamine (Desoxyn) and methylphenidate (Ritalin and Concerta).
For some patients, stopping a specific drug can help drop blood pressure back down. If you’re concerned that any medication you’re taking may be raising your blood pressure as a side effect, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Get a furry companion
Having a pet offers many health benefits for owners, such as improved mood, increased socializing, reduced stress, motivation to walk more and better well-being.
Dog ownership, in particular, has been linked to reduced blood pressure in studies. By simply petting a dog, you can temporarily lower your blood pressure in about 15 to 30 minutes after doing so, according to a 2002 study. Another study comparing dog owners to non-dog owners showed that non-owners had a higher adjusted risk of having high blood pressure than those who owned dogs.
Meditate
Meditation is increasingly recognized as a valuable tool for lowering blood pressure. It provides an outlet to help manage stress in a positive way.
Meditation reduces stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can constrict blood vessels and increase blood pressure. Meditation encourages vasodilation, or the relaxation of blood vessel walls, improving blood flow and supporting heart health.
Research also suggests that meditation may positively impact lifestyle habits, leading to better weight management, sleep and emotional well-being – all of which support lower blood pressure. According to the American Heart Association, research has found that even brief, daily meditation sessions can yield a reduction in blood pressure.
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11 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 11/14/24: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.