Have you been getting worried about the upheavals in high blood pressure? There is a good news for you. With the help of many natural ways, you can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke and control blood pressure, naturally. Let’s find out about these natural methods that offer a steady guide and helpline that keep you absolutely safe and healthy.
If we discuss about high blood pressure, it is a condition that can damage your heart and currently it affects one in three people in the U.S. and nearly one billion people worldwide.
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1.Take a walk and exercise everyday
As you know doctors also recommend to take a walk and perform any of your choice-preferred exercise everyday. Would you like to know why?
It’s because exercise can lower high blood pressure and regular exercise helps make your heart stronger and more efficient at pumping blood, which lowers the pressure in your arteries.
In fact, 150 minutes of leisure exercise that include walking, or 75 minutes of consistent exercise such as running or jogging per week can help lower blood pressure and improve your heart health.
2. Cut down your salt level
Take a practice of a 30-minute walk every day. More exercise is even better.
Salt is plenty in processed, ready-to-eat foods and it might even be present in your daily cooking.
It is quite important to lower your salt and many studies have linked high salt intake to high blood pressure that in turn lead to heart problems and even stroke.
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But there is no clarification on sodium linked to high blood pressure.
If you are already having high blood pressure, it is important to cut back sodium level and avoid consuming processed foods and replace with the seasoning of herbs and spices instead of salt.
3. Cut down alcohol
Consuming alcohol raises blood pressure and it is linked to 16% of high blood pressure cases globally.
While some research suggests that low to moderate consumption of alcohol does not cause any harm to your heart and in the U.S. moderate alcohol consumption is set as one drink a day for both men and women. If you drink more than that, it is good to cut down.
4. Add Potassium-rich foods
Potassium is an important mineral. It helps in getting rid of sodium and relaxes your blood vessels.
The trend of modern diet has increased the intake of sodium for many while decreasing potassium intake.
To maintain the balance of potassium to sodium, adding fresh and whole foods and decreasing processed foods is necessary.
Foods that are high in potassium are:
- Vegetables, leafy greens, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes
- Fruits – melons, bananas, avocados, oranges, apricots
- Dairy – milk and yoghurt
- Tuna and salmon
- Nuts and seeds
- Beans
Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in potassium and help in lowering blood pressure.
5. Cut down caffeine
How many cups of coffee do you add to your day? Did you know every cup of coffee causes an instant boost? There’s also evidence that caffeinated coffee and tea lower the risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure.
However, limiting the intake of caffeine is most recommended.
6. Manage your stress
Stress is a key driver to high blood pressure level. When you are stressed, your body begins to fight and this means faster heart rate and constricted blood vessels.
To control this, get on to the habit of listening to music as it relaxes you and your nervous system. Also, cut down your work levels and stressful situations as these are most linked to high blood pressure.
7. Add dark chocolate or cocoa
Are you a chocolate lover? You would love dark chocolate and cocoa-based delicacies. But, there’s a caution here. Add small portions of chocolate as the rich compounds can help the health of your heart including lowering blood pressure.
8. Decrease your weight
Can you work on losing those extra kilos? This can make a lot of difference to your heart health.
According to a study conducted in 2016, losing 5% of your body mass can significantly lower your high blood pressure and it has greater effect when weight loss is paired with exercise.
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9. Avoid smoking
Smoking increases blood pressure and it also damages blood vessels. Collectively, they raise the risk of heart disease.
10. Cut sugar and refined carbs
Less sugar-sweetened liquids can reduce the risk of high blood pressure. According to a research study, it was found that one soda per day can cause higher levels of blood pressure than those who drank less than one soda.
On the other hand, studies also indicated that a low carb diet also reduced blood pressure level.
11. Add Berries
Berries have natural plant compounds that are excellent for your heart. Polyphenols present in the berries reduce the risk of stroke, heart conditions, and diabetes as well as improving blood pressure.
A study confirmed that people with high blood pressure are recommended to choose a low-polyphenol diet or high-polyphenol diet consisting of berries, chocolate, fruits and vegetables.
With the consumption of berries and polyphenol-rich foods, there are chances of improved chances of reducing risk of heart disease.
Overall, berries are good for risk of heart disease.
12. Meditation and deep breathing
To reduce stress, meditation and deep breathing are specifically mentioned. It is stated that both meditation and deep breathing activate relaxation and slow down the heart rate thereby lowering blood pressure.
13. Add calcium-rich foods
Low calcium level often results in high blood pressure while a calcium-rich diet adds to health.
For adults, 1,000 mg calcium per day while for women over 50 and men over 70, 1,200 mg per day is recommended.
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14. Natural supplements
Natural supplements can help in lowering blood pressure and some of these supplements are stated as – garlic extract, Berberine, Whey protein, fish oil, Hibiscus etc.,
15. Foods rich in magnesium
Magnesium helps in relaxing blood vessels. Magnesium rich foods are legumes, dairy products, meat, whole grains, chicken and adding this to your diet reduces blood pressure.
Conclusion
Globally, high blood pressure affects many men and women and one of the ways to treat it is through natural techniques and adding certain foods to your daily diet.
By practicing it, you can lower the risk of heart disease.