1. Reduce the Pressure
Blood pressure refers to the force of blood as it is pushed through your arteries and arterioles. Over a period of time, high blood pressure damages the walls of the arteries and blood vessels and can lead to a heart attack or stroke. A person is considered to have borderline mild hypertension if their systolic blood pressure (the top number) is higher than 120 mm Hg and the diastolic pressure (or bottom number) is over 90 mm Hg. There are so many factors that can contribute to high blood pressure, some of which can be changed and some that can't. These factors include smoking, high cholesterol, heredity, stress, poor diet, use of some prescription drugs and high levels of cadmium or lead in the body. There are hundreds of medications to lower blood pressure, but there are also a lot of other things you can do to lower it.
2. Eat Your Vegetables
One of the healthiest things you can do to lower your blood pressure is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables--7 to 10 servings per day. Vegetarians have much lower rates of high blood pressure than people who eat meat. Keep the rest of your diet healthy by eating lean protein, fiber, nuts and seeds. Use garlic regularly. People with high blood pressure often have an imbalance in their sodium/potassium ratio. To get your ratio in balnace, eat fewer processed foods and don't use table salt. You can increase your intake of potassium by eating potatoes, bananas and apricots. It's also important to drink 8 to 10 8-oz. glasses of water per day. Losing weight will also help to reduce your blood pressure if it is high.
3. Take a Supplement
There are a number of supplements that you can take to lower blood pressure. A daily multivitamin with minerals is recommended, as well as CoQ10 and 1 to 2 tbs. of flaxseed oil. Hawthorn is an herb shown to dilate the arteries and lower blood pressure; take 120 to 240 mg per day. Coleus forskohlii relaxes arteries and reduces blood pressure; nutritionists recommend 5 to 10 mg per day. Taurine (500 mg twice daily with meals) eliminates extra body fluid, which is often a problem in high blood pressure. Additionally, some nutritionists recommend moducare sterols and sterolins--2 capsules 3 times daily for 1 week, then 1 capsule 3 times daily thereafter--to prevent infections that can occur in arteries.
