Dietary changes and herbs may be able to lower high blood pressure, or hypertension. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet is intended for those with high blood pressure. This diet has been shown to reduce blood pressure by 14 mm Hg. A number of herbs added to the diet may lower blood pressure as well.
Diet
Step 1
Write everything you eat for at least one week to gain a better idea of what your regular diet is like.
Step 2
Add whole grains to your diet. This is part of the DASH eating plan, which suggests consuming 7 to 8 servings of whole grains per day.
Step 3
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. The DASH plan recommends 2 to 2.5 cups each of fruit and vegetables per day.
Step 4
Choose foods low in fat and cholesterol. The DASH diet recommends eating every day 2 to 3 cups of dairy that is low in fat. It recommends noticing the saturated fat level of foods. Instead of eating nothing but meat to reach your protein requirement, the diet advocates eating nuts and beans sometimes.
Step 5
Include potassium in your diet by eating fruit and vegetables. The DASH diet recommends getting potassium from these sources instead of taking supplements.
Step 6
Splurge once in a while. The DASH diet allows some wiggle room so that this diet can be made into a life-long one. While it is best to follow the diet as closely as possible, you can have a treat from time to time.
Avoid
Step 1
Cut as much sodium as you can from your diet. MayoClinic.com says sodium is a strong influential factor on blood pressure levels. Cutting sodium down to below 1,500mg per day is appropriate for those with high blood pressure.
Step 2
Reduce the alcohol in your diet. Alcohol can lower blood pressure when included in the diet in small amounts, but the key is to not drink too much. An excess of alcohol can increase blood pressure levels. MayoClinic.com recommends no more than one drink per day for a woman and two drinks per day for a man.
Step 3
Lower the amount of caffeine in your diet. Although inconclusive, caffeine may increase blood pressure. It clearly increases blood pressure in the short-term, but researchers are not sure of its long-term effects.
Herbs
Step 1
Add ginkgo to your diet. This herb helps circulation in the body and lowers high blood pressure in this way.
Step 2
Drink green, black or oolong tea. These three teas all come from the same plant, which is considered an herb, according to "20,000 Secrets of Tea." They all can lower high blood pressure.
Step 3
Consume ginger root. Among other heart-helping benefits of ginger, it can keep blood pressure under control.
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