Often called the silent killer because it has few or no symptoms, hypertension, or high blood pressure, refers to elevated pressure on artery walls. Blood pressure is measured in two numbers -- 120/80 mmHg, for instance. The top number is known as systolic pressure, which reflects the maximum force as the heart beats or contracts. The bottom number is known as diastolic pressure, which refers to the minimum force exerted as the heart relaxes. Normal resting blood pressure should be 120/80 mmHg whereas high blood pressure is defined as 140/90 mmHg. In addition to fixing your diet, evidence indicates that certain supplements can help lower blood pressure. Consult your health care provider before taking any supplements.
Aged Garlic Extract
Scientists from the University of Adelaide in Australia investigated the impact of aged garlic extract on patients with treated but uncontrolled hypertension. For 12 weeks, subjects randomly received 960 mg of aged garlic extract consisting of or a placebo while having their blood pressure measured before and after treatment. At the end of the study, which was reported in the November 2010 issue of the journal "Maturitas," researchers observed that the aged-garlic extract group reduced their systolic blood pressure by 10.2 mmHg compared to the placebo group.
Whey Protein
Whey protein might improve blood pressure levels, according to a study conducted by Susan Fluegel and colleagues from Washington State University. They found that women and men with elevated blood pressure taking 28 grams of whey protein supplementation per day for six weeks lowered both their systolic and diastolic pressure by six points each compared to those who were administered a placebo, the December 2010 issue of the "International Dairy Journal" reports.
Magnesium
The mineral magnesium might reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Researchers from Pusan National University in Korea examined the effects of magnesium supplementation on hypertensive patients with normal magnesium levels. The report, which was published in the May 2009 issue of the journal "Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases," revealed that participants taking 300 mg of magnesium supplementation for 12 weeks decreased their systolic blood pressure by 17.1 mmHg and diastolic pressure by 3.4 mmHg compared to subjects taking a placebo.
Green Tea Extract
In findings reported in the October 2008 issue of the journal "Nutrition," University of Florida researchers studied the effects of green tea extract on blood pressure in healthy women and men. They found that subjects receiving 200 mg of green tea extract daily for three weeks experienced a reduction of 5 mmHg in systolic pressure and 4 mmHg in diastolic pressure.
References
- Nutra Ingredients: Aged garlic shows blood pressure improvement benefits: Study
- Science Daily: Whey Supplements Lower Blood Pressure: Low-Cost Protein Gets Big Results in People With Elevated Blood Pressure
- Nutra Ingredients: Magnesium may benefit blood pressure in hypertensives
- Nutra Ingredients: Green tea extract may lower blood pressure: study
