Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure increases your risk of health problems, including stroke. Home remedies for high blood pressure can help control and prevent this condition.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, means the pressure of blood flowing through your blood vessels is higher than it should be. Over time, this excessive pressure can damage your blood vessels, heart, kidneys, and other organs.

More than 110 million Americans have high blood pressure, but many are unaware of their condition because they have no obvious symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s why it’s called the “silent killer” and why you need to know your blood pressure to see if it’s in normal range (less than 120/80 for adults) or too high.

If your blood pressure is consistently elevated, don’t panic. You can bring your blood pressure under control. What’s more, treatment doesn’t necessary mean prescription drug therapy. There are natural remedies for high blood pressure, too.

Although you may need medication, research has shown home remedies for high blood pressure can help treat hypertension. In fact, for many people, lifestyle and other do-it-yourself remedies can lower high blood pressure without drugs.

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DASH tops the list of home remedies for high blood pressure

What if doing something enjoyable, natural, and healthy could lower your high blood pressure? It turns out, you can, thanks to the  DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan. Years of research show the diet is an effective home remedy for hypertension.

Multiple studies funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) found the DASH heart-healthy eating style rates high on any list of treatments for high blood pressure. It lowers cholesterol and helps keep weight at a healthy level, too.

The DASH eating plan doesn’t require buying packaged “diet” meals or unusual foods. Instead, it provides daily and weekly nutritional goals and healthy meal plans that aim for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet comprised of nutritious foods.

To lower high blood pressure the DASH way:

• Eat vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
• Include fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils in your diet.
• Restrict foods high in saturated fat (like fatty meats, full-fat dairy products) and tropical oils (including palm kernel and palm oils).
• Limit or eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets.

The NHLBI offers a free guide of menu planning, tips on eating out, and other advice for sticking with the DASH eating plan to lower your blood pressure naturally.

More do-it-yourself natural remedies for high blood pressure

• Practice yoga, meditation, and other relaxation techniques. Stress causes your body to release hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) that put you into “fight or flight” syndrome. Your heart beats faster, blood vessels constrict, and blood pressure rises — at least, temporarily. Chronic stress may be a factor in hypertension, too. Learning stress management strategies, including relaxation techniques, may reduce high blood pressure.
• Lower alcohol intake to lower blood pressure. Limiting alcohol consumption can help lower (and prevent) hypertension, according to the American Heart Association. If you are a man, stick to no more than two drinks per day and, if you are a woman, no more than one drink per day. (A drink is one 12 oz. beer, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits, 4 oz. of wine, or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits.)
• Use the power of potassium. Potassium is a mineral that lessens the effects of excess sodium and helps reduce tension in blood vessels walls, lowering blood pressure. But potassium supplements can be harmful in kidney disease and other conditions — so never take them unless they’re prescribed by your doctor. Instead, eat potassium-rich foods (including potatoes, apricots, halibut, spinach, and lima beans).
• Make magnesium a priority. Research shows magnesium may lower high blood pressure, too. Talk to your doctor before taking a supplement, and always stick to the recommended daily amount (too much magnesium can cause diarrhea). Even better, make sure you eat plenty of magnesium-containing foods, such as legumes, avocados, tofu, whole grains, and leafy greens.
• Skip the salt shaker and read labels. Many people are sensitive to excess salt. It increases blood pressure because sodium holds excess fluid in your body. Skipping or reducing table salt can help, as can reading labels to avoid packaged foods with added sodium. Replace salt-heavy fast foods with fresh fruit and other healthy snacks.
• Get moving. Simply getting off your couch and into a regular exercise routine can be a powerful home remedy for high blood pressure. Even moderately intense physical activity, like going for a brisk walk, can lower blood pressure if you stick to it for a total of 30 minutes or longer at least 5 days a week.
• Lose those excess pounds. If you are overweight or obese, get serious about losing those extra pounds. Losing just 3 to 5 percent of your weight can lower blood pressure, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Use home remedies for high blood pressure wisely

There is no doubt many natural remedies for high blood pressure can help lower it. In fact, lifestyle changes are just as important as medication in treating hypertension, according to the CDC. Sometimes they work well enough you can even avoid medication or reduce your dose.

Always follow your doctor’s instructions, however, and take any prescribed medication until your doctor tells you to reduce or stop it.

And don’t risk your health by falling for so-called remedies advertised as natural high blood pressure quick fixes. Instead, use home remedies for high blood pressure backed by science — and always talk to your doctor about any self-help treatment for hypertension.

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