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Did you know that around 1 out of every 2 American adults have high blood pressure? What’s even more surprising is that only 1 in 5 people who have hypertension are recommended to change their lifestyles without adding medication. Almost 92 million people get prescribed medicines to lower their blood pressure. (1)
A staggering number of people don’t have their high blood pressure under control. At last count, that number is around 93 million Americans. That means you could be one of the many people who don’t even know there is an issue.
Why do so many people get prescribed medications when there may be other, healthier options? Let’s talk a little about some of the best herbs and supplements you can take to lower your blood pressure without prescription drugs. We will also cover how lifestyle factors play a crucial role in maintaining healthy blood pressure.
Basil is an herb that is popular in alternative medicine because it is high in eugenol. Eugenol is a plant-based antioxidant that research shows may lower blood pressure. (2)
Basil has been used in folk medicine to alleviate problems with hypertension. It works by relaxing the arteries the control blood pressure. Eugenol dilates arteries that are constricted by the pressure of membrane depolarization.
You can take a supplement that contains basil to get more eugenol, and you can also incorporate it into your diet. Basil is easy to find and makes a delicious ingredient for many meals.
Grape seed extract can help numerous cardiovascular conditions. It may also reduce high cholesterol and help with poor circulation.
In clinical studies, grape seed has been shown to modulate blood pressure. Grape seed extract is a heart-healthy antioxidant with impressive benefits for hypertension. That is likely due to the oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs), which promote the release of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide helps blood vessels relax, thereby increasing blood flow. (3)
You can find grape seed extract in stores, but it is best to get a quality supplement from a trusted source, to know you’re getting a product that will benefit your health. You can also get it in combination with other powerful herbs to make taking it simple and efficient. Vascular balance is a blood pressure support supplement that offers food-derived extracts that work to keep your heart healthy.
Olive leaves have polyphenols, like oleacein and oleuropein. Research shows these polyphenols may help protect you against many conditions, including heart disease and cancer.
In studies, people taking olive leaf extract had lower blood pressure than those who took a placebo. These results happened in six to eight weeks of use. (4)
One of the things you can do to lower your blood pressure is to use olive oil. You can cook with it or add it as a topping or salad dressing. Olive oil is versatile and easy to add to your healthy diet.
Garlic also increases nitric oxide in your body, which will relax those arteries and improve blood flow. You can use a garlic supplement to help lower your blood pressure naturally or add it to your meals. Garlic is flavorful and so easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Research from multiple studies shows that garlic supplements reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 8.3 mmHg and 5.5 mmHg. That reduction means that it decreases your chances of stroke and heart disease by up to 40%.
Many athletes take beetroot supplements to increase their exercise endurance and performance. It improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles. Taking beetroot, or eating red beets, can reduce blood pressure because it will raise your nitric oxide levels. That will relax arteries and have a vasodilating effect, like taking garlic. (5)
Magnesium is incredible for bringing down blood pressure. Most people are deficient in magnesium due to poor diet and stress. Magnesium is crucial for blood pressure regulation, so if you don’t get adequate amounts, you will end up with blood pressure issues. (6)
You can get magnesium from leafy greens and nuts, but you can also take a quality supplement to improve your magnesium levels faster. Keep in mind that not all magnesium supplements are created equal. Some products contain ingredients that won’t help you, so make sure you’re getting magnesium from a trusted source.
Fatty Acids Research from clinical trials has shown that increasing your omega-3 fatty acids will reduce your systolic and diastolic blood pressure. (7)
You can take omega-3 supplements to support healthy blood pressure levels, and you can also eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These foods include omega-3-rich foods like salmon, sardines, and tuna. If you don’t enjoy eating fish, you can add chia seeds and flaxseed oil to your foods.
Now, we all know that living a healthy lifestyle can’t be done with herbs and supplements alone. If you want to lower your blood pressure, you’ll have to make some lifestyle changes.
These changes don’t have to be drastic. Small steps can have dramatic impacts on your health. One of the first things you can do is get more exercise.
You can start walking daily for blood pressure health. When you walk every day, you can lower your systolic and diastolic blood pressure. You will also lower your resting heart rate, which will benefit your overall heart health. As you build up your endurance, you can also incorporate some strength training into your exercise routine. You don’t have to buy expensive equipment or join a gym. You can use bodyweight exercise or buy some dumbbells to get a great workout.
Many people think if they add exercise to their routines and take a few supplements, that’s all they need to lower their blood pressure. Unfortunately, you can’t genuinely have a healthy lifestyle without a clean diet.
Removing sugar and processed carbs is critical to maintaining healthy blood pressure. Sugar and processed carbs create inflammation, which causes dysregulation in the body. A good way to know if something is unhealthy is to look at the ingredient label. If you see a bunch of additives and words you cannot pronounce, it is most likely something you shouldn’t put into your body.
Focus on a healthy, whole-food diet. Eating a diet rich in healthy foods will help stabilize your blood pressure. When you clean up your diet and add more of the foods that benefit your health, you will lower your blood pressure naturally.
If you have a sweet tooth, like many of us do, you can try other options to still enjoy the occasional treat. You can switch from inflammatory sugar to items like monk fruit, erythritol, stevia, and allulose. Try sprinkling a little of one of these on some berries, which are high in antioxidants.
If changing your diet seems a little overwhelming, you can get simple low-carb meal plans that offer tons of nutrition that are easy to prepare. You will get a month’s worth of meals to make grocery store runs a breeze. With your meal plans, you will get a variety of foods that are delicious and take little time to make.
One of the mistakes too many people make is thinking they can take a few supplements or eat certain foods and they’ll lower their blood pressure.
The problem is, most of the time, there is already an issue. That means you must take a full-scale approach and attack the problem from all angles.
When you want to lower your blood pressure and maintain it, you should combine all these suggestions to get the best results. You want to take all the pieces of the puzzle and put them together.
Remember to be patient with your changes. Blood pressure doesn’t change overnight, and it takes time to see results. Continue using the methods we’ve discussed, and your blood pressure will lower over time. Often, you can do it naturally, without prescription medications.
As always, we are here for you. If we can help you figure out more ways to get healthy, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for more help!
References :
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22051430/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/supplements-lower-blood-pressure#1.-Magnesium
https://apnews.com/article/fa4eaa5f93204ec1a6358c0e63cdaf48
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324878#blood-pressure
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/a-new-way-to-beet-high-blood-pressure
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-best-sources-of-omega-3-fatty-acids/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/rutinoside
https://www.healthline.com/health/potential-benefits-of-rutin#diet
