High Blood pressure or hypertension is quite common among people and quite a large number of people after the age of 35-40 years are diagnosed with this disease. High BP occurs when the blood pressure level increases to unhealthy levels which can cause damage to your health. Narrow arteries increase the resistance which increases the blood pressure. However in most of the cases it is not so severe and can be kept under control without having to take much medical support. Let us know about some natural ways to keep your blood pressure in check without doing much extra effort.
High blood pressure can be dangerous because it can result in conditions like strokes and heart diseases. Here are some natural home remedies which you can adapt to control and lower the risk of high blood sugar.
10 Home Remedies To Combat High Blood Pressure-
1. Reduce Your Sodium Intake
Taking in salt with various food items increases the amount of sodium in your body which can be the reason for many health issues. Studies have found that excess or higher amount of salt intake can increase your blood pressure and heart problems including strokes. If you have high BP then you should cut down your salt intake and eat more fresh food items rather than processed ones.
2. Drinking Less Alcohol
Drinking alcohol can also be the reason for high blood pressure. Many cases of high blood pressure are linked to excess of drinking. Normally alcohol is considered to protect your heart but that is only when it is taken in moderate amount.
If you consume more than 2 drinks in a day then you may be having a higher risk of developing hypertension. Ideal consumption can be one drink a day for women and maximum two drinks a day for men.
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3. Exercise and Workout
Exercise and workout can be very beneficial for people who are suffering from high blood pressure. A regular exercise not only brings down the blood pressure but also helps to maintain your core and strengthen your heart. Exercises can thus result in more efficient pumping of blood in the heart which improves the overall health as well.
150 minutes of moderate exercise can significantly help like walking or 75 minutes of heavy workout such as running, cardio etc can help improve your heart health. But 30 minutes of walking should be done to maintain your blood pressure.
4. Reduce Caffeine Consumption
Caffeine actually creates a boost to blood pressure and that could be dangerous if you have hypertension issues. If you ever had coffee then you must have noticed that it gives a boost to your energy levels in the body. This is due to caffeine. However not many people complain or have issues with drinking coffee.
Caffeine is a strong booster but mostly people who do not drink coffee daily or have regular intake of caffeine have higher chances of caffeine affecting them. If you feel that you are sensitive to caffeine and it affects you more often then you need to cut down on your caffeine intake.
5. Eat More Potassium Rich Food
Potassium is important mineral for the body. It helps in getting rid of excess of sodium which eases the pressure on your blood vessels. Most of the diets which we have today are more inclined towards sodium than potassium. Processed food should be avoided and focus should be more towards fresh whole fruits and vegetables. Eating potassium rich food can lower the risk of high BP.
- Vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes are very healthy and have high potassium
- Fruits like melons, bananas, oranges and avocados should be included in the diet
- Dairy products such as milk and yogurt are also a good source of potassium
- Tuna and salmon
- Nuts and beans could also be helpful.
6. Stress Management
What we often neglect in our health is mental calmness. Stress could be a key which could lead to high blood pressure. When a person is chronically stressed then his body is on a constant fight mode. This results in faster heart rate and constricted blood vessels which sometimes lead to strokes.
Stress also brings with it much other behaviour which often people do to manage stress, like drinking alcohol smoking etc. This could bring more adverse condition for people suffering from hypertension and increase the chances of severe problems.
- Listening to music can relax your nerves in times of stress. It is an effective method to control your blood pressure and reduce stress.
- Decrease your work load, do things which you like doing or are less stressful. This may help you stay out of high blood pressure.
7. Eat Dark Chocolate or Cocoa
Well this may be tricky but is helpful. Small amount of dark chocolate may help your heart remain healthy. Dark chocolate and cocoa powder is rich in flavonoids that are plant compounds, these compounds help in blood vessels to dilate. Non-alkalized cocoa powder is a good remedy to help lowering down blood pressure.
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8. Cutting Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates
Excess of sugar plays a vital role in developing of high blood pressure. A study has found that women who even drink one soda per day have higher blood pressure than those who don’t. Basically the refined carbs are actually responsible to increase the blood pressure in people. Refined carbs convert rapidly into sugar and flows into blood stream which increases the BP.
9. Eat Berries
Berries are rich in natural plant compounds like polyphenols which lower down the blood pressure and are good for the heart. Berries are more than their juicy taste. Polyphenols reduces the risk of strokes, heart conditions, and diabetes. It also helps in improving blood pressure, insulin resistance and systematic inflammation. Hence eating berries are recommended to lower down blood pressure.
10. Aged Garlic Extract and Fish Oil
These two are most recommended supplements which can be taken and are proved to be beneficial for treating high blood pressure. Aged Garlic extract is a stand-alone treatment which can be as effective as any other conventional therapy.
Fish oil is long credited for bringing down blood pressure and improves heart health. Fish oil may benefit people suffering from high blood pressure and is a proven long lasting remedy.
Conclusion
Hypertension and high BP are one of the rising concerns in today’s health prospective. Due to unhealthy eating habit and lack of physical activity risk of blood pressure and heart problems have increases. But this can be controlled and prevented by making some small changes in your lifestyle and applying these home remedies without getting out of your home. Regular exercising and changing in eating habits can prove to be very beneficial in preventing high blood pressure.
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