Hypertension or High Blood Pressure (HBP) occurs when the blood pressure reading is consistently over 140/90 mm/Hg. Several medications are available to reduce blood pressure and some natural supplements are also available that are more effective and have no side effects.
What are the Healthy Levels?
Blood pressure determines the force with which, blood flows against blood vessel walls. Generally, 120/80 mm/Hg is said to be healthy, normal blood pressure.
Hypertension can damage our health as a forceful push of blood to main organs like kidneys, heart, and brain may impact these organs at stressful level.
If proper treatment is not taken, the extreme power of hypertension may lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, and arterial aneurysms.
The effective approach to prevent HBP is steeped in moderation, self-regulation, and restraint. Natural supplements should be added to the prevention program. Some natural food supplements that help in lowering blood pressure are listed below.
Reduce Salt (Sodium) Intake
Sodium causes narrowing of blood vessels and reduces the blood flow and makes it tough for the arteries to expand for every heartbeat.
This increases blood pressure. Foods with high quantity of salt are salted snacks, cheese, processed meats, canned foods, and prepared foods. Go through the ingredients before buying any of these foods.
There are particular canned foods that have less salt content. Most preprocessed foods we buy in the grocery stores may contain high levels of salt. Avoid consumption of such foods.
Potassium
Potassium is more effective in reducing blood pressure. A diet rich with potassium will lower blood pressure naturally. It is recommended to consume 4700 mg of potassium on a daily basis.
It’s good to get potassium from foods that you consume directly; potatoes, bananas, tomato juice, avocados, and grapefruit juice are good sources of potassium.
Magnesium and Calcium Rich Foods Help to lower Blood Pressure Naturally
Foods that contain calcium include green beans, low-fat milk, spinach, tofu, sardines with bones, and low fat milk. Magnesium rich foods include legumes, and seeds like sunflower seeds and navy beans.
Reduce Intake of Saturated Fats to Lower the Blood Pressure
Saturated fats increase bad LDL cholesterol, which sticks inside the arteries. This layer of fat is called atherosclerosis. As this layer increases, it becomes thicker with minerals like calcium and forms plaque.
This will reduce blood flow, which results in increasing of blood pressure. Sometimes, this plaque may break off and cause obstruction in the blood vessel. This can lead to heart attack or stroke.
Cod Liver Oil
Cod liver oil has vitamins A, D, and E and omega-3 fatty acids.
It plays a major role in human health and helps in enhancing memory, lowering cholesterol, reducing inflammation, improving thyroid function, improving glucose response, reducing asthma, and increasing cardiovascular health.
It also benefits intestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and colitis.
Cod liver oil helps in reducing blood pressure. Its vitamin D helps in the absorption of magnesiumandcalcium, major contributors to controlled blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids present in cod liver oil helps in reducing cholesterol.
So, try these natural ways of controlling your blood pressure, and use a BP monitoring system to keep things under check all the time.