High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common health condition today. Since many of us can’t create the space for a healthier lifestyle, we end up with a habit taking pills instead. However, as medicine evolves, there are new and better ways regarding blood pressure regulation. For example, there are several effective blood pressure supplements.
Hypertension is a risk factor for heart disease and several other conditions. Thus, early diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure are crucial, and this means honing in on what can raise blood pressure in the first place.
Generally, this condition leads to blood pressure of above 140/100mmHg. In comparison, the average normal blood pressure reading is around 120/80 mmHg. Studies by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute elaborate on these numbers.
Nowadays, many people with higher blodd pressure consider gluten free diet or various kinds of medications to control it. Yet, there are less intrusive paths to lowering blood pressure.
There are pure substances that act similarly, as this relevant study suggests. Also, simple lifestyle changes like eating healthy and exercising more could yield results quickly. Activities like meditation, yoga, and sports are other possible answers.
People are often advised to change their diet to lower blood pressure. Some foods act as an adjunct to medications. For example, a low salt diet and avoiding turmeric enhance the efficacy of the meds. Moreover, adding healthy and nutritious food rich in vitamins and minerals also helps.
If you aim for reduced blood pressure, consider adding some natural supplements to your diet. This guide singles out the elements that help control blood pressure. Aside from listing them, we also go more in-depth regarding their effects. In addition, we have also mentioned natural home remedies and things to avoid to reduce high blood pressure.
Are Natural Supplements Useful?
This refers to adding vitamins and minerals to your diet and eating more fruits and veggies. Such solutions help reduce blood pressure. In addition, the food we eat has a direct impact on our health. Hence, it is wise to add varieties that work in our favor. If we stick to it, in time, we’ll allow our body the means to gradually restore balance.
An article published by Amanda Wilburn in 2004 suggests some natural remedies to treat hypertension. Their review article aimed to assess the efficacy of dietary supplements in controlling blood pressure.
Another research by Carly Rasmussen in 2012 mentions the potential benefits of consuming natural supplements to control blood pressure.
Even though the discussed supplements are useful in treating high blood pressure, do not overindulge in them. Anything in excess is harmful. In addition,one study states that people with higher blood presure prefer to consume CBD oil to lower down their blood pressure levels.
Diet and Blood Pressure
To lower blood pressure naturally, altering the dietary approaches is crucial. This is because we become what we eat. Every morsel of food that we consume affects our health. For example, adding too much turmeric to our diet raises blood pressure.
Similarly, eating processed foods worsens heart health. When fats deposit on the walls of the blood vessels, they thicken and reduce the blood flow. As a result, the vessels and heart work harder to supply blood all over the body, and this results in increased blood pressure.
The more salt you ingest, the higher the blood pressure. Hence, dietary changes reduce heart disease risk and may also stop hypertension in its tracks. On this note, the Mediterranean diet is rich in omega-fatty acids.
Omega-3 lowers the risk of heart diseases, blurry vision, and stroke. In addition, they lower the stiffness of blood vessels by reducing the amount of LDL or bad cholesterol in the body. As a result, omega-3 fatty acid helps lower your blood pressure.
Adding fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, blood pressure supplements, and other foods helps regulate blood pressure. However, you must follow a sticker diet to lower your blood pressure if the condition worsens. This might mean starting an exercise regimen that improves heart health. Hence, if you manage to change your habits, the doctor may advise you to stop taking blood pressure medication.
Therefore, opting for natural solutions is effective but also takes more time. At the same time, a healthy diet can act as a remedy for many common issues. Thus, lower blood pressure levels are key to your overall well-being.
What Happens When the Blood Pressure Rises?
A rapidly rising blood pressure may lead to severe complications. In the more extreme cases, it can even result in a heart attack and stroke. These occur due to fat deposition along the blood vessel’s walls.
Another complication is an aneurysm. An aneurysm is a rupture of blood vessels due to increased pressure. That’s why it is so important to act fast and reduce blood pressure levels if we see a sudden spike.
Metabolic syndrome, heart failure, and mental health issues follow high blood pressure. Again, we can opt for effective methods for reducing blood pressure. For example, calcium channel blockers help to a certain extent. However, making lifestyle changes is the recommended long-term solution.
How Do Supplements Help?
Calcium channel blockers are a potent group of medications doctors prescribe to help lower blood pressure. They block the calcium channels of the blood vessels and support their function. However, every allopathic medicine you consume comes with a risk. Some of these include constipation, palpitations, and flushing.
Natural dietary supplements help reduce high blood pressure as an adjunct to blood pressure medication. They halt the disease’s progress and eliminate the risk of heart attack, vascular diseases, and stroke. To manage blood pressure better, ensure that you keep such meds nearby for such scenarios.
Aside from combating high blood pressure, they also improve your overall health. Lowering high blood pressure is not easy, but not impossible either.
In the following sections, we’ve covered several of the most effective minerals for reducing blood pressure. Here’s how to use them and when.
Magnesium
Magnesium is an important mineral that governs processes like blood pressure, nerve and muscle functions, etc. For example, magnesium supplements stimulate the production of nitric oxide. This compound relaxes blood vessels and, as a result, lowers blood pressure.
A study published in the AHA journal concluded that opting for adding that method to the diet reduced blood pressure. The study included 34 trials of 2048 subjects which noted a reduction in blood pressure levels after orally taking magnesium.
The participants were advised to take 300 mg daily for one month. At the end of the study, the team concluded a reduction in their blood pressure reading.
Also, the FDA’s recommended dietary allowance of magnesium is 300 to 400 mg/day. Hence, this is in line with the study’s findings.
While taking oral magnesium supplements helps lower blood pressure, adding it to the diet also works. Some rich sources of magnesium include peanuts, black beans, avocados, spinach, almonds, and potatoes, to name a few.
At the same time, it increases diastolic pressure by 2.9 mmHg and systolic pressure by 4.4 mmHg. As such, they’re effective natural blood pressure supplements.
Folic Acid
During pregnancy, it is common to experience increased blood pressure. At certain points, the mother may also suffer short-term gestational hypertension. If the high blood pressure is left untreated, it could affect the baby.
Then, complications such as preterm low birth weight, preeclampsia, stroke, and a slew of related issues may occur. It is essential to take supplements along with blood pressure medication to avoid these ailments.
Folic acid is an important vitamin B that is known to lower high blood pressure in patients with preeclampsia. Doctors cite that taking up to 400 mg/day of folic acid is helpful for pregnant women. On that same note, prenatal supplements also contain enough folic acid to control blood pressure.
However, folic acid plays a role in lowering high blood pressure even outside of pregnancy. Yet, the daily intake varies depending on your medical history. Also, mind its relation to the other blood pressure supplements you’re already taking.
Potassium
Potassium is one of the key minerals that support bodily functions. In addition, it plays a role in improving coronary artery disease and cardiovascular health.
Conversely, its absence or deficiency may impair many processes, such as blood pressure control. For instance, when excessive salt intake raises blood pressure, potassium binds with sodium and lowers blood pressure.
Many studies suggest that dietary potassium or potassium supplements significantly affect blood pressure readings. In other words, it results in reduced blood pressure.
Studies describe how potassium supplements reduce high blood pressure. They suggest two stages. First, eliminating excess sodium through urine. Second, potassium helps relax blood vessels and improves blood flow through them.
It is known that consuming potassium may lower systolic blood pressure by 3.8 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 2.5 mmHg. These numbers confirm its efficacy in reducing blood pressure.
Also, potassium is very helpful if you take a high sodium diet. However, note that such supplements are deleterious for renal health. So, they are a risk factor for people with kidney disease. If that’s the case with you, look for another way to reduce blood pressure.
Some important sources of potassium as recommended by AHA are:
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Avocados
- Prune juice
- Yogurt
- Mushrooms
Dietary Fiber
Dietary fiber plays a role in optimal gastric conditions and naturally improves blood pressure. In addition, dietary fiber supplements regulate cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and enhance gut health.
A relevant study reports that dietary fiber supplements decrease both diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Similarly, another review suggests that taking only 12 gm of dietary fiber drops blood pressure by a large margin.
The average dietary intake of fiber, as recommended by the FDA, is 28 gm/day for optimal results. In addition to the above benefits, dietary fibers help reduce weight.
As a result, taking these blood pressure supplements decreases the chances of developing heart-related diseases and maintains healthy blood pressure.
Vitamin D
It is a common finding that people with high blood pressure often have lower vitamin D levels. Hence, studies were conducted to evaluate the veracity of this statement. Then, some studies showed the relation between low vitamin D levels and high blood pressure.
Another review concluded that people with high vitamin D levels had a 37% reduced risk for high blood pressure. Taking an increased amount of vitamin D also improves bone health.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is another key building block for your immune system’s potency. In addition, studies suggest it may also contribute to lowering the risk of heart disease. Thus, vitamin C can combat high blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health and prevent kidney disease.
The FDA recommends taking 300 to 1150 mg/day for routine consumption to reduce high blood pressure. People with vitamin C deficiency are known to have higher blood pressure levels.
However, not all studies found the same results.
L-arginine
Many studies reviewed that L-arginine supports your veins and arteries’ function. In addition, it is an amino acid known to lower blood pressure in pregnant women.
Participants with high blood pressure showed a significant reduction after taking such supplements. This is because the body converts L-arginine into nitric oxide. This substance acts by relaxing the blood vessels and improves the flow of blood through the vessels.
Besides, L-arginine also aids healthy individuals who have slightly elevated blood pressure readings and high blood sugar. At the same time, it increases diastolic pressure by 2.2 mmHg and systolic pressure by 2.7 mmHg.
Fish Oils
Fish oils are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Taking enough Omega 3s can improve your immunity and prevent many ailments.
However, the body can’t produce them by itself. Thus, you might make up for this deficit via a healthy diet.
They are essential elements that lower the risk of heart disease, bad eyesight, and stroke. In addition, they affect the stiffness of blood vessels by reducing the amount of LDL or bad cholesterol in the body.
Some other important sources of omega-3 are:
- Fatty fish oil
- Flaxseeds
- Walnuts
- The Mediterranean diet
- Vegetable oils
- Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
- Salmon, sardine, trout, light tuna, halibut, etc.
Garlic
Garlic reduces diastolic blood pressure and acts as a potent disease control agent. In addition, research confirms that garlic has a beneficial role to play in people with heart disease.
Aside from that, arthritis patients often use garlic to treat various inflammations and physical pain. Hence, many common prescriptions include a percentage of this vegetable.
Garlic, when added to the regular diet, helps lower blood pressure. This is because it reduces the stiffness of the blood vessels and allows proper flow. As a result, the pressure within the vessels declines.
It is useful even in pregnant women. It decreases the risk of having a stroke, heart failure, chest pain, and arterial disease by 60%.
Ginger
Like garlic, ginger is popular for its health benefits. It can treat swellings and is an excellent agent to lower blood pressure levels.
A review suggests that taking at least three grams of ginger every day lowers blood pressure levels within eight weeks. This study was conducted among people aged less than 55 years.
Another study in a group of people with metabolic disorders revealed that ginger reduces high blood pressure. Regular consumption also improves blood sugar levels and results in reduced blood pressure and triglycerides.
Ginger in any form helps lower blood pressure. This includes ginger tea, ginger lemonade, and ginger supplements, to name a few.
Interestingly, ginger lowers systolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 3.5 mmHg.
Beetroot
Beetroots are known to increase blood sugar but can also improve blood pressure. In addition, they enhance oxygen supply to the muscle cells and support the blood flow. Athletes are known to take beetroot supplements to enhance their sports performance.
Studies reveal that beetroot lowered blood pressure in 87% of participants within three months. Further, consuming beetroot juice on a regular basis improves hemoglobin levels in the blood and strengthens the immune system.
It also improves heart health. Beetroot has abundant health benefits in any form, be it juice, raw, or boiled.
On that note, beetroots are fast-acting and can improve high blood pressure conditions within hours after taking them. Hence, it is a potent anti-hypertensive agent that should be added to the diet. It enhances diastolic pressure by 2.4 mmHg and systolic pressure by 3.7 mmHg.
Melatonin
Melatonin is an endocrine hormone produced within the body. However, its deficiency compels people to take it as a supplement to meet the body’s requirements.
This supplement has several health benefits, including better sleep, maintaining biological cycles, and homeostasis, to name a few.
Studies reveal that this hormone also helps to lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. Other studies suggest that women who have deficient melatonin are at risk of developing high blood pressure.
Melatonin is a safe and effective anti-hypertensive. And it can be taken as an adjunct to blood pressure medications. To reduce blood pressure, repeated doses of melatonin supplements are essential.
Green Tea
Green tea helps lower blood pressure naturally. It is a potent antioxidant comprising effective phytonutrients like EGCG.
Its reliable anti-inflammatory properties can greatly benefit people having high blood pressure. In addition, it also helps ease flare-ups associated with bowel diseases. Hence, it’s a common remedy for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
Drinking green tea also helps reduce weight and indirectly reduces blood pressure. It is an excellent agent for improving heart health.
On the flip side, the effect of green tea to help lower blood pressure is often slow. It can take at least three to four months before you’ll see results.
Lastly, green tea reduces systolic blood pressure by 3.7 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 2.9 mmHg. It is also beneficial for people in the pre-hypertensive stage.
Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10, also termed CoQ10, is a naturally occurring substance in the body responsible for providing energy to the cells. It is a potent antioxidant that helps reduce blood pressure by forming fat deposits within the blood vessels.
When fats deposit on the lining of the blood vessels, they thicken and reduce the blood flow. As a result, the vessels and heart work harder to supply blood throughout the body. This leads to increased blood pressure.
However, a review by the Cochrane Library showed little evidence of the contribution of coenzyme Q10 in lowering blood pressure. Therefore, researchers concluded that more in-depth studies and trials are needed on this subject.
Other Supplementary Options
Some other supplements, too, lower blood pressure in case you can’t get the ones stated thus far. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health suggests many nutritive supplements apart from those we discussed above.
However, the efficacy of each dietary supplement differs and depends on your current condition. Thus, you should practice some caution when changing your diet in this way.
Here’s a list of possibly beneficial substances you can consider:
- Flaxseed: These contain omega-3, thus aiding your heart health.
- Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder also plays a role in maintaining healthy blood pressure and preventing heart ailments.
- Probiotics: Probiotics are important for a healthy gut. In addition, they contain healthy bacteria that help reduce high blood pressure.
- Different Varieties of Teas: Consuming green tea and ginger tea promotes healthier blood pressure and body weight.
- Hibiscus sabdariffa
Things to Avoid That Increase Blood Pressure
Diet has a major impact on our health and blood pressure. With growing concern over health issues, it is crucial to have blood pressure in control. This is because high blood pressure poses a risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Apart from ingesting supplements, avoiding certain habits or foods help control high blood pressure levels. Note that this might prompt you to alternate your diet in a major way.
Things you should avoid that increase blood pressure are:
- Alcohol
- Smoking
- Avoid oral contraceptives and switch to safer methods, such as using condoms
- Avoid nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as diclofenac and ibuprofen
- Corticosteroids
- Antipsychotic and anti-depression pills
- Lower salt intake
- Processed foods
- Excessive amounts of turmeric in food
- Stress and anxiety
Alternatives to Supplements
Taking supplements all the time may not be advisable for everyone. However promising the ads makes them seem, professional medical advice should take precedence.
This is because you may have any other associated medical illness that is still undiagnosed. Taking supplements without professional guidance can worsen your situation instead.
While it is not mandatory to consume natural supplements to improve blood pressure levels, they do help if taken wisely. Alternatively, making small lifestyle changes like switching to a healthier diet can go a long way and improves high blood pressure.
Eating Less Salt
This habit reduces the chances of water retention and promotes smooth cardiovascular system functioning. Further, it helps control systolic blood pressure effectively. On the other hand, researchers also suggest that low sodium diets are beneficial in controlling diastolic blood pressure in the long run.
Physical Activity and Blood Pressure
Regular exercise reduces heart disease risk. The major cause of having high blood pressure today is stress. Hence, adding stress-relieving activities becomes equally important in reducing blood pressure.
Moderate intensity exercise is advisable for those with associated medical conditions such as asthma, heart disease, and chest pain. Physical activities help relax blood vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure. In addition, being active helps reduce the risk of heart disease and coronary artery disease.
Fats and Blood Pressure
Eliminating fatty or processed foods from the diet helps reduce blood pressure levels and decreases the risk of atherosclerosis. However, not all fats are harmful to the body. Essential fatty acids, in fact, carry numerous health benefits, such as reducing bad cholesterol levels.
Smoking, Drinking, and Blood Pressure
Smoking and drinking increase the contraction of blood vessels, thereby increasing blood pressure. In addition, they also increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Chances of stroke due to the formation of fat clusters within the blood vessels increase due to smoking. Hence, consumption of tobacco, nicotine, and spirits should be limited or avoided.
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Regular consumption of fresh fruits and veggies keeps the body healthy and supports the immune system. Further, it reduces blood pressure naturally and keeps the heart in good health.
Conclusion: Natural Supplements Lowers The Blood Pressure Levels?
With the side effects of taking medicines, people are adapting more and more natural methods to control their medical ailments. Hence, to protect yourself from the long-term side effects of pills, trying nutritional supplements can help manage blood pressure.
Adding the above-listed substances to your diet allows you to keep your blood pressure levels within the normal range. Vitamins, minerals, and fibers specifically affect the body to lower blood pressure. However, taking them in excess is also harmful.
Thus, remember that these supplements are only adjuncts to medicines. They magnify medications’ effects and allow the body to recover faster. In other words, they are not substitutes for prescription drugs.
However safe the supplements seem, consult a doctor and evaluate your condition before adding them to your diet. If you rush, they may interact with other meds and worsen your condition in the process.
Further, we have also discussed simple things to avoid raising blood pressure. To summarize, nutritional supplements, medicines, and exercise help lower blood pressure. Aside from those, avoiding high fat-containing foods can also lower your blood pressure.
