5 Natural Ways to Reduce Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is one of the risk factors associated with things such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and aneurysms.  For many people, there are no symptoms, making high blood pressure even more dangerous.  If you do have high blood pressure, the good news is that there are several things you can do to naturally reduce your numbers.

Why a Natural Approach to High Blood Pressure is So Important

Depending on your situation, your doctor may recommend blood pressure medication.  While necessary in some cases, it is also important to understand the side effect of long term use of these medications.  Emerging studies show that long term use of many of the most common blood pressure medicines can have lasting negative effects.  It is important to understand the impacts of these medicines so make sure to have an open and honest discussion with your doctor before starting any medication.

Here are 5 ways that may naturally help you reduce your blood pressure.

Lose a Few LBS

One of the most common reasons for high blood pressure is obesity.  Studies have shown that even a 10 pound weight loss can reduce blood pressure in overweight people and the benefits don’t stop there.  Many people are able to eliminate blood pressure medications completely when they return to a normal weight range.

Meditation and Deep Breathing

20 minutes per day of mindful meditation or deep breathing has been shown to have a large impact on blood pressure.  Studies have show that those who regularly participate in these activities can significantly reduce their blood pressure and psychological distress.

Regular Exercise

Regular exercise not only helps us lose weight (our first risk factor), but it also helps us burn energy, have a healthy heart and cardiovascular system and reduce stress.  All of these factors can help us reduce our blood pressure.

Drinking Green Tea

If you don’t drink green tea today, you might want to start.  Research shows that drinking 1 – 2 cups of green tea per day can significantly reduce your blood pressure.  The research indicates that that green tea reduces blood pressure by inhibiting an enzyme that restricts blood flow.  One word of warning.  If you are currently taking a beta-blocker, consult with your doctor prior to drinking green tea.  Some researcher have found that green tea may interfere with beta-blockers.

Regular Visits to Your Chiropractor

In a recent study, the University of Chicago Hypertension Center, found that regular visits to your Algonquin, IL Chiropractor can significantly reduce your blood pressure.

According to WebMD

“A special chiropractic adjustment can significantly lower high blood pressure, a placebo-controlled study suggests.
"This procedure has the effect of not one, but two blood-pressure medications given in combination," study leader George Bakris, MD, tells WebMD. "And it seems to be adverse-event free. We saw no side effects and no problems," adds Bakris, director of the University of Chicago hypertension center.

Eight weeks after undergoing the procedure, 25 patients with early-stage high blood pressure had significantly lower blood pressure than 25 similar patients who underwent a sham chiropractic adjustment. Because patients can't feel the technique, they were unable to tell which group they were in.
X-rays showed that the procedure realigned the Atlas vertebra -- the doughnut-like bone at the very top of the spine -- with the spine in the treated patients, but not in the sham-treated patients.

Compared to the sham-treated patients, those who got the real procedure saw an average 14 mm Hg greater drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure count), and an average 8 mm Hg greater drop in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom blood pressure number).”


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