Hypertension is one of those medical conditions for which mainstream medical practitioners prescribe several natural treatments before they suggest resorting to medication. Most people with mild to middling levels witness significant drops in their blood pressure after using natural and non-invasive methods of treatments. These natural remedies for high blood pressure, undoubtedly, work to a remarkable extent. Below are five of the most common and most effective natural cures doctors recommend.
1. Diet Change
The nutrients we take in are essential in determining how healthy the circulatory system becomes. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health recommend the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. A DASH diet is primarily composed of fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and grains, beans, and nuts. A variation to the DASH diet is the DASH-Sodium diet, which prescribes a sodium intake of less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day.
2. Aerobic Exercise
A sedentary lifestyle is a big contributor to hypertension. One of the natural remedies for high blood pressure, which is just as good as many synthetic medicines, is engaging in at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise everyday. Aerobic exercise makes the heart go pumping and thus grow stronger. When the heart becomes stronger, it pumps more blood with less effort, thus lowering blood pressure. Common aerobic exercises are brisk walking, jogging, swimming, and biking. If you find no time for these, you can incorporate physical activity into your busy day by taking the stairs, walking to work, or raking the leaves.
3. Mantra Meditation
Stress also has a big impact on the circulatory system. This is why doctors recommend using stress reduction techniques to lower stress and, consequently, to lower BP. Meditation using a mantra, or the meditation technique of focusing on a repeated word or phrase (a mantra, as meditation gurus call it), has been studied to have significant effects in persons suffering from hypertension. Research shows that the biochemical changes in the brain achieved during 20 minutes of meditation each day trigger the body’s natural self-healing mechanism. Herbal Medicine
4. Natural Supplements
Garlic is the most prescribed natural supplement for hypertension. Because of the pungent odors, doctors recommend taking in garlic powder supplements instead. However, it is not advisable to take in garlic supplements without the supervision of a physician since it can interfere with blood-thinning medications such as aspirin. Fish oil supplements were also seen to have modest but significant lowering effects on blood pressure because of its DHA (docohexaenoic acid) content. Another supplement worth mentioning is folic acid, a B vitamin that reduces the amount of homocysteine in the blood.
