20 Tips That Help Lower High Blood Pressure Without Drugs

 Do you have high blood pressure? And do you want to lower this blood pressure naturally without blood pressure-lowering drugs such as ace inhibitors? Then this article is written for you!

Keep in mind that the subject of hypertension is quite complex and contains a number of nuances and contradictions.

For example, there are doctors who are firmly convinced of lowering blood pressure with blood pressure-lowering agents (antihypertensives), while other doctors are less enthusiastic about blood pressure-lowering agents.

But don't worry, because this article will provide you with a lot of clarity.

Other points of interest from this article include:

• Why blood pressure-lowering medication is symptom control
• How often high blood pressure (hypertension) occurs in the Netherlands
• How many years of life are lost on average with high blood pressure

What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure or tension is the force with which the heart pumps blood into the blood vessels or the fluid pressure in the arterial system. Blood pressure is shown with upper pressure (systolic) and lower pressure (diastolic), separated by a slash, for example, RR (Riva-Rocci) 120/80 mmHg.

At the upper pressure, the pressure is highest as the heart contracts and the blood flows into the body. In the case of negative pressure, this pressure is lower because the heart then relaxes. In short, you should see the heart as a kind of pump.

What is (too) high blood pressure?

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, means that there is too much pressure on your blood vessels. The result is that the blood vessels become harder and stiffer and the elasticity deteriorates.

This increases the chance of arteriosclerosis (source). As a result, blood vessels can tear more easily.

Risks of high blood pressure

High blood pressure is related to (source):

• Damage to organs or vessel walls
• Brain hemorrhages and strokes
• Kidney problems
• Chronic stress
• Overweight and obesity
• Type 2 diabetes
• Mortality

Of course, we are talking about long-term / chronic high blood pressure here, not about a temporary high blood pressure of a short duration that we all have from time to time, such as during a stressful event or sports activity.

That is why you should always sit quietly for at least 5 minutes before you can measure your blood pressure properly. Over the course of a few months (faster for risk profiles), various measurements are taken to get the most accurate picture of blood pressure.

It is also arbitrary where the boundary lies between 'normal' and 'too high' blood pressure. That is why some guidelines have been drawn up. These come from the European Society of Cardiology (source).

For adults, high blood pressure (hypertension) means that the blood value is more than RR 140/90 mmHg.

The previous guidelines aimed for a blood level of 130/80 mmHg, but research showed that these low levels did not benefit people and that it was not a realistic goal.

Hence, the aim is now to have a systolic blood pressure of less than 140 mmHg. In people over 80, that value is 140 to 150 mmHg.

If blood pressure is measured at home, it should be below 135/90 mmHg. This is because blood pressure at home is slightly lower than at a doctor's visit.

By the way, you can also measure your blood pressure at home if you have a blood pressure monitor for home use. Choose approved and reliable meters such as Beurer, Microlife, or Omron.

Symptoms of high blood pressure

There are many symptoms of high blood pressure. Here are the main ones:

• Headache and Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting
• shortness of breath
• Problem with vision

Blood pressure-lowering medication as symptom relief

You would think you are using drugs to cure something, after all, they are also called drugs.

Antihypertensive medication does not cure high blood pressure but suppresses the symptoms of the disease. So in this case it is symptom control.

For example, if you look at 'calcium channel blockers', at a molecular level they disrupt certain mechanisms that allow blood vessels to relax and expand. As a result, blood pressure drops.

But other consequences are a series of side effects, such as fluid retention (edema), mild palpitations, intestinal complaints, headache, dizziness, gum problems, etc.

In order to solve the cause of high blood pressure, particular attention should be paid to the diet.

Let's start with the tips!

Proven lifestyle advice for lower blood pressure

Before you improve your blood pressure values ​​with this proven lifestyle advice, it is important to rule out that your poor blood pressure values ​​are not caused by a medical condition that has nothing to do with your lifestyle.

slow thyroid

For example, a slow thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) is such a physical condition that can cause blood pressure to be higher than normal (source).

Heredity

Dozens of genes have been discovered linked to hypertension, but high blood pressure is almost non-existent in ancient tribes and in recent decades we have seen an explosion in high blood pressure in Western countries.

In fact, we can say that more than 95% of all diseases that arise in people are due to lifestyle. For example, we have approximately 3 million Dutch people with high cholesterol (between the ages of 30 and 70), of which only 2% have a hereditary basis (source).

Or diabetes types 2: lifestyle appears to be more than 200 times more important than the gene that is currently most associated with type 2 diabetes (source).

Warning in advance!

Adjusting your diet and/or lifestyle with the tips below could cause a large drop in your blood pressure. Therefore, have your blood pressure checked regularly if you are going to follow the tips (fanatically). Never stop taking blood pressure-lowering medication without the guidance of a doctor!

14 tips to lower high blood pressure with nutrition

The 4 most important tips to lower your blood pressure are:

• Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates
• Avoid artificial sweeteners
• Eat more omega 3 fatty acids
• Get your sodium-potassium in balance

I also did these first 4 tips in video format. In this entire article, I will give you 20 scientifically proven tips. 

Tip #1: Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates

Shouldn't we talk about salt first? Wouldn't that raise your blood pressure in large amounts?

Salt certainly plays a role in high blood pressure, but let's not forget the influence of sugars and refined carbohydrates on high blood pressure.

Here are some facts about why sugar has such a bad effect on your blood pressure:

• When a meal contains a lot of sugar, such as a meal with cornflakes, the blood pressure rises and the blood vessels become less flexible (source).
• Long-term high insulin levels (due to fast and slow sugars) are much more common in people with high blood pressure than those with low blood pressure.
• A large contribution to that high insulin is the intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates (source, source, source).
• Long-term high insulin levels (due to fast and slow sugars) in mice result in plaque at the edges of the arteries (source). This constricts the blood vessels.
• Insulin (due to fast and slow sugars) retains sodium, which means that more fluid is retained and therefore higher blood pressure (source).

In the West, we eat way too much sugar and carbohydrates anyway. Therefore, you should reduce the amount of carbohydrates and partially replace them with healthy fats and proteins.

Tip #2: Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

Many people think they are outsmarting their bodies by using low-calorie sweeteners as an alternative to sugar. For example, these artificial sweeteners are:

• acesulfame-K (E950)
• aspartame (E951)
• cyclamate (E952)
• isomalt (E953)
• saccharin (E954)
• sucralose (E955)

However, this often turns out differently. For example, research shows that artificial sweeteners also increase blood pressure (source). Not only that, because there are even more drawbacks:

A 14-year study showed that the risk of diabetes increases more with diet soft drinks than the normal sugar variant (source).

A study showed that women who drink diet soda drink no less than two times more soda than women who drink regular sugar-rich soda (source). This is because artificial sweeteners are more addictive.

In an animal study in which rats took artificial sweeteners, these were the consequences: they ate more, had a slowed metabolism, and had a 14% increase in fat percentage, while they had consumed fewer calories (source).

In short, opinions differ about artificial sweeteners.

Tip #3: eat more omega 3 fatty acids

fatty fish on a wooden board Omega-3 fatty acids have a proven healthy influence on heart and blood vessels (source).

For example, a large study with more than 32,000 participants shows that omega 3 fatty acids (particularly EPA and DHA) decreased the number of cardiovascular events by 19 to 45% (source).

The remarkable thing about this study is that this even decreased in patients who were already taking medication such as blood pressure-lowering drugs, statins, and beta-blockers.

The animal proteins, such as fatty fish and fish oil, are said to lower blood pressure because they soften the walls of the blood vessels and therefore silt up less quickly.

Omega 3 fatty acids are mainly found in oily fish such as:

• salmon
• Mackerel
• Herring
• Tuna
• sardines

Don't want to eat fish because you don't have the time or simply because you don't like it? Then take a supplement!

The best and highest quality supplement for this is Neptune Krill Oil capsules. Science shows that 1000 mg per day is optimal. That 1000 mg must be EPA and DHA. The percentage of EPA and DHA per capsule (often 500 mg) is stated on the packaging.

Tip #4: get your sodium-potassium in balance

Now let's talk about salt...

Much has been written about the impact of salt on blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

According to the Heart Foundation, salt increases the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. According to them, the average person in the Netherlands eats 9 to 10 grams of salt per day. They advise eating a maximum of 6 grams of salt, despite the fact that according to them you only need 1 to 3 grams per day (source).

In some people, salt can raise blood pressure. But keeping your salt intake in check every day means more than just leaving the salt shaker in the cupboard.

It also means checking labels, as much of the salt we ingest is hidden in processed foods such as tomato sauce, soups, condiments, and canned foods.

A large study from 2011 could not prove that salt plays a major role in high blood pressure (source). The researchers do say that salt intake in people who already suffer from high blood pressure should be reduced.

But other studies also show that salt does not necessarily prevent high blood pressure (source). However, that does not mean that you can only eat unlimited salt because too much salt can increase the chance of a brain hemorrhage (source).

It has been shown that increasing the intake of potassium lowers blood pressure (source).

You could also say it's all about balance. For example, prehistoric humans ate much more fruit and vegetables than present-day Western society.

As a result, they received much more potassium. Not only that, because she didn't continuously add table salt to the food like Westerners do.

What you can do to restore the balance

If you want to restore balance, do the following:

• Stop adding (refined) table salt to your meals. Use Celtic salt or Himalayan salt instead. These contain less sodium and more trace elements (source, source), of which magnesium has a blood pressure-lowering effect.
• Stop eating bread (or reduce it) or go for low-salt bread.
• Stop eating licorice, chips, and salted nuts (or reduce it).
• Watch out for processed food, often a lot of refined salt has been added.

And most importantly, in the meantime, add potassium-rich foods to your diet such as:

• Banana
• Avocado
• Mango
• pear
• Dark chocolate
• figs
• raisins

Tip #5: eat more magnesium-rich food

Magnesium widens the blood vessels. Research shows that people with sufficient magnesium in the blood have a 40% lower risk of cardiovascular disease (source). Taking magnesium supplements also improves insulin sensitivity (source).

In short, eat some more food products such as:

• Avocado
• nuts
• Tempeh or natto
• Seeds
• Fatty fish
• Banana
• Green leafy vegetables

Tip #6: eat more vitamin C rich food

In an 8-week study, it was found that people who took two servings of berries (red fruit) every day had lowered their blood pressure compared to a control group (source).

It turned out that vitamin C, in particular, was increased in the participants, while sodium and potassium, for example, had remained the same.

Red fruits, citrus fruits, and cabbages, in particular, contain a lot of vitamin C. In short, eat some more food products such as:

Blueberries

Blackberries

strawberries

raspberries

Kale

Kiwi

Lemon

Or take a powerful vitamin C supplement such as 3rd generation AOV vitamin C.

Tip #7: eat more nitrate-rich food

Nitrate appears to be one of the factors to lower blood pressure (source, source). In this study, in any case, beet juice was used, which contains a lot of nitrates.

Nitrate can clear blood vessels via nitric oxide. But anthocyanins, which provide a strong purple color, also have a positive effect on blood pressure.

In short, eat the following food products more often:

• Beetroot
• Red cabbage
• Kale
• Spinach
• Salad
• Endive
• Parsley

Tip #8: drink pomegranate juice daily

 

A study shows that pomegranate juice works well to widen blood vessels.

For example, it turned out that in the participants who drank a glass of pomegranate juice every day for a year, the blood pressure was reduced by 12% (source).

There is also a whole laundry list of benefits of pomegranate juice. But that's for another article.

Tip #9: eat more fiber

There is a range of studies showing the relationship between health and fiber. For example, fiber ensures that the blood sugar level rises less quickly and thus slows it down.

Fiber also improves your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. For example, beta-glucans, which are a lot in oatmeal, for example, would lower blood pressure (source).

But linseed can also significantly lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack by 30% (source). And that with 30 grams of linseed per day!

Tip #10: Don't alcohol consumption

Avoid alcohol is never good. So be careful not to drink too much. Stick to a maximum of 1 glass of organic red wine per day.

In humans, red wine without alcohol can even lower blood pressure, possibly because the nitric oxide dilates the blood vessels (source).

Tip #11: eat dark chocolate

 Dark/dark chocolate is very rich in antioxidants, increases insulin sensitivity, and lowers blood pressure (source).

Please note that this mainly concerns dark chocolate, so not so much milk chocolate or chocolate processed in a biscuit or dessert.

So buy the dark chocolate above 90%. Tastes a bit bitter at first but you will get used to it over time.

Tip #12: drink more tea

People who drink oolong or green tea daily lower their risk of hypertension by 46% (source).

Other teas also lower blood pressure, namely:

• Hibiscus tea
• hawthorn tea
• Gotu cola tea

Tip #13: Eat more garlic

Garlic extracts appear to significantly reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension, which is less strong in people with normal blood pressure (source).

The use of garlic in people with high blood pressure averages a decrease of 16.3 mmHg on the upper pressure and an average of 9.3 mmHg on the lower pressure (source).

This probably has to do with the substance allicin, which causes the blood vessels to relax more.

Keep in mind that eating garlic can lead to intestinal complaints about some people. Westerners are less adapted to eating garlic, which means we have a less effective enzyme system to break down a substance like allicin.

Tip #14: eat spirulina

A study shows that with superfood spirulina you can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol level (source).

In 6 weeks, this resulted in an average reduction in the upper pressure of 10 mmHg and 8 mmHg for the negative pressure.

6 tips to lower your blood pressure in addition to food

Tip #15: avoid prolonged stress

Research shows that stress can increase blood pressure (source). In short, relax a little more. For people who experience a high degree of stress, it is very difficult to do so immediately.

In case of high stress, burnout, or overstrain, it is better in practice that you learn to focus more on fun activities, such as a hobby or passion. That will automatically reduce the stress and you are still busy with something.

Tip #16: work on your depression

Depression also has a bad effect on blood pressure. For example, people with depression are 40% more likely to have high blood pressure (source).

Tip #17: meditate

A study shows that especially people who have an increased risk of high blood pressure can lower their blood pressure through meditation (source).

The participants who meditated experienced an average reduction of no less than 5 mmHg while the control group saw no reduction.

Tip #18: exercise / sport more

There are a series of studies that show that you can lower your blood pressure by exercising more and you can also prevent high blood pressure (source).

Tip #19: stop smoking

Smoking greatly increases the risk of high blood pressure (source). But most smokers know that smoking is bad for your health.

There is literally no benefit of smoking, and I'm not just talking about health.

Tip #20: lose weight

There is a strong link between high blood pressure and obesity (source). That also makes sense when you think about it.

Research with people from the age of 50 shows that (source):

• Men with normal blood pressure live 5.1 years longer than men with high blood pressure. In addition, they enjoy life without cardiovascular disease for 2.1 years longer.
• Women with normal blood pressure live 4.9 years longer than women with high blood pressure. In addition, they enjoy life without cardiovascular disease for 2.3 years longer.