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Hypertension
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Beat hypertension—Lower your blood pressure with simple lifestyle changes to protect yourself from this hidden health problem. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful.
- Watch what you eat
Choose a diet low in cholesterol and animal fat, and high in produce, whole grains, legumes, and low-fat dairy, with some nuts and seeds.
- Get more soy
Add 10 grams of soy protein or 16 ounces soy milk twice daily into your diet to help lower blood pressure.
- Boost heart health with supplemental garlic
600 to 900 mg a day of a standardized garlic extract can improve heart and blood vessel health, and also has a mild blood pressure–lowering effect.
- Try CoQ10
Taking 100 mg a day of this powerful antioxidant may have a significant impact on your blood pressure after one to several months.
- Sidestep salt
Avoid using too much table salt, limit salty fast foods, and read labels to find low-sodium foods (less than 140 mg per serving) in your grocery store.
- Take minerals
Supplements of calcium (800 to 1,500 mg a day) and magnesium (350 to 500 mg a day) may be helpful.
These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist. Continue reading for more in-depth, fully referenced information.
- Sidestep salt
Avoid using too much table salt, limit salty fast foods, and read labels to find low-sodium foods (less than 140 mg per serving) in your grocery store.
- Watch what you eat
Choose a diet low in cholesterol and animal fat, and high in produce, whole grains, legumes, and low-fat dairy, with some nuts and seeds.
- Maintain a healthy weight
Lose excess weight and keep it off with a long-term program of healthier eating and regular aerobic exercise for 30 to 60 minutes per day, four or more days per week.
- Go vegetarian
Vegetarians have lower blood pressure than meat eaters, partly because of the mineral potassium in fruits and vegetables, which helps blood pressure.
- Limit alcohol
Keep daily alcohol intake to two drinks or less per day, and fewer than 9 drinks per week for women to help prevent hypertension.
These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist. Continue reading for more in-depth, fully referenced information.
Also indexed as:
- elevated blood pressure,
- high blood pressure,
- high blood pressure (hypertension),
- htn,
- hypertension
About this treatment
About This Condition
Approximately 90% of people with high blood pressure have “essential” or “idiopathic” hypertension, for which the cause is poorly understood. The terms “hypertension” and “high blood pressure” as used here refer only to this most common form and not to pregnancy-induced hypertension or hypertension clearly linked to a known cause, such as Cushing’s syndrome, pheochromocytoma, or kidney disease. Hypertension must always be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Extremely high blood pressure (malignant hypertension) or rapidly worsening hypertension (accelerated hypertension) almost always requires treatment with conventional medicine. People with mild to moderate high blood pressure should work with a doctor before attempting to use the information contained here, as blood pressure requires monitoring and in some cases the use of blood pressure-lowering drugs.
As with conventional drugs, the use of natural substances sometimes controls blood pressure if taken consistently but does not lead to a cure for high blood pressure. Thus, someone whose blood pressure is successfully reduced by weight loss, avoidance of salt, and increased intake of fruits and vegetables would need to maintain these changes permanently in order to retain control of blood pressure. Left untreated, hypertension significantly increases the risk of stroke and heart disease.
Symptoms
Essential hypertension is usually without symptoms until complications develop. The symptoms of complications depend on the organs involved.
Holistic Options
Anxiety in men (but not women) has been linked to development of hypertension. Several research groups have also shown a relationship between job strain and high blood pressure in men. Some researchers have tied blood pressure specifically to suppressed aggression.
Although some kind of relationship between stress and high blood pressure appears to exist, the effects of treatment for stress remain controversial. An analysis of 26 trials reported that reductions in blood pressure caused by biofeedback or meditation were no greater than those seen with placebo. Though some stress management interventions have not been helpful in reducing blood pressure, those trials that have reported promising effects have used combinations of yoga, biofeedback, and/or meditation. Some doctors continue to recommend a variety of stress-reducing measures, sometimes tailoring them to the needs and preferences of the person seeking help.
Preliminary laboratory studies in animals and humans suggest that acupuncture may help regulate blood pressure. Most, but not all, preliminary trials also suggest that acupuncture may be an effective way to lower blood pressure. Whether blood pressure goes back up after acupuncture is discontinued remains an unsettled question.
Auricular (ear) acupressure has been reported to be an effective treatment for hypertension, though in one case the improvement was not significantly better than use of traditional herbal medicines.
Spinal manipulation may lower blood pressure (at least temporarily) in healthy people, according to most preliminary and controlled trials. However, some research suggests the effect is no better than the blood pressure-lowering effect of sham (“fake”) manipulation. In hypertensive people, temporary decreases in blood pressure have also been reported after spinal manipulation. However, most, but not all, trials suggest that manipulation produces only short-term decreases in blood pressure in hypertensive people.
Last Review: 05-11-2011
Copyright © 2011 Aisle7. All rights reserved. www.Aisle7.net
Learn more about Aisle7, the company.
The information presented in Aisle7 is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Self-treatment is not recommended for life-threatening conditions that require medical treatment under a doctor's care. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2011.
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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