Reducing high blood pressure without drugs is
easier than you think
But it plays a contributing role in more than 15% of
deaths in the United States, according to a new
Harvard study. Although it causes no symptoms,
high blood pressure boosts the risks of leading
killers such as heart attack and stroke, as well as
aneurysms, cognitive decline, and kidney failure.
28% of Americans have high blood pressure and
don't know it, according to the American Heart
Association. If you haven't had yours checked in 2
years, see a doctor.
While medication can lower blood pressure, it may
cause side effects such as leg cramps, dizziness,
and insomnia. Fortunately, most people can bring
down their blood pressure naturally without
medication. First, get to a healthy weight (our free
Eat Up, Slim Down newsletter can help with that).
Then try these strategies to reduce the risk of
heart disease.
1. Go for power walks
Hypertensive patients who went for fitness walks at
a brisk pace lowered pressure by almost 8 mmhg
over 6 mmhg. Exercise helps the heart use oxygen
more efficiently, so it doesn't work as hard to pump
blood. Get a vigorous cardio workout of at least 30
minutes on most days of the week. Try increasing
speed or distance so you keep challenging your
ticker.
2. Breathe deeply
Slow breathing and meditative practices such as
qigong, yoga, and tai chi decrease stress
hormones, which elevate renin, a kidney enzyme
that raises blood pressure. Try 5 minutes in the
morning and at night. Inhale deeply and expand
your belly. Exhale and release all of your tension.
(Try these stress-busting yoga poses to relieve
tension.)
3. Pick potatoes
Loading up on potassium-rich fruits and vegetables
is an important part of any blood pressure-lowering
program, says Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, professor
of preventive medicine at Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medical. Aim for potassium
levels of 2,000 to 4,000 mg a day, she says. Top
sources of potassium-rich produce include sweet
potatoes, tomatoes, orange juice, potatoes,
bananas, kidney beans, peas, cantaloupe,
honeydew melon, and dried fruits such as prunes
and raisins.
4. Be salt smart
Certain groups of people—the elderly, African
Americans, and those with a family history of high
blood pressure—are more likely than others to
have blood pressure that's particularly salt (or
sodium) sensitive. But because there's no way to
tell whether any one individual is sodium sensitive,
everyone should lower his sodium intake, says Eva
Obarzanek, PhD, a research nutritionist at the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. How far?
To 1,500 mg daily, about half the average American
intake, she says. (Half a teaspoon of salt contains
about 1,200 mg of sodium.) Cutting sodium means
more than going easy on the saltshaker, which
contributes just 15% of the sodium in the typical
American diet. Watch for sodium in processed
foods, Obarzanek warns. That’s where most of the
sodium in your diet comes from, she says. Season
foods with spices, herbs, lemon, and salt-free
seasoning blends. (For more ways to reduce your
sodium, see 6 simple ways to lower your salt
intake .)
5. Indulge in dark chocolate
Dark chocolate varieties contain flavanols that
make blood vessels more elastic. In one study,
18% of patients who ate it every day saw blood
pressure decrease. Have ½ ounce daily (make
sure it contains at least 70% cocoa).
6. Take a supplement
In a review of 12 studies, researchers found that
coenzyme Q10 reduced blood pressure by up to 17
mmhg over 10 mmhg. The antioxidant, required for
energy production, dilates blood vessels. Ask your
doctor about taking a 60 to 100 mg supplement up
to 3 times a day.
7. Drink (a little) alcohol
According to a review of 15 studies, the less you
drink, the lower your blood pressure will drop—to a
point. A study of women at Boston's Brigham and
Women's Hospital, for example, found that light
drinking (defined as one-quarter to one-half a
drink per day for a woman) may actually reduce
blood pressure more than no drinks per day. One
"drink" is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or
1.5 ounces of spirits. Other studies have also found
that moderate drinking—up to one drink a day for a
woman, two for a man—can lower risks of heart
disease. "High levels of alcohol are clearly
detrimental," says Obarzanek. "But moderate
alcohol is protective of the heart. If you are going
to drink, drink moderately."
8. Switch to decaf coffee
Scientists have long debated the effects of caffeine
on blood pressure. Some studies have shown no
effect, but one from Duke University Medical
Center found that caffeine consumption of 500 mg—
roughly three 8-ounce cups of coffee—increased
blood pressure by 4 mmhg, and that effect lasted
until bedtime. For reference, 8 ounces of drip coffee
contain 100 to 125 mg; the same amount of tea, 50
mg; an equal quantity of cola, about 40 mg. Caffeine
can raise blood pressure by tightening blood
vessels and by magnifying the effects of stress,
says Jim Lane, PhD, associate research professor
at Duke and the lead author of the study. "When
you're under stress, your heart starts pumping a lot
more blood, boosting blood pressure," he says.
"And caffeine exaggerates that effect." If you drink
a lot of joe, pour more decaf to protect your ticker.
9. Take up tea
Lowering high blood pressure is as easy as one,
two, tea: Study participants who sipped 3 cups of a
hibiscus tea daily lowered systolic blood pressure
by 7 points in 6 weeks on average, say
researchers from Tufts University—results on par
with many prescription medications. Those who
received a placebo drink improved their reading by
only 1 point. The phytochemicals in hibiscus are
probably responsible for the large reduction in high
blood pressure, say the study authors. Many
herbal teas contain hibiscus; look for blends that
list it near the top of the chart of ingredients—this
often indicates a higher concentration per serving.
(Try your own DIY tea with these easy healing
herbal tea recipes .)
10. Work (a bit) less
Putting in more than 41 hours per week at the
office raises your risk of hypertension by 15%,
according to a University of California, Irvine, study
of 24,205 California residents. Overtime makes it
hard to exercise and eat healthy, says Haiou Yang,
PhD, the lead researcher. It may be difficult to
clock out super early in today’s tough economic
times, but try to leave at a decent hour—so you
can go to the gym or cook a healthy meal—as often
as possible. Set an end-of-day message on your
computer as a reminder to turn it off and go home.
Follow these tips to make your weekends stress-
free .
11. Relax with music
Need to bring down your blood pressure a bit more
than medication or lifestyle changes can do alone?
The right tunes can help, according to researchers
at the University of Florence in Italy. They asked 28
adults who were already taking hypertension pills
to listen to soothing classical, Celtic, or Indian
music for 30 minutes daily while breathing slowly.
After a week, the listeners had lowered their
average systolic reading by 3.2 points; a month
later, readings were down 4.4 points.
12. Seek help for snoring
It's time to heed your partner's complaints and get
that snoring checked out. Loud, incessant snores
are one of the main symptoms of obstructive sleep
apnea (OSA). University of Alabama researchers
found that many sleep apnea sufferers also had
high levels of aldosterone, a hormone that can
boost blood pressure. In fact, it's estimated that
half of all people with sleep apnea have high blood
pressure. If you have sleep apnea, you may
experience many brief yet potentially life-
threatening interruptions in your breathing while
you sleep. In addition to loud snoring, excessive
daytime tiredness and early morning headaches
are also good clues. If you have high blood
pressure, ask your doctor if OSA could be behind it;
treating sleep apnea may lower aldosterone levels
and improve BP.
13. Jump for soy
A study from Circulation: Journal of the American
Heart Association found for the first time that
replacing some of the refined carbohydrates in
your diet with foods high in soy or milk protein,
such as low-fat dairy, can bring down systolic
blood pressure if you have hypertension or
prehypertension.