Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

The blood circulatory system is responsible for purifying oxygen depleted blood and supplying oxygen rich blood to the body organs. In the process, blood is continuously pumped in and out of the heart, thus exerting pressure in the arterial and venous walls. Blood pressure can be defined as the force exerted by the circulating blood against the walls of the blood vessels. It is considered as one of the most vital signs for determining the overall health and well being of an individual.

Blood Pressure: An Overview

The amount of pumped blood and resistance to arterial blood flow are factors that determine the blood pressure. While assessing the blood pressure, there are two forces that are taken into consideration, namely, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. The former corresponds to the pressure exerted when the heart contracts or pumps blood to the body cells and tissues, while diastolic blood pressure is the force exerted between two beats or when the heart is at rest.

Blood pressure is measured by using a device called sphygmomanometer, with its value expressed in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). It is represented as a fraction, with the systolic blood pressure at the numerator and diastolic at the denominator. A blood pressure reading lower than 120 / 80 mmHg is considered normal, while a lower or higher figure generally implies hypotension or hypertension respectively.

Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

In the present scenario high blood pressure, also known as hypertension is a major health problem worldwide. Though the exact causes of high blood pressure are not known, medical research reveals that lifestyle or way of living contributes a lot in developing hypertension. Some of the risk factors for hypertension include age, poor diet plan, excessive alcohol intake, lack of physical activities and obesity. Following are natural ways to lower blood pressure that can be followed in order to avoid the complications associated with high blood pressure.

Maintain Weight: High blood pressure is related to excess weight or obesity. Majority of the obese people suffer from hypertension. Losing weight and / or maintaining weight to normal recommended level will effectively lower blood pressure.

Perform Physical Activity: Sedentary or less active lifestyle is a major risk factor for causing high blood pressure. Regular exercise, at least 30 minutes per day is recommended to bring down the blood pressure to normal safer levels.

Manage Stress: Scientific studies claim that stress also contributes in developing high blood pressure. Hence, managing stress by practicing healthy coping methods, like, yoga and meditation help in combating hypertension.

Consume Healthy Diet: Changing unhealthy dietary and eating habits is effective to lower blood pressure. Healthy foods to lower blood pressure include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and foods containing low fat and cholesterol.

Reduce Sodium Intake: Excess sodium content in the diet can elevate the blood pressure. Hence, cutting down sodium intake as much as possible helps in reducing the blood pressure, up to 2 - 8 mmHg. The more the amount of sodium reduced, the lower will the blood pressure.

Limit Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol, if taken in excess amount, increases the blood pressure and reduces effectiveness of hypertension medications. Considering this, it is always advisable to limit alcohol consumption in order to lower the blood pressure levels.

Avoid Tobacco: Another factor contributing to high blood pressure is the nicotine present in tobacco products. Tobacco narrows the blood vessels, resulting in hypertension. Hence, cessation of smoking and other tobacco products will greatly help in lowering blood pressure.

In addition, other natural ways to lower blood pressure are getting adequate sleep, consuming fiber rich foods and reducing caffeine intake. It is also advisable to regularly monitor the blood pressure as doing this will help in proper planning of the diet and exercise in order to control the blood pressure to normal recommended levels.