Nutrition and Diet for Hypertension

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements for Hypertension

Exercise for Hypertension or High Blood Pressure

TREATMENT

If you are diagnosed with high blood or hypertension and you were prescribed by your doctor medicines to control you blood pressure. Ask if you could first try non-drug approach by combining dietary change, exercise and alternative remedies. Then try these for your self.

Crunch the veggies and dump the meat . Throughout all researches done in the 1980s and 1990s. It was found out that vegetarians are healthier and have lower blood pressures than those who are meat lovers. Eating a lot of veggies can lower blood pressure and can contribute to the prevention of other diseases and health disorders such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and several cancers.

Cut on that salt. Salt or sodium chloride tends to make our body retain more fluid. More fluid doesn’t necessarily mean you have more blood. Having excess body fluids circulating in our body in one way or another may contribute to an increase of high blood pressure.

Based on a study conducted by the National High Blood Pressure Education Program, an average American needs only about 2,000 milligrams of salt per day. But Americans consumes more than the limit of about twice the amount.

To actively reduce your salt intake and also your high blood pressure, read the labels of the food you take. Steer away from processed foods, canned soups, frozen diners, snack foods and fast foods. Better for you to start developing your taste buds to adjust to blander taste.

Consume more potassium. Potassium is a mineral that helps to control your blood pressure level. If suspected develop high blood pressure consume foods that are high in potassium and low on sodium. You may try to eat more bananas, potatoes, apples and carrots.

The “C” factor. Vitamin C rich foods can help lower high blood pressure. Make sure that what you are eating is rich in vitamin C. This includes broccoli, bell pepper, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, strawberries, and citrus fruits.

Calcium can also help in controlling your high blood pressure. Calcium has somewhat a complicated effect on our nervous system, hormones, and blood vessels. Having a good level of calcium in our body is found to shield us from developing high blood pressure. Eat a lot of calcium rich diet – green leafy vegetables, tofu, salmon, sardines, shrimp and feast on those nonfat, low fat dairy products.

Another important mineral that has an effect in lowering high blood pressure is magnesium. Magnesium plays a vital role in the muscle tone of our blood vessels. This has a relaxing effect to the blood vessels, which helps to reduce the blood pressure.

The Omega 3 Factor. Omega 3 is known to cut cholesterol levels in our blood. This helps in lowering the blood pressure and generally improves blood circulation. Foods that are rich in Omega-3 are fresh water salmon, mackerel or herring.

Another compound called 3-n-buty phthallide can lower blood pressure dramatically. A small amount of 3-n-butyl phthallide has been found in laboratory animals can lower blood pressure to as much as 12%. This also lowers the cholesterol level as well. 3-n-butyl phthallide can be found in celery. To improve your blood pressure, crunch about 4 celery stalks per day.

Avoid those sweets. Several studies have suggested that table sugar or sucrose raises high blood pressure considerably. If you have high blood pressure, definitely sugar is not for you. To satisfy that sweet tooth of yours, try sinking your teeth to a healthier sweet fruits which by the way contains a different kind of sugar called fructose.

As has been mentioned above, maintaining a good level of minerals in our body may actually lower our blood pressure. So when you drop by at your local health or drug store, look on the labels of those vitamins and mineral supplement and look for those that contain potassium, magnesium, calcium and vitamin C. Be though careful when taking in potassium, too much potassium may do have some side effects, if you are not sure about the safe level you can take in consult your doctor. On the way out, don’t forget to drop by at the fish oil section. Grab one that contains Omega-3 fatty acids. When taking vitamins and minerals supplements, be sure to read and follow the instructions given in the labels.

Exercises can help lower high blood pressure by making us trim and slim. Studies have shown that people who adapted to regular exercises after having high blood pressure have a dramatic improvement in lowering their high blood pressures.

Exercise also helps in reducing stress, which oftentimes contributes to high blood pressure. By engaging in a regular physical activity of exercise, such as walking, you actually stimulate the release of our body’s natural tranquilizers, called endorphins. That’s why exercise feels calming. If you are already in high blood pressure medications, exercise can reduce your dosage intake. It is recommended that you do at least a daily half-hour endurance-building exercise. Or a more physical 1-hour session three times a week.