You might also get Heart health newsletters potassium and Recovery nutrition for runners sodium after long-term pressuge. Department of Health and Loaering Services ;ressure Food quality and sourcing. What is the difference between diastolic and systolic blood pressure? Free Healthbeat Signup Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox! What is blood pressure? Try to: cut your salt intake to less than 6g 0. Blood pressure medications: Can they raise my triglycerides?

Lowering high blood pressure -

In addition to dairy, you can get calcium from collard greens and other leafy greens, beans, sardines , and tofu. Here is a list of calcium-rich plant-based foods. Bottom line: Calcium-rich diets are linked to healthy blood pressure levels. You can get calcium by eating dark leafy greens, tofu, and dairy products.

Some natural supplements may also help lower blood pressure. Here are some of the main supplements that have evidence behind them:.

Read more about supplements for high blood pressure. Bottom line : Researchers have investigated several natural supplements for their ability to lower blood pressure. Magnesium is an important mineral that helps blood vessels relax. Some studies have suggested that getting too little magnesium is linked with high blood pressure, but evidence from clinical studies has been less clear 41 , Bottom line: Magnesium is an essential mineral that helps regulate blood pressure.

It can be found in a wide range of whole foods, including legumes and whole grains. Long-term lifestyle changes, such as reducing salt intake and managing stress, are the best way to bring blood pressure down. An immediate way to reduce stress is to get active, stretch, and practice deep breathing.

A small study found that people who drank an additional two bottles of water on top of their usual daily intake experienced decreased systolic blood pressure. However, more research is needed to support this finding. While medication is one way to treat the condition, there are many natural techniques that can help, including eating certain foods.

Read more about foods that help lower blood pressure. Managing your blood pressure through the methods in this article may ultimately help you lower your risk of heart disease. Read this article in Spanish. Coffee can affect blood pressure in different ways.

Learn more about coffee's effects on blood pressure and whether people should be drinking it…. Low blood pressure is not usually an emergency. However, if it co-occurs with certain other symptoms, a person may need to contact a doctor. Low blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke.

Sudden drops in blood pressure can also cause transient ischemic attacks or ministroke. People can reduce their blood pressure in ways including diet, exercise, and medication. Find out how long it takes to lower blood pressure here.

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Medically reviewed by Dominique Fontaine, BSN, RN, HNB-BC, HWNC-BC — By Kerri-Ann Jennings, MS, RD — Updated on November 16, Exercise Sodium Cut alcohol Potassium Caffeine Stress Dark chocolate Lose weight Quit smoking Sugar and carbs Berries Meditation Calcium Supplements Magnesium FAQ Summary Someone may be able to lower their blood pressure in a number of ways.

Walk and exercise regularly. Reduce your sodium intake. Drink less alcohol. Eat more potassium-rich foods. Cut back on caffeine. Learn to manage stress. Eat dark chocolate or cocoa.

Try to lose weight, if necessary. If you smoke, consider quitting. Cut added sugar and refined carbs. Eat berries. Try meditation or deep breathing. Eat calcium-rich foods. Take natural supplements. Eat foods rich in magnesium. Frequently asked questions. How we reviewed this article: Sources.

Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles.

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Does coffee raise blood pressure? Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph. Low blood pressure: When is it an emergency? Medically reviewed by Jenneh Rishe, RN. Can low blood pressure cause a stroke?

READ MORE. How long does it take to reduce blood pressure? It can also lower the risk of other health problems. Get some tips on losing weight here. Restricting sugar and refined carbohydrates may help you lose weight and lower your blood pressure.

People with overweight or obesity who followed low carb and low fat diets saw their diastolic blood pressure fall by an average of about 5 mm Hg and their systolic blood pressure by 3 mm Hg after 6 months.

What is the difference between diastolic and systolic blood pressure? Is it safe to follow a no-carb diet? Increasing your potassium intake and cutting back on salt can help lower your blood pressure. A high salt intake can increase the risk of blood pressure, while reducing salt intake lowers it.

Potassium helps the body eliminate salt and eases tension in your blood vessels. High potassium foods include:. However, a high potassium intake may be harmful to people with kidney disease , so talk with your doctor before increasing your potassium intake.

Nutrition labels can help you decide which foods to eat and which to avoid. What effects does potassium have on the body? The National Institutes of Health recommend the DASH Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension as a heart-healthy option.

The DASH diet emphasizes:. What are some heart-healthy foods? Processed foods are often high in salt, added sugar, and unhealthy fats. They may lead to weight gain. All these factors can contribute high blood pressure. Foods labeled low fat may be high in salt and sugar to compensate for the loss of fat.

Fat is what gives food taste and makes you feel full. Eating less processed food will help you eat less salt, less sugar, and fewer refined carbohydrates. All of this can result in lower blood pressure. Smoking can affect your all-around health, including your blood pressure.

One study showed that nonsmokers in areas with smoke-free restaurants, bars, and workplaces had lower blood pressure than nonsmokers in areas without smoke-free policies.

Get some tips here for stopping smoking. Finding ways to manage stress is important for your health and your blood pressure.

Ways of relieving stress depend on the individual but can include:. Get some tips here for relieving stress. Cacao contains flavonoids, an antioxidant that may help lower blood pressure. These flavonoids may help dilate, or widen, your blood vessels. However, the American Heart Association notes that while eating a little dark chocolate is unlikely to be harmful, the amount a person is likely to eat per day will probably not provide enough flavonoids to produce health benefits.

Does dark chocolate have other benefits? Some herbal medicines may help lower blood pressure. However, more research is needed to identify the doses and components in the herbs that are most useful. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking herbal supplements.

They may interfere with your prescription medications. Learn more about herbal remedies for high blood pressure. Sleep deprivation may increase the risk of high blood pressure.

Tips for sleeping well include :. Get some tips on sleeping well. Fresh garlic or garlic extract may help lower blood pressure. One review found that for people with high blood pressure, garlic supplements reduced their systolic blood pressure by up to about 5 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure by up to 2.

Can you eat raw garlic? Previous studies had already suggested that consuming protein may lower blood pressure in the short term. High-protein foods include:. Anyone considering switching to a high protein diet should first speak with a doctor, as it may not be suitable for everyone.

It is also essential to balance different types of protein and to balance protein foods with other items. How much protein do you need per day? However, there is not enough evidence to confirm that most supplements can manage blood pressure.

Always check with a doctor before using a supplement, as not all supplements are safe for everyone. They may worsen other conditions or interact with existing drugs. Learn more about supplements that may lower blood pressure. A review found that consuming 30 g or more of alcohol appears to increase the heart rate for up to 24 hours.

Blood pressure, meanwhile, tends to fall for the first 12 hours but then increases. A standard drink contains around 14 grams of alcohol.

Despite the hype, drinking a lot of red wine is not beneficial for heart health, according to the American Heart Association. They suggest limiting alcohol intake to two standard drinks per day for males and one per day for females. How does alcohol affect the body? People who usually consume 1—3 cups of coffee per day are unlikely to experience a rise in blood pressure.

However, your blood pressure might go up if you consume a lot of coffee or even a small amount when you are not used to it. In contrast, high-caffeine energy drinks may increase blood pressure and, with that, the risk of cardiovascular problems.

Experts discourage the consumption of energy drinks, especially among minors with existing health conditions. If you find that caffeine is affecting how you feel, you might want to try decaffeinated coffee.

Is caffeine good or bad for health? Some research suggests that drinking milliliters ml of water within 2 hours of waking up and another ml 2 hours before bedtime may help reduce blood pressure. However, more research is needed.

How much water do you need each day? Which medications can manage high blood pressure? This will depend on the cause and any existing diagnoses you have. Sitting quietly and doing breathing exercises might help.

A person with an existing diagnosis may need to take their prescribed medication. There is a strong link between salt intake and high blood pressure, and reducing salt in the diet can help lower the risk of hypertension and its complications.

How much salt do you need each day? High blood pressure increases the risk for a number of health conditions. People can often prevent it or manage it at home through exercise, dietary choices, stress management, and other strategies.

Medications may Food quality and sourcing lower your blood Fueling for endurance sports. Many dietary and Heart health newsletters changes, such as exercising more, improving your sleep, and limiting sugar and alcohol, higy also help. High blood Bolod hypertension often bblood no symptoms but is a major risk of heart disease and stroke. A reading of — over less than 80 is elevated blood pressure. Research suggests that both aerobic and resistance exercise can help delay or manage blood pressure, and that after exercising, blood pressure may be lower for up to 24 hours after. Regular exercise means you regularly increase your heart and breathing rates. Uncontrolled high blood pressure Heart health newsletters be bllood. Lowering high blood pressure pressurs care professional can tell you Recharge Anytime, Anywhere personal target blood pressure. In many cases this will be your health care professional's first recommendation, likely in one of these areas:. Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisors. See our editorial policies and staff.

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