What is hypertension?
Hypertension is an abnormal increase in blood pressure that affects 63 million Americans. Blood pressure is the force that the blood exerts against the walls of the vessels. Its values may rise temporarily after very intense physical activity or emotional stress, but after a while they return back to normal levels. The trouble starts, when the values remain high.
We suffer from hypertension when the values of our systolic pressure are equal to or greater than 140 mmHg and the diastolic is equal to or greater than 90 mmHg. This condition may have no symptoms in people suffering from it, so a periodic monitoring is very important. Today there are many devices on the market that display the values of blood pressure.
How to reduce hypertension without medication:
Reduce your weight, if you overweight. Restrict alcohol consumption. Restrict smoking or even better stop smoking. Limit your intake of coffee. Restrict the amount of sodium (salt) to 4-6 grams per day. This can be achieved by not adding salt in cooking and use garlic, onions, sage, parsley, basil, rosemary and lemon to add flavor to your food. Increase your calcium intake to at least 1 gram per day, by consuming milk or yogurt and low-fat dairy. Get a good supply of potassium, by increasing the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. High levels of potassium can protect you from this disease. Increase you physical activity (walking, cycling and swimming). Practice relaxation techniques. Ensure a sufficient amount of sleep every day.
Apart from the tips mentioned above, there are additional ways to reduce hypertension:
About 600-900 mg of garlic can help lower systolic pressure by up to 8.4 points and diastolic by up 7.3 points. What is more, according to experts from Utah University, onions (thanks to their quercetin content that is 30-50 mg per pound) can help to lower systolic pressure by 7 points and diastolic by 5. Extracts of green tea are also effective in reducing hypertension as well as cholesterol levels. Omega-3 fats can fight hypertension and reduce the risk of cardiac arrhythmia. According to research 5-6 grams per day are enough to lower pressure levels by 3.4 points (one portion of salmon contains about 3 grams). Additionally, wine may increase the levels of omega-3 fatty acids: researchers have found that two glasses of wine per day, increase the concentration of omega-3 in the blood. According to research presented at the American Society of Hypertension, just half an hour of music per day can lower systolic pressure by 3 points and diastolic by 4.
By: Nicole K. Smith
