Over the Counter Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure

Being told that you suffer from high blood pressure is a scary thing. High blood pressure can put you at greater risk for cardiovascular disease and other illnesses. Depending on the severity of your high blood pressure, you may be able to avoid prescription medications by making some relatively simple lifestyle changes. Such changes will involve establishing healthy eating habits, avoiding excessive amounts or alcohol, exercising and taking some over the counter supplements. The sooner you make these changes, the sooner you should start to see a positive impact on your blood pressure.

Fiber

• Increase your fiber intake to lower your blood pressure. An important aspect of lowering blood pressure is changing eating habits. Taking an over-the-counter fiber supplement will help you feel fuller longer and thus help you reduce the amount of food that you consume.

Dark Chocolate

• Give into your sweet tooth. Believe it or not, the cocoa contained in dark chocolate has been known to have a positive impact on people’s blood pressure. During a study published in the July 4, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers at University Hospital of Cologne in Germany found that patients who ate a little dark chocolate every day lowered their blood pressure. The key is for the chocolate to contain at least 70 percent cocoa. But don't over-indulge. Gaining weight will negate the advantages of the cocoa.

Fish Oil

• Take a fish oil or flax seed oil supplement. Fish boasts power-packing Omega 3 fatty acids that have a positive impact on vascular health. This powerful nutrient can be taken in the form or a fish oil or flax seed oil capsule to give you the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acid without having to eat fish for dinner each night.

Vitamin C

• Strengthen your immune system for your overall health and to benefit your blood pressure. Take a Vitamin C supplement to keep up your health and strengthen your defenses. The healthier you are, the less stress your body will experience and the lower your blood pressure will be.

Garlic

• Add a garlic supplement to your diet to help lower your blood pressure naturally.

Chamomile tea

• Drink a cup of chamomile tea to help you unwind and de-stress from your day. A big culprit that elevates blood pressure is the amount of stress a person carries from day to day. For this reason, it is important to come up with ways to relax during the day. Drinking a hot cup of chamomile tea can help you de-stress, which may help lower your blood pressure.