Nonmedical Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

People with borderline high blood pressure can decrease their risk of heart attack and stroke by exercising more often, not smoking, losing weight, lowering their sodium intake and packing their meals with more nutrients. Some nutritionists suggest piling your plate with fruits and vegetables, whole-grain breads and cereals and even nuts and beans. Calcium, magnesium and potassium all have been found to decrease blood pressure.

Eating Right

• If your blood pressure readings are high but not serious enough to require medicine, your doctor may suggest losing weight, exercising, quitting smoking, reducing sodium and eating certain foods.
  Getting rid of that middle-age spread and adding foods rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium can lower your blood pressure. Avoiding salt and alcohol are recommended, as is stress relief.
  The American Heart Association has endorsed the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet. With 28 days of meal plans, recipes, weight loss tips and advice on eating out, the diet can lower blood pressure in 14 days, according to the authors of "The DASH Diet Action Plan."
  The book recommends eating at least three whole-grain foods daily; eating four to six servings each of both fruit and vegetables; having two to four servings of low-fat or non-fat dairy products; limiting lean meats, fish and poultry to two and a half servings or less; eating nuts, seeds and legumes, such as beans, three to six times each week; and limiting fats and sweets to two to four servings, or even less than two, daily.
  Because getting that many fruits and vegetables may be tough to stomach, you can also down heaping helpings of foods rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Potassium, Please

• Most of us don't get enough potassium in our diet. In 2008, a study in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension found that eating potassium-rich foods may help lower blood pressure. Look for recipes with soybeans, canned beans, tomato sauce and paste, beet greens, spinach, halibut, lima beans and lentils.
  While potatoes have been pushed off most menus because of the carbohydrates, they also are packed with potassium and kukoamines, a substance once found only in Chinese herbal medicine. If you're watching your carbs, eat tomatoes instead. They also contain kukoamines, but in less intensity.
  In another study of 11,000 people, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a high-sodium diet was directly linked to high blood pressure. You can buy lower-sodium salt at the grocery store and cut back on potato chips, pretzels and other salty snacks.

More Magnesium

• Find ways to add magnesium to your meals. The mineral can also help your heart, as one study links magnesium intake to a reduced risk of stroke and pregnancy-induced hypertension. The best sources include bran cereal, brown rice, almonds, hazelnuts, lima beans, spinach and milk.
  Milk also provides calcium, another mineral shown to reduce hypertension. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends 1,000 mg to 1,200 mg of calcium daily, or two to three 8-ounce glasses of milk. If you're not a milk fan, look for yogurt, cheese, tofu, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, spinach and kale.
  Stevia is a sweet herb that may also reduce your blood pressure. The herb is sold as a dietary supplement in the U.S.; it has no calories or carbohydrates and little or no effect on your blood sugar. Although it tastes sweet to most people, some think it's bitter, especially in large amounts. Some natural food stores hand out samples.
  Many healthy eaters know that omega-3 fatty acids are good for your heart. Salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel and halibut are enriched with these acids, which also may help decrease your blood pressure. If seafood isn't your thing, sample omega-3 enriched eggs, margarine or peanut butter. Or discuss taking fish oil capsules with your doctor.
  Walnuts, especially English walnuts, also have one of these acids. The acids are also present in flaxseeds and tofu, or flaxseed, walnut, soybean and canola oils.

Spice It Up

• Researchers have found that many other foods offer benefits. They include spices such as fennel, oregano, black pepper, basil, tarragon and even saffron. Garlic cloves and powder contain allicin, another ingredient that may help lower blood pressure. Spinach and other folate-enhanced foods, especially dark green, leafy vegetables; legumes; and asparagus, also pack a wallop.
  And for dessert or as a workout reward, eat a small amount of dark chocolate. Research shows it helps your blood pressure and protects your heart. The endorphins also can lift the darkest spirits.

Non-food Methods

• Stress has an impact on blood pressure, and exercise, muscle relaxation, meditation, listening to music and similar activities can all decrease your risk. The heart association suggests 30 minutes of exercise daily.
  Drinking alcohol in moderation, which means one drink a day for women and two for men, can also reduce your blood pressure. On the other hand, studies have shown that when heavy drinkers imbibe less, their blood pressure drops. Alcoholic beverages are low in nutrients and high in calories, so dieters should avoid them.