Alternative Cures for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a condition in which blood passes through arteries with too much force. Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness and kidney disease. There are many lifestyle changes that are recommended for people with high blood pressure and many prescription medicines that can be effective in lowering blood pressure, but medications can cause unwanted side effects. Follow your doctor's advice, but ask about trying alternative cures for high blood pressure.

Nutritional Cures

• Increase the amount of potassium in your diet to 3500 mg a day to flush salt from your body. Take 400 mg of magnesium and 1000 mg of calcium. Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy foods along with whole grains, fish, fruit and vegetables. The Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Lycopene in tomatoes improve the artery wall's function to lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. A 2009 Canadian study showed that protein from yellow garden peas lowered blood pressure 20 percent in rats. The protein seems to work the same way as ACE inhibitors, only without the side effects.

Natural Cures

• Coenzyme Q10 can be used to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Garlic thins the blood in the same way as aspirin and blood thinners like Plavix. Garlic supplements should be used with a doctor's direction and should be stopped a week before any surgical procedure. Extract from the herb hawthorn has been recommended by herbalists for years to reduce diastolic blood pressure, and grape seed extract helps your body produce nitric oxide to protect your heart.

Stress Reduction

• Reducing stress can lower your blood pressure. There are many techniques to reduce stress, including relaxation therapy, massage therapy, yoga, meditation, deep breathing and biofeedback. Positive memories generated by listening to peaceful music that you enjoy can reduce your blood pressure. Losing weight and exercising for at least 30 minutes a day by walking, bicycling or swimming improves your blood flow and lowers your blood pressure.

Cold Water Cure

• For more than 150 years, Europeans have been taking cold showers and swimming to control blood pressure. Studies done in Europe show that after being done for at least four weeks, cold water therapy constricts blood vessels, increases heart rate, and stabilizes blood pressure by activating the part of the nervous system that controls breathing and heartbeat. Get used to the cold water slowly, and don't try cold water therapy if your blood pressure isn't under control.

Cocoa Cure

• Researchers from Harvard claim that few residents of an island near Panama have high blood pressure because their diet includes 4 or more cups of cocoa a day. Dark chocolate, which is made of cocoa, relaxes small blood vessels to lower blood pressure. Eating two squares of dark chocolate with little added sugar each day not only lowers blood pressure; it also prevents clots from forming in the arteries.

Social Cure

• Lonely people older than 50 have blood pressure that reads 30 points higher than those who have close contact with people. Surround yourself with family members and friends. Join social clubs, church groups, or volunteer organizations to lower blood pressure.