Natural Hypertension Remedies

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a growing health problem in today's fast-paced society. Stress, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle are some of the reasons why hypertension occurs. Typical treatment for hypertension involves prescription medications, but these can have some negative side effects. These medicines can also create long-term problems. Luckily, hypertension has a very long list of natural remedies, most with no side effects.

Dietary Changes

• Many cases of hypertension are associated with poor eating habits. Fatty foods, fried foods and salt are all hypertension culprits. Try cutting back on fast food or anything fried. Replace these unhealthy foods with low-calorie fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, chicken and fish. By eliminating salt from your cooking and ceasing to add salt to your food, you can cut out a good portion of your salt intake. Avoid eating salty potato chips and canned food, too. These are loaded with sodium.

Lifestyle Changes

• Some lifestyle factors can contribute to high blood pressure. Stopping or changing some of these habits may help reduce problems with hypertension and get you back to a healthier blood pressure. One major contributing factor to hypertension is lack of physical exercise. Exercising gets your blood pumping, increasing circulation throughout your whole body. To be your healthiest, you should aim to get about 30 minutes of moderate exercise, such as a brisk walk, every day. Reducing the level of stress in your life also will help relieve hypertension. Try some relaxation exercises like deep breathing or quiet meditation for a few minutes every day. Alcohol and tobacco use can also exacerbate a problem with high blood pressure and should be stopped.

Herbal and Home Remedies

• Natural fixes for hypertension include herbal and homemade remedies. Fresh garlic is great for heart health and may actually help lower cholesterol and blood pressure if eaten daily for several weeks. Lemon juice, parsley, watermelon and boiled potatoes are other things you can add to your diet to lower blood pressure. Herbal treatments for hypertension include yarrow, dandelion, arjuna, guggul and linden. It is important to talk to your doctor before beginning any type of herbal treatment, especially if you are already taking blood pressure medication. You may also need to consult an herbal practitioner to find out the proper manner in which to use these herbs for hypertension.