subject: High Blood Pressure Natural Treatment and Exercises for Hypertension [print this page] High Blood Pressure Natural Treatment and Exercises for Hypertension
Blood Pressure (BP) is the pressure exerted on blood vessel walls by circulating blood. Recognized levels of hypertension (high blood pressure) are a systolic level above 160 mm HG or a diastolic of 100 mm HG or more.
There are major risks associated with prolonged high blood pressure and these are coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure. Recognized levels of hypotension (low blood pressure) are systolic readings of 100 mm HG or below or a diastolic reading of 60 or below, there are no real harmful effects of low blood pressure, apart from symptoms of dizziness, loss of consciousness and blurring vision.
Foods for High Blood Pressure
Garlic: This highly-prized herb has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Science has recently caught up with ancient wisdom and shown that garlic is full of powerful antioxidants that help lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease. A recent German study examined 280 adults over a four year period. It was found that those who took garlic instead of a placebo had almost 20% less arterial plaque.
Magnesium Rich Foods such as green leafy vegetables, soybeans, potatoes, oatmeal, and most nuts in particular almonds and cashews, whole-grain bread, black eyed peas and halibut are an excellent source of fibre and are very good for maintaining low bp levels.
Potassium Rich Foods such as tomatoes, spinach, melons, bananas, apricots, oranges, avocados, prunes, apricots, milk, fish, lima beans and poultry have been found to lower blood pressure by as much as 20 points.
Calcium rich foods is the third most important nutrient found to lower BP and can be found in high dosage in the following foods: orange juice, tofu, salmon, broccoli, spinach, dairy products and cereals. When it comes to dairy products - always opt for low fat.
Dark chocolate is another great source of food to lower high blood pressure because of the flavonoids found in it, the more the cocoa it has the more effective it is.
There is supporting evidence in China that green tea can also help lower BP as can drinking plenty of fresh water. Water helps naturally flush out excess sodium and toxins.
Indian gooseberry (amla) is another effective home remedy for high blood pressure. One tablespoonful each of fresh amla juice and honey mixed together should be taken every morning.
Watermelon is another safeguard against hypertension.
Exercises
Cardiovascular Exercises: These are the type of exercises that get you breathing slightly heavy and are very good for your lungs and your heart. They include running, cycling, swimming and using machines such as treadmills and rowing machines.
Walking and Jogging: Walking is the ideal way of treating hypertension. Walking not only exercises the body but also improves blood circulation of the body. It also helps in widening the arteries. Jogging is also very good for treating hypertension.
Strength Training: This is a very important type of exercise for treating hypertension; however, this should always be done moderately as too much intensity could raise blood pressure to dangerous levels, even if only for a short while.
