How to lower blood pressure

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What do you know about hypertension?
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What foods can help lower blood pressure?
     Supplements that can help you
     Plants-healers

As already mentioned, you can control your blood pressure through natural means, using some foods, dietary supplements, as well as certain kinds of plants. The following products can help control blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels and improve the blood circulation and, consequently, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

1. Celery
   The Celery contains a substance called limonene, which acts as a mild tranquilizer that reduces the level of stress hormones in the blood. This helps to relax the blood vessels, which leads to a decrease in pressure.

2. Whole grains
   These may be cereals or other foods from whole grains contain all edible parts of grains of corn, oats, brown rice, rye, etc. Studies have shown that just one serving of whole grains per day can prevent high blood pressure.

3. Avocado
   Avocado is a good source of potassium - a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure. Adequate intake of potassium can prevent vascular disease, heart attack or stroke.

4. Cold-water fish
   Fish that live in the waters of the cold seas, such as wild salmon and sardines are rich in omega-3 fats, which hold the record for lowering cholesterol and improve blood circulation in the body, thereby reducing blood pressure. If you can not often eat oily fish, take omega-3 supplements in the form of standardized fish oil.

5. Berries
   According to Finnish researchers, one cup of berries a day can raise the level of beneficial HDL cholesterol and lower blood pressure by several points.

Berries (blueberries, cranberries, black currants, strawberries, raspberries and chokeberry) contain large amounts of polyphenols, which reduce the risk of heart disease. Regular consumption of berries increases the intake of polyphenols in three times. Good sources of polyphenols are also chocolates, green tea and red wine.

6. Grapefruit, beet and pomegranate juice
   Nitrates containing in grapefruit and beet juice interact with the bacteria in the oral cavity. This leads to chemical changes, which cause expansion and relaxation of the blood vessels. Pomegranate juice acts as an ACE inhibitor.

7. Red Tea
   The red tea contain flavonoids, which are proven to effectively help normalize the blood circulation.

8. Tomatoes
   Recent evidence also suggests that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial for the cardiovascular system not only because it includes a lot of fish and polyunsaturated fats but also through the use of large amounts of tomatoes and tomato paste in Italian cuisine.

Tomatoes contain red pigment lycopene, which is a very strong antioxidant, as well as other carotenoids, including beta-carotene. Lycopene is a fat-soluble substance and is best absorbed from Mediterranean dishes, as almost all of them contain olive oil.

Since the processes of regulating blood pressure include a large number of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc.), acceptance of these components in the form of dietary supplements also helps to normalize blood pressure. Far not all of these substances are available in sufficient quantities from the food.

1. Calcium and magnesium
   These two mineral substances have long been indisputable topping the list of nutrients necessary for normal blood pressure. However, make sure that you are taking these minerals in organic form and in the correct ratio of 2: 1. Otherwise, the result can be the opposite.

2. Potassium
   Adequate intake of potassium from fruits and vegetables may lower your blood pressure. Unfortunately, without enough amount of magnesium, potassium does not stay in the body. Potassium and magnesium in the correct ratio can be obtained from modern multivitamins. If there is sufficient amount of potassium and magnesium in the body, it increases the excretion of sodium and help lower blood pressure.

3. Omega-3
   Fatty acids Omega-3 can be obtained not only from a fish, but also from dietary supplements that contain high quality fish oil with standardized content of fatty acids EPA and DHA. Japanese studies have shown that high intake of omega-3 lowers blood pressure.

1000 mg of fish oil a day reduces your chances of a heart attack or stroke by 30% and helps maintain normal blood pressure.

4. Vitamin E
   People with high blood pressure should be increased daily intake of vitamin E. Studies show that gradual increase doses of vitamin E during the month may reduce blood pressure.

Daily intake 400-600 IU of vitamin E can reduce the risk of death from heart disease, including heart attacks, in women aged 65 years and older. Natural vitamin E containing gamma-tocopherol and tocotrienols, provides a higher level of protection than the synthetic form that has been used in some studies of vitamin E.

5. Vitamin C
   Recent studies have shown that vitamin C may protect against high blood pressure. The researchers found that the levels of vitamin C in the blood inversely associated with both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in young women.

Receiving 500-1000 mg of vitamin C a day improve vascular function, reduces systolic blood pressure at 9% per month and helps to prevent thickening of blood vessel walls.

6. Coenzyme Q10
   CoQ10 significantly reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure and helps the heart muscle. Receiving 100 mg of CoQ10 daily reduces muscle pain and weakness associated with taking statins, which reduce cholesterol levels.

7. Folic Acid
   Folic acid belongs to B-vitamins; it is necessary for the formation of red blood cells. Folic acid helps to lower blood pressure in some people, possibly by reducing elevated homocysteine levels.

8. Selenium
   Selenium together with vitamin E helps to maintain the elasticity of vessel walls. It also improves the endurance of the heart muscle and improves its blood supply. Without selenium, cells do not produce prostaglandins that protect against high blood pressure.

9. Chromium
   Chromium reduces fats and cholesterol levels, as well as blood pressure. It also stabilizes blood sugar and reduces insulin resistance.

10. L-Arginine
   Nitric oxide that is formed from arginine, relaxes arteries and thus provides a better bloodstream. Arginine helps in diseases related to circulatory disorders: coronary heart disease and hypertension, as well as violations of cerebral circulation.

11. 3-N-butyl-phthalide
   The daily dose of 3-N-butyl-phthalide is equivalent to four stalks of celery. 3-N-butyl-phthalide lowers blood pressure by an average of 13 percent.

12. Alfa-lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine
   Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (U.S.A.) found that these two substances together improve the function of endothelial cells in the walls of blood vessels. Alpha-lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine can help reduce damage to the mitochondria of cells and restore normal tone of blood vessels, allowing them to relax.

The study showed that people who took 200 mg of alpha-lipoic acid and 500 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine for eight weeks, the brachial artery lumen increased by 2.3%. Thus in patients with high blood pressure the pressure was reduced from an average of 151 to 142 mm Hg.

Many plants contain substances that help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improve blood circulation and prevent blood clots in the arteries. Therefore, extracts and tinctures of medicinal plants can also help in the treatment and prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system.

1. Cayenne pepper
   The active ingredient in cayenne pepper is capsaicin. It performs several functions, including reducing high blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the blood.

2. Ginkgo biloba
   Ginkgo biloba helps maintain peripheral circulation - expands the small blood vessels and reduces blood viscosity, so Ginkgo also helps to lower blood pressure.

3. Tansy
   Tansy is used for heart palpitations and also helps regulate blood circulation. Usually it is brewed as a tea.

4. Garlic
   Garlic is a star in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. It helps to reduce cholesterol levels and lowers high blood pressure. Garlic also dilutes the blood and thus helps prevent the formation of blood clots on arterial walls, especially with vitamin E.

5. Hawthorn extract
   Herbalists have long used hawthorn for heart problems such as congestive heart failure, as well as diseases of the circulatory system, and high blood pressure.

6. Mistletoe
   The extract of the young branches and leaves mistletoe helps with myocardial, stimulates blood circulation and reduces blood pressure. Do not eat mistletoe berries, because they are poisonous.

7. Algae
   Freshwater and marine algae such as spirulina and chlorella contain large amounts of chlorophyll. Studies have shown that regular use of chlorella reduces high blood pressure and prevent strokes. It was also shown that taking supplements of spirulina may reduce high cholesterol and hypertension factors for six weeks without any change in diet or lifestyle.

8. Green tea
   The daily intake of 450 mg of standardized extract of green tea (containing 70% EGCG) significantly reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. Green tea reduces the level of LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood and protects blood cholesterol against oxidation that is the first step in the development of cardiovascular diseases.

This article is for informational purposes only; It does not replace a visit to a doctor or professional advice.

This article is copyrighted by Alexander Yezovit. It cannot be reprinted without permission from Alexander Yezovit.

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