High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most important risk factor for premature death, accounting for half of all deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and 13.5 percent of all deaths each year. 

Thus,  keeping your blood pressure under control is one of the most important things you can do to extend your lifespan.

Recent research suggests that even “high normal” blood pressure (120–129 / 80–84 mmHg) increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 46% on average.

Making the problem worse, studies have shown that drug therapy for “high normal” blood pressure and even mild hypertension is not effective. A large review of randomized, clinical trials performed by the prestigious Cochrane Collaboration found that anti-hypertensive drugs used to treat mild hypertension (140–159 / 90–99 mm/Hg) did not reduce disease complications or the risk of death.

But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. Like most other chronic diseases, high blood pressure is caused by a mismatch between our genes and the modern diet and lifestyle, characterized by processed and refined foods, sedentary behavior, chronic sleep deprivation, a lack of sun exposure and excess use of caffeine, alcohol and tobacco.
If you have “high-normal” blood pressure or mild hypertension, here are three recommendations for decreasing your blood pressure naturally.
Diet

• Sugar. Increased consumption of sugar is associated with high blood pressure, and reducing sugar intake has been shown to lower blood pressure.
• Potassium. High dietary intake of potassium is associated with lower blood pressure.
• Cold-water fish. DHA, in particular, is very effective at reducing blood pressure.
• Magnesium. A high dietary intake of magnesium has been shown to reduce blood pressure, though its effect is not as strong as what is observed with potassium. Nuts, seeds, spinach, beet greens, and chocolate are the highest food sources of magnesium. Magnesium’s effect on blood pressure is magnified when combined with increased potassium intake. In fact, increasing potassium and magnesium intake together while moderately reducing sodium intake can lower blood pressure as much as a single medication.
What about salt? We’ve been told for years that a high salt intake is one of the primary risk factors for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, but it’s time to shake up the salt myth. Though some studies do suggest that restricting salt can lower blood pressure, the evidence supporting a connection between salt intake and cardiovascular disease is weak at best. What’s more, some evidence suggests that restricting salt too much may be harmful to our health. There’s no strong evidence that reducing salt intake below one and one-half teaspoons is beneficial.
Lifestyle
There are a number of steps you can take in terms of behavioral and lifestyle change to lower your blood pressure. These include:
• Weight loss. Excess body fat can raise blood pressure, and reducing it can lower blood pressure.
• Exercise. Endurance exercise, strength training, high-intensity interval training and simply moving around more during the day have all been shown to significantly reduce blood pressure.
• Sleep. Both short sleep duration and poor sleep quality increase the risk that you’ll develop high blood pressure. (
• Sunlight. Exposure to ultraviolet light increases the production of a chemical in our bodies called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a powerful vasodilator; it helps our blood vessels to relax, which in turn lowers blood pressure.
• Meditation. Several studies have shown that meditation can be effective for lowering blood pressure, possibly via its relaxing effects on the nervous system.
• Deep breathing. Deep breathing is part of many traditional practices such as yoga, qi gong and certain forms of meditation. Even short periods of deep breathing have been shown to modestly lower blood pressure, and using deep-breathing techniques over weeks to months may lead to long-term reductions in blood pressure. Research suggests that three to four fifteen-minute sessions per week of deep breathing are sufficient to have this effect.
• Biofeedback. Biofeedback, the process of becoming aware of the body’s physiological functions, has been shown to effectively reduce blood pressure, with no side effects or risks.
First get your weight loss, exercise, sleep and sun exposure started. Then choose either meditation, deep breathing, or biofeedback and stick with it for a month. You’ll be amazed at the results.
Supplements
Several supplements have been shown to be quite effective for lowering blood pressure. In fact, research suggests that when combined together, diet and lifestyle changes and supplements can be even more effective than drug treatment.
Here’s a list of the supplements you should consider:
• CoQ10. Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that plays an important role in protecting the heart. Levels of CoQ10 decrease with age and are lower in patients with diseases that are characterized by inflammation and oxidative stress, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. At doses of 100–225 mg per day, CoQ10 reduces systolic blood pressure by 15 mgHg and diastolic blood pressure by 10 mgHg.
• Garlic. Clinical trials have shown that garlic supplements have a modest but significant impact on blood pressure in people with high blood pressure, with an average reduction of 8.4 mmHg (systolic) and 7.3 mmHg (diastolic).
• Magnesium. Magnesium taken in supplemental form at doses of 500–1,000 mg/d over an eight-week period has been shown to significantly reduce blood pressure.
• Vitamin C. Vitamin C has been shown to modestly reduce blood pressure and improve arterial health in clinical studies.The recommended dose is 1,000 mg a day.
• Potassium. Potassium may help reduce blood pressure. The main dietary sources of potassium are starchy vegetables like potato, sweet potato and plantain, fruits like banana, and some species of fish, like halibut, rockfish, and salmon.

You’ll find that your doctor can soon reduce and even stop the antihypertensives they are giving you. What’s more, you’re saving yourself from developing the complications of high blood pressure. In a safe, easy and natural way!

Be Healthy.