8 tips for reducing your blood pressure naturally
Discover some simple measures for reducing your blood pressure (and therefore your risk of developing cardiovascular problems).
Quick reminder: what exactly is blood pressure?
The human heart acts as a pump, distributing blood to organs around the body. For this to function correctly, the blood pumping through arteries needs to be maintained at a certain force. This is referred to as ‘blood pressure’.
As a result of various factors (age, excess weight, smoking ...), too much pressure can sometimes be exerted on artery walls. Elevated blood pressure can cause weakening of the blood vessels, increased heart fatigue and the onset of various cardiovascular problems.
As a general guide, a normal blood pressure reading is considered to be 120/80 mm of mercury (mmHg): 120 is the systolic pressure (the pressure when your heart pushes blood out) and 80 is the diastolic pressure (the pressure when your heart rests between beats. Elevated blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher if taken at the doctor’s surgery, or 135/85mmHg if taken at home.
Discover now our 8 tips to help lower your blood pressure.
Some foods to avoid
Start by taking a look at your diet. Avoid salt where possible, as consuming too much can cause the body to retain water, leading to an increase in blood volume and a consequent rise in blood pressure. Salt can be replaced in cooking by herbs and spices. Watch out too for ‘hidden’ salt which is used abundantly in processed foods...
Avoid liquorice. It’s high in glycyrrhizin, a substance which increases sodium and water retention and thus causes a rise in blood pressure.
Eat less food high in unhealthy fats, such as sausages, ham, pâté … and cut down on alcohol . Finally, reduce your consumption of stimulants (tea, coffee ...), which increase the heart rate and elevate blood pressure (1).
Take exercise to lower your blood pressure
Physical activity helps to control blood pressure by aiding weight loss, relieving stress and making the arteries more flexible (2).
So put on your trainers and head off for a daily 30-minute walk, go jogging, do some gardening, use your bike to pick up your groceries from the local shops ...
The benefits of potassium on blood pressure
While our diets tend to be too high in salt and sodium, they’re often too low in potassium. Yet this excellent mineral is known to help maintain normal blood pressure(3).
You’ll find potassium in foods such as cumin seeds, tomato puree, ground ginger, and at higher concentrations, in potassium supplements (such as Potassium bicarbonate).
Keep stress at bay and improve your sleep
Stress, anxiety and sleep problems are also major factors in increasing blood pressure (4).
So it’s a good idea to try yoga or meditation, and allow yourself to benefit from longer, more restorative, sleep. Your arteries and cardiovascular system in general will thank you for it.
Consume omega-3s
The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHAnormal blood pressure (5). But remember that the body is unable to produce them itself so you have to get them from your diet.
Omega-3s are found in mackerel, sardines, kippers, chia seeds ... For an effective boost to your omega-3 intake, you could also opt for a high-quality fish oil supplement (such as Arctic Plankton Oil).
The virtues of astragalus for blood pressure
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) is a plant from the Fabaceae family, which is very popular in traditional Chinese medicine. As well as being good for the body’s natural defences, it plays a particular role in maintaining normal blood pressure (6).
To benefit from astragalus’ properties, either make a herbal tea from it, or even better, take an astragalus supplement with a high polysaccharide content (such as Astragalus Extract, in liquid form that you take in drops).
Another useful plant in this respect is garlic, which supports healthy veins and blood vessels (7). Benefit, for example, from black garlic (with the supplement ABG10+®).
Do you smoke?
As you’ll already be aware, cigarettes are bad for the cardiovascular system. When you smoke, carbon monoxide enters your bloodstream. It then binds with red blood cells in the place of oxygen, potentially resulting in a lack of oxygen in the blood for which the body compensates … by increasing blood pressure (8).
What’s more, smoking exacerbates atheromatous plaque deposits in the arteries (these are essentially an accumulation of blood cells and bad cholesterol) and encourages the development of clots. Patches, apps or even hypnosis can help if you decide to give up smoking,.
Hawthorn and cardiovascular health
Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) is a small, thorny shrub, long-feted for its medicinal properties. Its flavonoid-rich leaves help, in particular, to maintain a healthy heart and cardiovascular system (9).
To benefit from a good intake of hawthorn, take an extract of hawthorn leaf such as that contained in the supplement Tensix. This synergistic formulation contains many other beneficial compounds too, including potassium, arginine, extract of celery seeds, etc.
SUPERSMART ADVICE
References
- Bazzano LA, Green T, Harrison TN, Reynolds K. Dietary approaches to prevent hypertension. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2013;15(6):694-702. doi:10.1007/s11906-013-0390-z
- Haute Autorité de santé. Prescription d’activité physique et sportive Hypertension artérielle. Septembre 2018
- Poorolajal J, Zeraati F, Soltanian AR, Sheikh V, Hooshmand E, Maleki A. Oral potassium supplementation for management of essential hypertension: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One. 2017;12(4):e0174967. Published 2017 Apr 18. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0174967
- Spruill TM. Chronic psychosocial stress and hypertension. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2010;12(1):10-16. doi:10.1007/s11906-009-0084-8
- Filipovic MG, Aeschbacher S, Reiner MF, et al. Whole blood omega-3 fatty acid concentrations are inversely associated with blood pressure in young, healthy adults. J Hypertens. 2018;36(7):1548-1554. doi:10.1097/HJH.0000000000001728
- Denzler K, Moore J, Harrington H, et al. Characterization of the Physiological Response following In Vivo Administration of Astragalus membranaceus. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:6861078. doi:10.1155/2016/6861078
- Ried K, Frank OR, Stocks NP, Fakler P, Sullivan T. Effect of garlic on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2008;8:13. Published 2008 Jun 16. doi:10.1186/1471-2261-8-13
- Ragueneau I, Michaud P, Démolis JL, Moryusef A, Jaillon P, Funck-Brentano C. Effects of cigarette smoking on short-term variability of blood pressure in smoking and non smoking healthy volunteers. Fundam Clin Pharmacol. 1999;13(4):501-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-8206.1999.tb00010.x. PMID: 10456293.
- Wang J, Xiong X, Feng B. Effect of crataegus usage in cardiovascular disease prevention: an evidence-based approach. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:149363. doi:10.1155/2013/149363
Keywords
56 Days
Reliable delivery
Reliable delivery. Good product.
Viva
70 Days
Great service
Great service
cl
71 Days
Received product promptly and its early…
Received product promptly and its early days but seems to have improved my daughters alertness.
Anandi
82 Days
Amazing
Amazing, great product!
ALEX Sinclair
85 Days
Good products and Swift handling
Good products and Swift handling
Trusted
90 Days
I trust the company's product
I trust the company's products, the quality is trustworthy and the speed of delivery is also appreciated.
NAJIB Malaah
90 Days
Good job.
This company is serious when it comes to serving it's customers. They are fast to send out the orders. Their site is great and easy. Also, they treat their return customers with great deals and discounts. Keep up the good work.
ABDULQADER Jehad
91 Days
I know frech ( level 3 of 6) and can…
I know frech ( level 3 of 6) and can read your messages, but since order are official documents I'd like to have this in english. Merci Ursula Mathes
Ursula Mathes
95 Days
I worried the delivery.
Box was intact, content correct but delivery time was 12 days. I started to worry!
VIITANEN Esa
98 Days
Supply of Chondroitin 6-sulphate
The company has provided the required product efficiently with no complications.
OldBear
99 Days
Supersmart sell a lot of interesting…
Supersmart sell a lot of interesting stuff. More than jut the usual vitamins though they do all those as well. Ordering pretty straightforward - you may need to try a couple of times to get the offers to apply but they do work. I queried something and had a fairly quick sensible reply. Postage takes a couple if days but you do get good progress information. Very well packed. Bought from Supersmart a few times and will do so again.
AT Griffin
18 Days
Entreprise sérieuse
Livraison Express Service client réactif Produits de qualité Je vous recommande Supersmart !
CIAMPI Brenda
23 Days
Incapacité structurelle à corriger une erreur de traitement de livraison
Cela fait des années que je me fournis chez Supersmart. Ces derniers temps j'ai constaté une baisse significative de la qualité de travail et d'exécution conforme des commandes permanentes. Une erreur de paramétrage du programme robotisé de livraison m'a valu 2 réceptions d'un article non commandé en lieu et place de celui qui figure sur mon espace personnel ET sur la facture émise par Supersmart. Ensuite, la succession de tickets numérotés différents pour les demandes de rectification portant sur le même sujet s'avère être une nouvelle source d'erreur et de précisions de traitement. Cela va de mal en pis, entre délai de réponse et pertinence de celles-là ... Je suis profondément déçu et inquiet : Supersmart est basé en Espagne et son centre logistique au Luxembourg, ce qui obligerait ma PJ à saisir les 2 autorités judiciaires. SUITE À LA RÉPONSE APPORTÉE PAR ANNA : Je pense que je pourrai réintroduire la commande permanente de mes articles augmentée d'un moyen curatif pour mon épouse. La morale de cela est que rien ne vaut l'humain dans l'exécution des conditionnements pour envois... et qu'il est inapproprié de s'asseoir sur des systèmes automatisés sans contrôles.
Thierry Gérard Droz
26 Days
Pueraria Mirifica / transgenre et intersexe
Transgenre (52 ans) et potentiellement intersexe au sens partiel (mosaïcisme) j'ai pris pendant 4/5 ans de la Pueraria Mirifica sans avis d'un médecin... Je suis arrivé/e à ce que je voulais ; rendre plus féminin mon aspect, arrêt des érections et des éjaculations (qui étaient déjà difficiles). Tout dépend des récepteurs hormonaux (oestrogènes) dans chaque cellules de notre corps, XX et XY et phénotypes ne veulent rien dire. J'ai une poitrine, petite, pousse système pileux ralenti. Trop tard pour ma calvitie. Reprise après une pause (20/07/2025) en me fixant 2 pills par jour pendant 6 mois.
GAYET Alexia
31 Days
Ottimi prodotti
Ottimi prodotti. Spedizioni rapide.
Enzo