Eat Your Way To Lower Blood Pressure

In the United States today high blood pressure has reached epidemic proportions with over 65 million people suffering from high blood pressure and another 45 million showing a condition known as pre-hypertension. High blood pressure is a symptomless disease which heightens your risk of heart attack and stroke and you could very easily be suffering from it without any knowledge of it until it is too late.

There are of course medicines available which can help to lower blood pressure, but several of these have accompanying side effects and, although some people might need to take medication in the short term to lower their blood pressure, a much better answer is to seek out some natural remedies for high blood pressure if you can.

For almost all of us high blood pressure is related to diet and weight and this is a major problem today when nearly seventy percent of Americans are either overweight or obese. In addition, the majority of Americans get much too much salt in their diet and not enough of the large number of other beneficial minerals and vitamins that can act to lower blood pressure. In short, it is possible to eat your way to a normal blood pressure, if you know how to do it.

In fact, it may be possible to reduce your blood pressure quite quickly if you alter your diet and begin taking exercise. That said, if you've been sedentary for a long time you should not suddenly begin exercising vigorously and it's always a good idea to talk to your doctor before you start any exercise program.

To begin with though let us talk about some things which you should avoid and top of the list is salt. Salt is one of the chief offenders in today's epidemic of high blood pressure. Too much dietary fat is also a culprit as it promotes arteriosclerosis, weight gain, and other difficulties that lead to high blood pressure. Therefore, two things which you ought to avoid (or at least reduce) in your diet are salt and excess fat, principally saturated or trans fats.

What types of food should you have in your diet to help you in lowering your blood pressure? Well, potassium is one of the key substances that is missing in today's American diet and that is extremely beneficial to blood pressure. Potassium help to reduce blood pressure just as sodium helps raise your blood pressure and so including sufficient potassium in your diet can help to even out blood pressure.

It is very easy to get potassium into your diet by simply loading up on fresh or frozen vegetable and fruits, providing of course that they do not have any added salt or sugar. Although this may seem tasteless to some people, it's one of the best ways to ensure that you regularize your blood pressure. And of course, at the same time you also have to cut down on the salt to the daily sodium intake recommended of approximately 2400 mg a day. An excellent way to do this is not to add any salt to your diet at all because natural unprocessed foods contain sufficient salt and, if you want to flavor your food then simply try using spices and herbs.

Magnesium and calcium are two further minerals that can help reduce blood pressure. Both calcium and magnesium are considered to be calming minerals and the majority of Americans do not get enough of either in their diets. Dairy products that are low in fat are a good source of calcium as are legumes, nuts, and dark and leafy green vegetables. You need to seek to get a balance of about two parts of magnesium to three parts of calcium. Foods such as white beans, soybeans, and sesame seeds not only contain a lot of calcium and magnesium but they are also good sources of potassium.

Finally, ensure that you drink enough water and also get sufficient fiber in your diet. Fiber helps to clear toxins and unhealthy substances out of your body and it also helps you feel full so that you are not tempted to eat too much.