Hypertension has been described as the ’silent killer’ by many as there is often no warning that you even have it. But before addressing the possible natural remedies for high blood pressure, it may be first wise to say what normal blood pressure is. There is some variation between individuals as to normal blood pressure and one needs to seek medical help to ascertain whether your blood pressure is naturally high or low, but as a rule-of-thumb, for an otherwise healthy adult the target blood pressure is 115/75 although this figure may differ slightly between health departments in different countries.

The higher figure refers to the systolic rate (in this case 115) and the lower to diastolic. Diastolic refers to the pressure in the interval between heart beats and the systolic to the maximum arterial pressure during the contraction of the left ventricle of the heart. Unfortunately, if your BP (blood pressure) is 20/10 more than the target, then you have doubled your cardiovascular risk.

There are many people out there who have a natural aversion to taking drugs, particularly as they often affect other parts of the body and can lead to some unpleasant side-effects. Yes, it is accepted that you may have hypertension because of genetics, but that does not mean you can’t do something about it. Even if you take drugs, if you want extra help to allow you to stop taking them, try some natural remedies for high blood pressure. The good news is that even small drops in your BP have a significant effect and there are a few but effective natural remedies for high blood pressure to help return you to a healthy rate.

Some of the primary natural remedies for high blood pressure include watching your diet, stress/anxiety avoidance and exercise. With regard to what you eat, please seek medical advice before taking any supplements as some can interact with other medications (garlic for example may thin the blood).

Specific supplements to avoid are ephredra, Asian ginseng and rosemary essential oil as these may raise blood pressure. Those to include are Coenzyme Q10 (which is a naturally recurring substance in the body), fish oil, hawthorn, calcium, potassium, magnesium and folic acid. The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) has been promoted by several health departments worldwide and has been advocated to improve hypertension. DASH basically includes fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, beans and nuts but limits sodium.

Looking at exercise, yoga again has been suggested to have a useful effect. More particularly, engagement in some aerobic exercises such as a moderate stroll, is well known to reduce blood pressure and walking is one of the most pleasant ways to exercise if you are able.

It probably is not rocket science to learn that stress and anxiety can increase blood pressure, so you must learn to relax. Again Yoga is useful here, as is meditation (try autogenic and biofeedback training) and tai chi are good suggestions.

I hope you have found the above natural remedies for high blood pressure useful, and a good starting point to continue your pursuit of a healthy BP. Just a few lifetstyle changes are all you need to help you along the way.