What are some effective things that people with high blood pressure
have done to lower their blood pressure into a healthy range?

I am more interested in natural remedies or techniques instead of
medications. I would like to know the most effective things someone
can do to lower their blood pressure safely and naturally or
alternatively.

If there are links to case studies or testimonials from what other
people have done that really works, that would be great!

Thanks.

Hello howarya-ga!

Here is some information that you should find useful. I always love to
learn more about natural treatment for medical conditions. This answer
is not intended to substitute for the opinion of a qualified health
professional that you trust. If you have any specific concerns or
questions you should discuss them with him or her. Here is what I?ve
found.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS OF HYPERTENSION

As was mentioned in the comments here, exercise and weight reduction
are two things that can be done to naturally treat hypertension. In
2004 new guidelines were released discussing the role of exercise in
treating high blood pressure.

?The new guidelines call for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical
activity (primarily aerobic exercise, which helps get heart rates to
70%-85% of an individual's maximal heart rate, or endurance exercise
supplemented by resistance exercise) on most, preferably all days of
the week for people with hypertension. The 30 minutes can be at once
or accumulated during the day, such as in three 10-minute walks. These
recommendations are in line with national physical activity guidelines
for healthy adults issued by the CDC.?
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/83/97789.htm


Here is information from the Mayo Clinic website about how and why
exercise is beneficial in treating elevated blood pressure.

?How are high blood pressure and exercise connected? Regular physical
activity makes your heart stronger. A stronger heart can pump more
blood with less effort. And the less your heart has to work, the less
force, or pressure, that's exerted on your arteries. Becoming more
active can lower your blood pressure by an average of 10 millimeters
of mercury (mm Hg). That's the same effect as some blood pressure
medications. For some people, it's enough to reduce the need for blood
pressure medication.
If your blood pressure is at a desirable level ? less than 120/80 mm
Hg ? exercise can keep it from rising as you age. And there's more.
Regular exercise also helps you maintain a healthy weight, another
important way to control blood pressure. The caveat? You need to keep
it up. It takes about one to three months for regular exercise to have
a stabilizing effect on blood pressure. The benefits last only as long
as you continue to exercise.?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/HI00024


WebMD.com has a nice article with tips on exercising with
hypertension. It discusses effective forms of exercise, how to begin,
and some precautions for people with additional medical problems.
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/96/103776.htm

= = = = = = = =

There are a number of alternative treatments and natural approaches to
treating high blood pressure. Cathy Wong, a naturopathic physician has
these helpful suggestions.

* Diet: Maintain adequate calcium, magnesium, and potassium intake. 

?Potassium-rich foods include avocados, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew
melon, grapefruit, nectarines, oranges, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage,
cauliflower, green peas, potatoes, and squash. Foods rich in magnesium
include nuts, rice, bananas, potatoes, wheat germ, kidney and lima
beans, soy, and molasses.?

* Herbs/Nutritional Supplements: Consider garlic, Coenzyme Q10 (Co
Q10), and Hawthorn.

?There have been a number of studies examining the effects of garlic
supplements on blood pressure. Garlic appears to lower blood pressure
by 5 to 10%. It can also lower cholesterol, reduce triglyceride
levels, discourage clot formation, and promote blood circulation. A
typical dose of garlic is 900 mg of garlic powder per day,
standardized to contain 1.3% allicin. This provides about 12,000 mcg
of allicin per day. This dosage is also recommended for lowering high
cholesterol.

. . .

?Coenzyme Q10 . . . is another supplement that is commonly recommended
for high blood pressure. One double blind, placebo-controlled study of
59 men already taking blood pressure medication found that 120 mg of
Co Q10 daily for eight weeks could reduce blood pressure by about 9%
compared to placebo. A typical dose of Co Q10 is 30 to 100 mg three
times a day.

. . .

?Hawthorn is a very well known heart herbal tonic in traditional
herbal medicine. It has been used in Europe and China for centuries as
a folk remedy. It is believed to decrease blood pressure, increase
heart muscle contraction, increase blood flow to the heart muscle, and
decrease heart rate.?

* Ayurvedic Medicine

?Ayurvedic approaches often include a diet low in salt and fat, yoga
breathing exercises, and herbs such as sankhapuspi (Convolvulus
pluricaulis) and ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).?

* Lifestyle Changes: Exercise and stress management.

?Regular exercise can help to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and
decrease resting heart rate, which is a sign of heart health. Before
beginning a new exercise program, a person with high blood pressure
should consult a qualified health professional.

. . .

Mind/body techniques to help manage stress include yoga, meditation,
biofeedback, qigong, relaxation exercises, breathing exercises, and
hypnotherapy. There have been numerous studies that suggest these
techniques can effective in managing high blood pressure, in
combination with other approaches.?
http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/herbsvitaminsek/a/Hypertension.htm

= = = = = = = =

Garlic is a very popular natural treatment for high blood pressure. It
appears from a 2005 study that using fresh garlic in your diet may be
more effective than using supplemental forms.

?Allicin, the active ingredient in garlic . . ., is destroyed within
one hour of smashing the garlic. This means that garlic pills are
virtually worthless and should not be used.

Instead, when you use the garlic, compress it with a spoon prior to
swallowing it, or put it through your juicer to add to vegetable
juice. Just be careful not to put too much as raw garlic has a
powerful flavor and can cause some unpleasant surprises. A single
medium size clove or two is usually sufficient.?
http://www.mercola.com/2005/apr/23/hypertension.htm


Here is a similar article discussing the proper preparation of garlic
prior to eating it. Mincing it just before eating it seems to be the
most effective way to use garlic.
http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arc98/5_23_98/food.htm


Here is a 2005 American Family Physician article discussing treating
hypertension with garlic. It indicates that the effects seen with
garlic treatments are modest, but may be considered useful in some
patients.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20050701/103.html

= = = = = = = =

Holistic-online.com has an excellent list of resources dealing with
hypertension. They have links to sections on herbal remedies,
Ayurvedic medicine, exercise, Chinese medicine, and many others. Here
is a list of ?common sense? things you can do for hypertension.

* Eat a lean diet
* Eliminate alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco products
* Reduce your salt intake
* Exercise regularly (walking, yoga, tai chi, and other aerobic
exercises were specifically mentioned; see also
http://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Heart/hypert_exercise.htm)
* Practice yoga and deep breathing.
* Maintain a healthy weight
* Minimize stress

http://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Heart/hypert_common-sense.htm

Here is a link with an easy-to-read chart illustrating ?The Healthier
Eating Plan? for hypertension.
http://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Heart/hypert_diet-healthier-eating.htm

This link is to information about Acupressure and its use in treating
hypertension. It mentions the liver meridian as a focal point in
treating high blood pressure.
http://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Heart/hypert_acupressure.htm

See this link for a complete listing of the hypertension resources
available on Holistic-Online.com.
http://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Heart/hypert_home.htm

= = = = = = = =

Here is a list of dietary supplements and herbs used in controlling
high blood pressure.

* Essential Fatty Acids
* Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium
* Coenzyme Q10 and Coenzyme A
* Garlic 
* L-Arginine
* L-Carnitine
* Vitamin E:
* Vitamin C:
* Lecithin:
* Multi Vitamin
http://www.herbalremedies.com/hypertension.html#5

= = = = = = = =

Here is a site selling a product used to treat hypertension. It is
called High-Rite. It contains:

* Hawthorn
* Passiflora incarnata
* Guelder Rose bark
* Gingko Biloba
http://www.nativeremedies.com/highlite-aquarite-for-high-blood-pressure.shtml

= = = = = = = =

Here is a site with information about treating hypertension with
acupuncture. It tells about how a practitioner may diagnose a patient
and then develop a treatment plan.
http://www.yinyanghouse.com/chinesetheory/etiology-hypertension.html

= = = = = = = =

For a truly unique way to treat hypertension take a look at this
article. It seems the flavanoids present in dark chocolate may help
reduce blood pressure. No one is saying to eat a lot of chocolate, but
a little couldn?t hurt, right?
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3032114


Of course, you?d expect a site called Chocolate.org to pick up on this
kind of information. Like the researchers said, ?you can sin with
perhaps a little less bad feeling.?
http://www.chocolate.org/health/darkchocolate.html

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

STUDIES, ETC.

This 2004 article appeared in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension and
is called ?The Natural Treatment of Hypertension.? It reviewed natural
remedies used frequently in treating high blood pressure and then
attempted to make recommendations based upon its findings.

?The goal of this review is to evaluate the efficacy of commonly
available dietary supplements in the treatment of hypertension, using
the average blood pressure reduction achieved with the implementation
of lifestyle modifications as a standard. For this reason, the authors
focus on the antihypertensive potential of these agents rather than
pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, adverse effects, or supplement-drug
interactions. For the purpose of this review, dietary supplements are
defined as exhibiting some evidence of benefit if a systolic blood
pressure reduction of 9.0 mm Hg or greater and/or a diastolic blood
pressure reduction of 5.0 mm Hg or greater has been observed in
previously published, peer-reviewed trials. These defining limits are
based on the average blood pressure reduction associated with the
implementation of certain lifestyle modifications. Agents with some
evidence of benefit include coenzyme Q10, fish oil, garlic, vitamin C,
and L-arginine.?
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/478882


In 1994 the Journal of Hypertension published a study about using
garlic in treating high blood pressure. It states that it was still
early to recommend garlic to all patients with hypertension, but it
could be beneficial in patients with mild forms of the condition.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8064171&dopt=Abstract


In 1999, a study was performed at UC Irvine looking at the effects of
acupuncture on endorphins and hypertension.

?Acupuncture treatments have lowered blood pressure in some patients
and in certain instances have effectively treated a disorder called
cardiac ischemia, which is caused by an inadequate supply of blood to
the heart muscle cells.  The disorder can be very painful and lead to
more serious cardiovascular disorders.?
http://www.ucihealth.uci.edu/News/Releases/060399.htm


This article discusses a study performed in 2003 looking at whether or
not Tai Chi is an effective treatment for hypertension. The study
originally appeared in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary
Medicine.

?Tai Chi could decrease blood pressure and results in favorable lipid
profile changes and improve subjects' anxiety status. Therefore, Tai
Chi could be used as an alternative modality in treating patients with
mild hypertension, with a promising economic effect.?
http://www.worldtaichiday.org/LIBRARYArticles/LIBRARYTaiChiHIGHBLOODPRESSURE.html


Here is a short article discussing a study performed in 2000. It
showed that Red Ginseng is effective in lowering high blood pressure.
http://www.herbs.org/current/redginseng.htm


A 2004 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that
daily consumption of green tea or oolong tea was associated with lower
rates of hypertension.

?Investigators were surprised to find that after adjusting for all of
the lifestyle factors, regular tea drinkers still had lower systolic
and diastolic blood pressure levels (SBP and DBP) compared to non-tea
drinkers. Those who drank larger amounts of tea for longer periods of
time had the lowest blood pressure readings of any group. ?The
adjusted mean SBP and DBP values were lowest among the subjects who
drank 600 milliliters/day or more, or those who drank for 10 years or
more, compared with the other two subgroups,? the authors noted.
?Although the differences in SBP and DBP were small, these could be
significant on a population-wide basis.??
http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/archives2004/oct/10tea.html

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I hope that you find this information useful! Again, if you have
specific concerns or questions, be sure to discuss them with a
qualified health practitioner that you trust. If you have any need of
further clarification, please let me know how I can help.

Sincerely,
Boquinha-ga


Search terms:

Hypertension
High blood pressure
high blood pressure more:alternative_medicine
acupuncture hypertension 
garlic hypertension
exercise for hypertension

---

Clarification of Answer by boquinha-ga on 15 Oct 2006 21:38 PDT

Hello again!

My friend and colleague byrd-ga let me know about another good
resource for treating blood pressure naturally. Dr. HingHau Tsang
focuses on good nutrition as the cornerstone in effective treatment of
hypertension. You can see an outline of his methods at:

http://tsangenterprise.com/news9.htm

Hope this all helps!

Sincerely,
boquinha-ga

Excellent answers! A lot of helpful information! One suggestion I
would make is listing out and summarizing the top 10 things someone
with high blood pressure should do, with the most important thing
listed first. Sometimes it's easy to get overwhelmed with so much
information that people will not do anything! Thanks again!

If you are carrying any extra poundage, losing weight can make a
dramatic difference in your blood pressure. Even a ten-pound loss can
be quite beneficial. Of course, if you're already thin, this isn't the
way to go.

More Exercise (not necessarily strenuous) and keeping away from Dairy
Products are usually considered to be good places to start.

How high is high?

And what are your circumstances: Age and Sex, in particular.

I don't know about anyone else but whenever I see Pinkfreud's name my
BP goes through the roof.

Bryan

The Best way is Yoga (ART OF LIVING) Google it FROM INDIAN SITES)

People with a macrobiotic diet, as mentioned in medicalcountries.Org,
have the lowest blood pressure that I am aware of. Google Answers has
provided you with an amazing amount of information, but here is more:
Blood pressure increases with being male, African American, getting
older, smoking, eating more salt, eating meat, being overweight,
inactive lifestyle, heavy alcohol consumption, diabetes, gout, kidney
disease, oral contraceptives, other medications, being pregnant,
working long hours, being tense, and having lots of problems. Some
reduce their blood pressure by solving their problems, being less
tense, eating differently, weighting less, meditating, yoga, stopping
smoking, reducing their work schedule, eating less salt, changing
their medications, exercising, reducing alcohol consumption, making
adjustment in their life so that they are happier, and less stressed,
forgiving, paying attention to their thought processes, etc.
Information on macrobiotic diets, and blood pressure are in your
library and are available on the Internet under the listed key words.

Key words to look up more information:
Blood Pressure
Macrobiotic diet
Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure, NHLBI ( an internet link)

hi,

I have compiled some of the effective home remedies for controlling
high blood pressure which I hope might help you.

* Eat 1 Papaya on an empty stomach daily for a month. Do not eat
anything after for about 2 hours.

* Increase the intake of fruits and green vegetables in the diet. 

* Prepare a mixture by adding 1/2 onion juice and 1/2 honey. Take 2
tbls once a day for 1-2 weeks.

* Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has a tonic effect on the heart and
circulatory system. Drink the tea daily, or use lemon balm vinegar on
salads.

* Garlic helps to lower blood pressure by 5 to 10%. It can also lower
cholesterol, reduce triglyceride levels, does not allow the clot
formation, and increases blood circulation.

For more home remedies for high blood pressure, you can look for some
good educational health websites like <a
href="http://www.natural-homeremedies.com">http://www.natural-homeremedies.com</a>

Good Luck !!
Dr Maria

Thank you very much for the kind words, list suggestion and advice, 5
stars, and the tip, too! Good luck to you!

Sincerely
Boquinha-ga

I have been on the Atkins diet for over a year. My  bp was not too
high when I started, 130/72. The last time I checked it, it was
105/66.

The Atkins diet is not simple, and there is a common mistake people
make. They don't go to the Atkins Institute or even read the 1992
book. (The 2002 book leaves out a lot of stuff.)  They just cut back
on carbs, don't know there is anything else to do, then they blame the
Atkins Diet when they logically have serious problems.

So, I do not recommend Atkins for undisciplined, instant gratification
type people, you can harm yourself trying to cut corners.