How to Lower Blood Pressure - Five Top Tips

How to lower your blood pressure

Five top tips to avoid or reduce high blood pressure:

1. Cut down on salt – eat no more than 6g a day (a teaspoon). Around 70 per cent of the salt in our diets has already been added to the food we eat, so watch out for hidden salt in bread, cereals, processed meats, cheeses and ready meals.
Can lower BP by 2-8mmHg
2. Eat at least five, ideally seven to nine, portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Can lower BP 7mmHg or more
3. Be as active as you can – even moderate physical activity like brisk walking, five days a week, will help get your pressure down.
Can lower BP by 4-9mmHg
4. Find and reach your ideal weight.
Can lower BP by 5-10mmHg per 10kg lost
5. Keep an eye on alcohol – no more than 2- 3 units a day for women. One medium glass of wine (175) is equal to 2 units.
Can lower BP by 2-4mmHg

A guide to blood pressure levels

What is "normal blood pressure"?

Less than 120/80mmHg – blood pressure is at the ‘optimal’ level so follow a healthy lifestyle to keep it that way

121/81 – 129/84mmHg – blood pressure is ‘average’ and you would benefit from lowering it

130/85 – 139/89mmHg – blood pressure is on the ‘high side of normal’ and should be lowered

140/90mmHg or above – if readings are consistently at or above this level you have ‘high’ blood pressure, take action now to lower it .

Lower blood pressure herbal remedies, garlic, hawthorn - alternative treatments

“Limited and inadequate evidence is available to support the use of garlic, herbal and other complementary medicines to lower blood pressure.”

This is the conclusion of the British Hypertension Society Guidelines 2004 when asked for a statement regarding herbal remedies.

The fact that herbal remedies are natural does not guarantee that they are safe.

Many country dwellers favour such remedies in the same manner as opting for a land rover when other more modern and effective methods are now available.

You should be very careful about taking herbs to treat your high blood pressure. They should not be used in place of conventional treatments and if you do decide to take them as a supplement to your regular medication, you should tell both your doctor and your herbalist about the other medicines you take. Some herbs can interact with conventional medicines and may be harmful.

Will hawthorn products lower my blood pressure?

Hawthorn is an country-folk remedy for many cardiovascular issues. There's little evidence of real benefit and none that hawthorn helps to lower blood pressure.

Can eating lots of garlic lower blood pressure?

In the absence of large, properly controlled experiments and studies of garlic that show that eating lots of garlic can lower blood pressure. Whilst garlic supplements aren't recommended to take to help lower high blood pressure, using it in your cooking as a flavouring can help you reduce the salt and help your low sodium diet!