Lower Blood Pressure Naturally - Water, Potassium, and Magnesium - Keys to Lower Blood Pressure
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute adults aged 55 or older have 90% chance of developing high blood pressure if they don't already have it.
If this condition goes untreated the risk of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) increases substantially.
This can ultimately lead to kidney disease, heart failure, stroke and even dementia.
If you have a severe high blood pressure condition, meaning your reading is 160/100 or higher; you'll need medications to bring it down to a normal range, which is 120/80.
The Good News If you have board line hypertension you can lower your numbers by 10 to 20 points by making some changes to your diet.
This will require some different food choices and/or taking some supplements.
You always want to speak to your doctor before you make any changes or modify your medication dosage.
The Importance of Water Water is crucial to life and yet approximately 20% of Americans drink no water at all and 42% drink two glasses a day or less.
If your body has insufficient water this causes a decrease in total blood volume, a constriction of blood vessels and an increase in blood pressure.
The average adult requires about 100 ounces of water a day but about a third of this comes from food that's consumed.
This leaves 8 8-ounces glasses that you need to drink.
If you live in a warm climate or you're exercising heavily then you will need more to make up for the water lost in sweat.
If possible, spring water is your best choice because it is a natural source of minerals or may have minerals added.
Magnesium, in particular, is beneficial because it is an alkaline mineral that relaxes blood vessels and this helps to lower BP.
Other choices are juices or tea especially green tea.
Recent studies have shown that green tea improves blood flow and the function of the endothelial cells, which line the blood vessels.
The Sodium-to-Potassium Ratio It's common knowledge that salt, specifically sodium, can contribute to high blood pressure, however, the ratio of sodium to potassium may be more important.
Only about 15% to 25% of Americans are sensitive to sodium.
This condition causes a sharp increase in blood pressure.
While lowering sodium intake helps, increasing potassium is even more beneficial.
Potassium enters the cells easier than sodium and helps to balance the sodium in the cells.
If you don't consume or retain enough potassium the amount of sodium can increase in your blood, leading to high blood pressure.
Increasing your potassium intake will relax your blood vessels and lower your blood pressure.
Most fruits and vegetables are good sources of potassium and they are low in sodium as well.
Especially good choices are bananas, dried fruit, and squash.
If this condition goes untreated the risk of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) increases substantially.
This can ultimately lead to kidney disease, heart failure, stroke and even dementia.
If you have a severe high blood pressure condition, meaning your reading is 160/100 or higher; you'll need medications to bring it down to a normal range, which is 120/80.
The Good News If you have board line hypertension you can lower your numbers by 10 to 20 points by making some changes to your diet.
This will require some different food choices and/or taking some supplements.
You always want to speak to your doctor before you make any changes or modify your medication dosage.
The Importance of Water Water is crucial to life and yet approximately 20% of Americans drink no water at all and 42% drink two glasses a day or less.
If your body has insufficient water this causes a decrease in total blood volume, a constriction of blood vessels and an increase in blood pressure.
The average adult requires about 100 ounces of water a day but about a third of this comes from food that's consumed.
This leaves 8 8-ounces glasses that you need to drink.
If you live in a warm climate or you're exercising heavily then you will need more to make up for the water lost in sweat.
If possible, spring water is your best choice because it is a natural source of minerals or may have minerals added.
Magnesium, in particular, is beneficial because it is an alkaline mineral that relaxes blood vessels and this helps to lower BP.
Other choices are juices or tea especially green tea.
Recent studies have shown that green tea improves blood flow and the function of the endothelial cells, which line the blood vessels.
The Sodium-to-Potassium Ratio It's common knowledge that salt, specifically sodium, can contribute to high blood pressure, however, the ratio of sodium to potassium may be more important.
Only about 15% to 25% of Americans are sensitive to sodium.
This condition causes a sharp increase in blood pressure.
While lowering sodium intake helps, increasing potassium is even more beneficial.
Potassium enters the cells easier than sodium and helps to balance the sodium in the cells.
If you don't consume or retain enough potassium the amount of sodium can increase in your blood, leading to high blood pressure.
Increasing your potassium intake will relax your blood vessels and lower your blood pressure.
Most fruits and vegetables are good sources of potassium and they are low in sodium as well.
Especially good choices are bananas, dried fruit, and squash.
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