Have you ever wondered why every doctor’s visit starts with a mandatory blood pressure check? There’s a good reason high blood pressure, ominously called ‘the silent killer,’ has far-reaching health consequences! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)(1), high blood pressure was a primary or contributing reason for the death of more than 4,10,000 Americans in the year 2014. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor your blood pressure on a regular basis.
Blood pressure is typically measured in two numbers – systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Most people tend to focus only on the top number or the systolic blood pressure. But the largely-overlooked diastolic blood pressure is important, too.
In fact, elevated diastolic blood pressure could put you at a higher risk of developing elevated systolic blood pressure. How then can you keep diastolic blood pressure in check?
Check out these natural remedies to lower diastolic blood pressure and keep your overall blood pressure levels within the normal range.
If you are suffering from obesity, try to achieve a healthy weight. Increased body weight increases your risk of developing high blood pressure.
Check with your healthcare practitioner to determine what your ideal body weight should be. If your body weight is higher than normal, try to follow a healthy eating plan and engage in more physical activity.
Daily exercise can lower diastolic hypertension significantly. Exercise not only helps to improve the health of your heart, but it also encourages the arteries to dilate more readily and pump blood more efficiently.
The first step to start getting more physically active is to set specific and achievable goals. Try to engage in some form of physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day.
When you are stressed, your body produces a surge of hormones that can cause your blood pressure to spike up temporarily. These temporary spikes in blood pressure can damage your heart, blood vessels, and kidneys.
Practice meditation, yoga, or other deep breathing exercises. Physical exercise can also be highly effective in relieving stress.
Sleep helps your blood regulate stress hormones. Insufficient sleep, on the other hand, reduces your body’s ability to keep these stress hormones in control, leading to increased blood pressure and heart rate.
Maintain good sleep hygiene by following a regular bedtime. Avoid exposure to bright lights before bed, limit the use of stimulants such as caffeine and tobacco, and try not to nap during the day.
Eating a heart-healthy diet is extremely important for lowering diastolic blood pressure. In fact, a study published in ‘Harvard Men’s Health Watch’(2) suggests that diet can be as effective as medication in controlling high blood pressure.
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan can help you manage high blood pressure. The DASH diet emphasizes eating foods that can lower diastolic blood pressure such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, nuts and legumes, etc.
[Read: Celery for High Blood Pressure]
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Diastolic blood pressure is the reading when the heart is at rest. |
Cocoa contains heart-healthy compounds called flavonoids, which help lower blood pressure for people with hypertension.
If you want to have chocolate to lower your diastolic blood pressure, make sure that you pick dark chocolate with very low amounts of sugar and high amounts of cocoa, preferably at least 70 percent. Remember not to have more than one small piece of dark chocolate daily.
Recent studies show that hibiscus tea can effectively control high diastolic pressure. Hibiscus acts as a natural diuretic, helps to open up the arteries, and slows down the release of hormones that are responsible for vasoconstriction.
Brew about 10 grams of dried and crushed hibiscus flowers in 1 to 2 cups of water and drink daily.
[Read: Benefits of Hibiscus Leaves]
Salt is a well-known culprit of diastolic blood pressure. Salt increases water retention in the body, which puts an extra strain on your kidneys, heart, arteries, and brain, and raises your overall blood pressure.
Choose foods that are low in salt and other forms of sodium. Limit your salt intake to 2.4 grams a day.
New research(3) shows that Vitamin D has an important role to play in maintaining blood pressure levels.
The daily recommended dose of Vitamin D is 600 International Units (IU) for adults up to 70 years and 800 IU for adults over 70 years.
[Read: Vitamins for Blood Pressure]
Potassium can lessen the effects of sodium in the body and also ease tension in the blood vessel walls.
The daily recommended intake of potassium for an average adult is 4,700 milligrams.
In a meta-analysis that was conducted, researchers found that patients who took 368 milligrams of magnesium supplements daily for three months had reduced their diastolic blood pressure by an average of 1.8 mm Hg.
The recommended daily dosage for men and women who are 50 years or older is 420 milligrams per day and 320 milligrams per day, respectively.
The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil supplements are known to support heart health.
For high blood pressure, 4 to 15 grams of fish oil is recommended daily.
Calcium is another important mineral for high blood pressure. It helps to tighten and relax blood vessels when needed.
For men and women of ages 51 and older, the recommended daily dose is between 1000 and 1200 milligrams per day.
[Read: Supplements for High Blood Pressure ]
Lifestyle changes can considerably lower your blood pressure. You need to understand, however, that diastolic blood pressure alone cannot be targeted or treated. If your diastolic blood pressure is a cause for concern, you will need to try and lower your overall blood pressure.
Yes, drinking the right amount of water can help to lower blood pressure. Drinking too much water, however, can overwork your digestive system and kidneys.
Systolic blood pressure is generally considered more important as it gives a better idea of a person’s risk for developing a stroke or heart attack.
Isolated diastolic hypertension is not dangerous if you don’t have any other health issues that can increase your risk of cardiovascular problems. But you could develop higher systolic blood pressure over time.