If you’re looking for ways to have lower blood pressure, the timing couldn’t be better. Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 health problem in the United States today and is also a leading cause of death around the world. One million Americans die of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disorders every year.
Here are a few surprising ways to lower your blood pressure.
6 Surprising Ways to Have Lower Blood Pressure
1. Work on Your Marriage!
Studies show happily married adults have lower blood pressure. There can be a world of challenges surrounding you, but if there is security and calm in your home, you have a place to rest your head and your heart. So go out on dates and keep that communication strong with your spouse!
Related Article: How to Increase Sex Drive Naturally
2. Eat Dark Chocolate
In one study, 18 percent of people who ate 1/2 ounce of dark chocolate daily saw a reduction in blood pressure. Dark chocolate contains flavanols, which make blood vessels more elastic (it must contain at least 70% cocoa). As if you needed any more reason to eat chocolate!
Just make sure if you’re eating chocolate for health, you’re eating the right kind. Stick to dark chocolate without any candy coating. Opt for 100% natural and organic whenever you can. Also, make sure it tastes good….otherwise, you’re not as likely to take this healthy “medicine.”
Related Article: Coffee Nutrition Facts: 7 Things You Didn’t Know
3. Adopt a Pet
Owning a pet is great for your health. Having a cat or dog can lower your blood pressure, and also improves your chances of survival after a heart attack. People who own pets tend to exercise more often, which is also a key to your heart health.
If you want to protect your life, and save another at the same time, visit your local animal shelter and adopt a dog or cat. You’ll be a lifesaver in more ways than one…
4. Take the “Heart Vitamin” CoQ10
Unfortunately, we are a nutrient and vitamin-deficient society. Taking the right vitamins on a daily basis can improve your blood pressure. CoQ10 is proven to be the strongest of the heart health vitamins.
5. Drink Alcohol… but Not Too Much
Studies show that one drink for women and two drinks for men actually lowers blood pressure by 2-4 mmHg. Just remember that if you do drink, moderation is the key.
The best drinks for your heart, and for your waistline, are those without lots of added sugars and mixers. So opt for heart-healthy wine, beer, or liquor without lots of extras added.
Related Article: 6 Reasons Beer is Good For You
6. Do Mind-Body Exercise
Meditation, yoga, and tai chi are all excellent forms of mind-body exercise that are great for your heart. When you are relaxed, the body produces more nitric oxide, which is a powerful vasodilator and lowers blood pressure.
The Takeaway
These 6 simple ways you can have lower blood pressure – being in a happy marriage, eating dark chocolate, having a pet, taking CoQ10, drinking alcohol in moderation, and doing mind-body exercises. So if you want to live long, and well, start doing some of these today.
*************
Dr. John Martin is the medical director of the Heart and Vascular Institute at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland and founder of the Heart Health Foundation and its Dare to CARE program. Dare to CARE screenings are responsible for the detection of the early stages of the disease in many unaware citizens. To date, the program has screened more than 40,000 patients.
Featured photo by tokyosucks
3 comments
Dear Dr Martin, how can you state these elements of fairly dubious research and not mention the much more recognized roles of weight loss, stopping smoking, reduced salt and increased exercise (as control for blood pressure).
At the very least we are obliged to mention them and that they have a much bigger effect with more trials and better evidence basis.
Sorry to critique it but I see too many patients with poorly controlled BP to let this pass.
Dr Damian Fogarty, Nephrologist @DamianFog
PS: My conflict of interest is that my mother died with AMI after poorly treated HTN for years in 70s-80s with less insight than you and I have now!
Hi Dr. Fogarty,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I am sorry about the loss of your mother. This article was by no means intended to be a comprehensive list of steps for reducing blood pressure, but simply a list of some lesser-known tips that people might find surprising, as the headline notes. We want to advance the conversation beyond losing weight, stopping smoking and increasing exercise. By doing this and adding some new and out of the box suggestions, we may spark the interest of those who don’t listen to the very common, and very necessary steps you have mentioned.
Best,
Dr. John Martin
Stop eating wheat and his derivatives and not only pressure, but a lot of others issues will fix without med. Wheat modification by Norman Barlaug in the 80 is the main culprit for most of high blood pressure disease. I advice to read Dr Davies blog Wheat belly on the subject, here you will find a lot of people cured simply going gluten free.
Comments are closed.