High blood pressure is often called ‘the silent killer’ because so many people have the condition and don’t even know about it.
By the time common symptoms such as headaches or facial flushing appear, a sufferer may have had the problem for a long time without being aware of it, and that is why it is such a dangerous condition.
Thankfully there are many ways that you might be able to effectively lower your blood pressure without having to rely on long term medical intervention or pharmaceutical aids. As it is undiagnosed in so many people, it’s a good idea for everyone to know these ‘life hack’ tips and maybe even start to put them into practice and take positive pre-emptive action.
Diet
High blood pressure is also known as hypertension, and current estimates are that one in three adults in the US are affected by the condition.
As with many other aspects of general health and wellbeing, changes to your diet can have significant effects. For instance, berries such as blueberries and strawberries have an ingredient called anthocyanin, a type of flavonoid, which has been shown to have a positive effect on high blood pressure.
Any food that contains potassium, such as a banana, can also help combat hypertension as it reduces the effects of sodium when it comes to the walls of the blood vessels themselves.
It follows on from this that reducing salt intake is at the heart of any dietary attempt to control blood pressure levels.
Many other foods might be beneficial, like watermelona, which contains the amino acid citrulline, oats for the fiber known as beta-glucan, and garlic, which can help raise nitric oxide levels in the body.
Losing weight, even just a small amount, is also one of the best ways of lowering blood pressure. In fact, shedding just one kilogram could reduce your blood pressure by around 1 millimeter of mercury (mm Hg). Maintaining a Body Mass Index (BMI) which is regarded as ‘normal weight’ will also go a long way to helping keep conditions like this at bay, as well as helping you to feel more physically fit.
CBD
Although smoking tobacco is known to have detrimental effects when it comes to high blood pressure, vaping CBD oil is proving popular with people who feel it brings them real benefits in several different ways.
CBD Luxe is one of the leaders in the field of organic CBD vape pen products. They offer the fastest way to uptake CBD into the body, meaning positive effects are produced very quickly. When eating CBD, up to 70% of the oil is lost in the liver, whereas vaping leads to 100% being absorbed into the system with no waste.
Whether it is the relaxing mental effect that many people enjoy with CBD or if there are other physical mechanisms at play, many sufferers of hypertension are finding out that there can be positive results by using this simple and cost-effective method.
The medical establishment is also beginning to get behind CBD as a way to combat high blood pressure. A recent study involving a randomized double-blind research program found a reduction in both resting BP and BP increases caused by stress. The study, which used a placebo as well as CBD oil, offers some insight into why so many people are working out for themselves that this easy to use product could play an essential role in controlling one of the most significant health issues in America today.
Exercise
The sedentary lifestyle that many of us now lead often sitting in front of a screen for hours at a time means that high blood pressure is, in many cases, caused or made worse by a lack of physical exercise.
Simply making sure that you get up and walk around your home or office at regular intervals throughout the day can make a difference. Not only for better blood pressure levels but also to guard against other ailments such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which can lead to life-threatening scenarios.
Of course, the more exercise you can get, the better it will be for your overall general health and mental wellbeing, too. Getting outdoors for a walk not only clears the mind but also has proven positive effects on reducing high blood pressure levels.
Having a more formal workout regime brings even more benefits across a range of other health and fitness-related issues. Hence, it’s always worth thinking about getting into some form of regular exercise, and it’s never too late to start!