Try it with chocolate: Five ways to lower blood pressure

People with high blood pressure in the medication prescribed: for example, ACE-inhibitors, diuretics or beta-blockers. These lower blood pressure and protect against complications such as stroke and heart attack. But they also have side effects. So ACE cause inhibitors often irritating cough. Beta-blockers may lead to heart rhythm disorders, and sleep problems. Many patients are therefore looking for Ways of the high blood pressure without medication to get.

In fact, there are various strategies to lower blood pressure in a natural way. What? How do they work? And how well?

1. With herbs instead of salt

If you eat something Salty, the salt in the bloodstream. The body, however, is anxious to keep the salt concentration in the blood as constant as possible. Therefore, he to the dilution water in the blood stream. As a result, the volume of blood and thus the pressure with which it flows through the veins will increase.

In order to create space for the increased blood volume and therefore reduce blood pressure, dilate the blood vessels. In addition, the kidneys excrete more salt. This is the body’s own strategies for blood pressure regulation to work , however, is not for everyone. Many people (particularly in hypertensive patients) are not sufficient, the blood pressure of a salt-rich to normalize meal again. You should therefore try your salt intake limit.

However, salt helps poorer nutrition really in the long term against high blood pressure? Scientists from the research network Cochrane Collaboration have considered a few years ago in a large overview of study with this question. They analyzed 22 studies involving a total of around 1,000 people had participated. It showed: subjects, the four weeks of less salt to be taken, as otherwise, could

  • your systolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg (millimeters of Mercury) and
  • the diastolic by 3 mmHg lower.

Conclusion: Every person responds differently to salt. Therefore, salt reduction is not all alike. Generally speaking, a salt is recommended in the diet nevertheless. According to the German society for nutrition should a day not more than six grams of salt to take, so about a teaspoon. (Note: Numerous finished foods, such as meats and sauces contain a lot of salt!)

2. Sports

Physically active people fall ill, according to studies, significantly less likely to have high blood pressure. Because Sport contributes to the fact that the heart remains healthy. Anyone who moves at least three Times per week for 30 minutes, does his heart and his vessels some Good. But helps physical activity even with existing high blood pressure?

In fact, studies have shown that regular exercise has a positive effect on blood pressure. In the best case, the values to 10 mmHg lower. How big the effect is, however, depends, among other things, of the individual’s hereditary predisposition, and the type and intensity of the movement.

Recommended , especially endurance sports such as Jogging, Cycling, Swimming and walking, which is the heart in motion. If it beats faster and more blood by the body pumping, the blood pressure initially easy. But then, the blood dilate vessels and the vascular resistance drops, causing the blood pressure drops. In the long term, the effect of these operations, the blood vessels become more elastic. This allows you to regulate the blood pressure and a healthy level.

Conclusion: Sport is an effective remedy for high blood pressure. However, is the movement not as an Alternative to drug therapy, but as a Supplement. Hypertensive patients should have their blood pressure before the beginning of the exercise set. Also you should check with your doctor to discusswhich sports they are recommended and how often you should exercise.

3. Slimming

Obesity is one of the most important risk factors for hypertension. The connection is based on a complex Interplay in which-among others-the messenger substance Insulin is involved: It helps the body cells, glucose.

Many people who are Overweight, the cells respond less and less sensitive to Insulin. Your body produces more Insulin to lower the blood sugar level. Insulin acts on a specific Region in the brain (the Hypothalamus), the various important processes in the body regulates the blood pressure.

In addition, detrimental to a permanently elevated insulin levels in the kidney and causes this is less salt to be eliminated. As a result, the salt content of the blood and the blood volume and increases blood pressure rise.

Fortunately, the parties Concerned may make these processes quite simple to counteract – by slimming: In a survey study, found researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration found that there is already a weight loss of four kilograms can be enough to

  • the systolic blood pressure by 4.5 mmHg and
  • to lower the diastolic by 3 mmHg.

Conclusion:in Whom it is possible to have a healthy weight to reach and to hold, does his cardiovascular System is undoubtedly something Good. And not only the blood pressure drops when you lose excess weight. Also type 2 Diabetes, often in conjunction with high blood pressure occurs, often alone, by losing weight relieve or even cure.

4. Eat dark chocolate

Wait: lose weight and eat chocolate? How do they fit together? Probably pretty good. Although dark chocolate is just as many calories as the full cream milk variant. Those who eat too much of it, is increasing. However, since dark chocolate does not contain as much sugar as bright varieties, and other sweets that makes them so addictive. You eat so automatically less of it.

Add to that dark chocolate , certain substances (called Flavonoids) contains, according to the studies, may have a slight blood pressure lowering effect have.

Conclusion: people with hypertension it can help, instead of candy, small amounts of dark chocolate with a high cocoa content to eat. (Even better: drinking chocolate from hot water, pure cocoa powder, a dash of milk or plant milk and a little sugar. First, it is possible to dose the sugar even, second, it has chocolate from a cocoa longer something as of a piece.)

5. Stress

Stress promotes high blood pressure. So far, however, is not clear, whether it be through relaxation techniques such as Yoga or Meditation over the long term can reduce. Researchers from the Institute for quality and efficiency in health care (IQWiG) and the University of Graz studies devoted to this question in 2011, an overview of the study. They analyzed 16 studies in which subjects, methods for coping with stress learn.

Actually rails the techniques a small influence on the blood pressure of the participants to have their diastolic blood pressure increased slightly. The systolic blood pressure value is not changed, however. And on the whole, the studies are not of great significance, because the groups of Subjects to different put together, were Just some of the suffered from a pathologically increased blood pressure, the Rest had already for the beginning of the study normal values.

Conclusion: Whether and to what extent relaxation methods in the long term against high blood pressure help, is not sufficiently explored. Plausible it would be. Not alone because Stress has a direct influence on the blood pressure, but also because the cardiovascular System suffers indirectly, in psychological stress: Who is the stressed duration, often tends to unhealthy lifestyle habits such as Smoking, moving less and eating too much – three important risk factors for hypertension.

Sources

Selected questions and responses to salt. Online information of the German society for nutrition: www.dge.de (retrieval date: 4.9.2019)

Online information of the German heart Foundation: www.herzstiftung.de (retrieval date: 4.9.2019)

Blood pressure in a natural way lower. Online information of the German heart Foundation: www.herzstiftung.de (retrieval date: 4.9.2019)

Blood pressure without drugs lower. Online information of the Institute for quality and efficiency in healthcare (IQWiG): www.gesundheitsinformation.de (status: 8.5.2019)

10 ways to control high blood pressure without medication. Online information from the Mayo Clinic: www.mayoclinic.org (status: 9.1.2019)

Ried, K., et al.: Effect of cocoa on blood pressure. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, No.: CD008893 (April 2017)

Boutcher, Y. N., et al.: Exercise intensity and hypertension: what's new? Journal of Human Hypertension, Vol. 31, No. 3, P. 157-164 (March 2017)

Last content review: 04.09.2019 last Modification: 28.01.2019

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