Are There Any Natural Remedies That Can Help Reduce High Blood Pressure?

Jan. 13, 2010 -- Question: Are there any natural remedies that can help reduce high blood pressure?

Answer:So the question is: Are there any natural remedies that can help to reduce high blood pressure? Like reducing cholesterol, the first thing to do is to take a look at the food that you're eating. Yes, food is medicine. I teach my patients to immediately eliminate the sodium in your diet. There are some foods that are very high in sodium -- like pickles, like cheese, for example, and even certain breads. So if we can decrease the sodium to approximately 1,500 to 2,000 milligrams per day, we may a see a nice decrease in your blood pressure.

In addition, blood pressure really responds to exercise. So we need, with our physician's permission, to get out there and start doing aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise will lower blood pressure. Your physician should check you for vitamin D deficiency. We know that the lower your vitamin D level is, sometimes the higher your blood pressure. Simply repleting vitamin D can improve blood pressure. The same goes for magnesium. There are some studies that have shown that magnesium supplementation, again with your physician's guidance, can help with your blood pressure. There's no substitute for diet and exercise, and these should be your first step in lowering your blood pressure.