Simple Steps That Can Help You Lower High Blood Pressure at Home

Whenever you go to the doctor for a checkup, you constantly get your blood pressure checked. Then the expert tells you numbers that are quite difficult to understand – what could those mean?

While it may sound unimportant, a high blood pressure poses great health risks that could lead to an aneurysm, stroke, and heart attack. If you have been told that you have a 130/80 mmHg, then you better try these natural ways to lower that number:

Munch on Dark Chocolate

Many people would irk at the sight of this sweet treat simply because they feel it can make them gain weight but the dark variety is actually the healthiest among its kind. The flavonol content improves blood flow and relaxes blood vessels thereby lowering your blood pressure.

Dark chocolate has flavonols that can aid in the reduction of blood pressure

While experts have yet to pin-point how dark the cocoa needs to be, some say that the higher the percentage, the more beneficial it is. Needless to say, you shouldn’t depend on this dessert entirely to really lower your blood pressure but if you’re craving something sweet, then this is the best option.

Stop Overworking

Clocking in 40 hours of work per week is already tiresome all the more if you perform job-related tasks after office hours. Just 60 minutes over that total time increases your chance of developing hypertension by a whopping 17 percent, a study showed.

Overworking can increase your chance of developing hypertension

Of course, we really can’t avoid overtime as much as we want to, so experts advise us to leave the office at a decent time, which will still leave you a period to cook or to work out. When at home, do not take work-related e-mails or messages as much as possible.

Meditate

Whenever we’re under extreme stress, our bodies release hormones adrenaline and cortisol, which are responsible for high blood pressure. To lower it down, practice meditation, yoga, slow breathing, tai chi, or qigong.

If you are new to this kind of relaxation, spend five minutes in the morning and evening just breathing in and out.

Avoid Coffee

Yes, some people find coffee to be relaxing while others couldn’t bear to finish a cup. Studies have been quite divisive, too.

Coffee can stay in your system for up to three hours

However, just a cup or two (about 200 to 300 mg) of caffeine could elevate your systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 8 mmHg and 6mmHg, respectively. Plus, it lasts about three hours in your system.

Drink Tea

Here’s where things get fuzzy: tea and coffee both have caffeine but the former could actually lower your blood pressure. One study found that those who consumed three cups of hibiscus tea a day greatly reduced their blood pressure.