High blood pressure, or hypertension as it’s often referred to, is one of the major preventable medical problems facing humans today. It’s created by a combination of two issues. One, the blood vessels and arteries decrease their elasticity and harden. More stress is put on the flow of blood as it moves through the cardiovascular system. And two, the left side of the heart grows thick and become less efficient at pumping blood. This improves the chance of heart attack and heart failure.

Because it IS a controllable health problem, there are a variety of approaches used to treat it. In the event of moderate to severe high blood pressure, doctors will generally recommend one of several prescription medications.

Although these approaches are effective at treating high blood pressure, they do come with complications or potential risks. These risks are usually accepted as “necessary evils” to treating hypertension and its various symptoms.

But, high blood pressure is a medical issue that can be reversed, by properly altering dietary and lifestyle habits, medicines can often be avoided.

So, here are a few of the best natural remedies for high blood pressure that work.

1. Exercise – Not that this is anything new, but it is so effective it is worth mentioning. Physical activity is one of the single best things a person can do to reduce hypertension. In fact, studies have shown that physical activity can actually reverse the damage of the heart and blood vessels that causes high blood pressure.

2. Lose Weight – The simple fact is, if the heart is pumping blood through a larger mass, it will work unnecessarily hard. This ties in well with step 1, exercise.

3. Reduce Fat and Sodium Intake – In fact, this is probably the most important step besides exercise to naturally reducing blood pressure. Fried and Processed foods alike have a high concentration of salts and fats, and these are two very large contributing factors to high blood pressure. Change out these types of foods with fruits and fresh veggies. Leafy greens are particuarly important.

4. Drink Plenty of Water – Water is essential for every function of the body, especially the cardiovascular system. Drinking a lot of water guarantees the body has enough H20 to properly digest and get rid of all the extra plaque, cholesterol, and other dangerous compounds that can harm the heart or arteries, causing an increase in hypertension.

5. Take a Vitamin – Best to make sure it has magnesium, calcium, and potassium in it. essential nutrients have been proven in several independent studies to be a component of reducing blood pressure.

6. Try herbal supplementation – There are many natural or herbal remedies that have been proven to effect blood pressure in a good way. use garlic for blood pressure, and uncooked crushed garlic is probably a bit better than cooked garlic. Co Enzyme Q10 is another.

7. Stop Smoking – or using any tobacco products for that matter. the additives and compounds in tobacco are effective at hardening the arteries and reducing the efficiency of the cardio system. Not to mention the effect it has on reducing oxygen absorption via the lungs.

These 7 basic steps can by utilized by just about anyone to reduce blood pressure. Of course, speak with a medical practioner or doctor before trying anything, because each persons situation is unique. These steps listed here is just information that needs to be discussed with a doctor before using.