No level of high blood pressure is a safe level. Even if your blood pressure is only nominally above normal levels you are at an increased risk of stroke, organ damage and heart attack. The health risks only increases the longer your blood pressure stays high and the higher it gets.

Fortunately there are natural ways to help reduce blood pressure levels and to prevent blood pressure from rising to dangerous levels. Studies have been conducted that show a strong positive correlation between certain diet plans and a lowering of high blood pressure - so you can eat your way to normalised blood pressure with a diet for high blood pressure!

Scientists discovered that lowering cholesterol, red meats and saturated fats in the diet and increasing fruits and vegetable and low fat milk products as well as whole grains can have a significant impact on high blood pressure. Lowered hypertension was also found when fish, organic chicken and eliminating processed sugars was incorporated into the diet.

It is important to include foods that are rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium as these are the heroes of fighting high blood pressure. Of course any blood pressure diet is going to be low in salt, as salt and sodium are the big baddies when it comes to increasing high blood pressure and hardening of the arterial walls.

The foods that are great for lowering blood pressure do not need to be sought out at specialty health food stores, they are everyday foods available in any supermarket. Calcium and vitamin D are found in skimmed milk. Together these two nutrient work in the body to lower blood pressure and have been known to see results of about 4% lower, doesn't sound like much but can make a huge difference to your life expectancy. Getting about half an hour of sun on at least 25% of your body is also crucial for vitamin D absorption.

Spinach is not just for Popeye, but is another great food for lowering blood pressure. Beans and legumes as well as seeds and nuts (unsalted of course) are also essentials. All of the above are high in magnesium and potassium, key mineral for lowering blood pressure. Making sure you get potassium through foods is really important as taking supplements can upset the bodies balance of potassium so only take supplements with your doctor's supervision.

Another trio of high blood pressure fighters is potatoes, soybeans and bananas. Potassium is important because of its relationship with sodium. Potassium and salt are inextricably bound together, if one is high the other is low, so for the sake of your blood pressure you want potassium to be high! Potassium particularly works in the kidneys, so you can avoid the risks of kidney disease or chronic renal failure associated with high blood pressure.

For the chocolate lovers amongst us, there is good news. Your favourite treat just got better. Cheers dark chocolate! Studies have shown that eating around thirty calories (about 14 grams, so not too much!) will have a positive effect on your blood pressure without causing any weight gain or other negative affect. Dark chocolate is also full of antioxidants and minerals like iron - eat it with nuts or fruit to extract the fullest amount of 'goodies' from the chocolate.

Its important to keep in mind that youdon't have to eat tasteless and bland meals to benefit your blood pressure. You will be living a healthier more active life, the benefits of which are untold, and most of all the deadly shadow of hypertension will be dispelled and you can gain control of your life once more.

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Those diagnosed with high blood pressure or who have had hypertension for some time understand the anxiety of living with the company of this silent killer. Hypertension or high blood pressure is a leading cause of heart attack, stroke and chronic renal failure, so it is no small thing to deal with.

Doing nothing is just about the worst thing you can do for high blood pressure, continuing on as normal and hoping of the best is a great way to shorten your lifespan. Popping a pill and continuing as ever is another bad option because you will be just suppressing a symptom without dealing with the cause. The first thing that should be done when looking at how to lower blood pressure is a thorough assessment of your lifestyle and to change those aspects that are leading you to hypertension.

A number of factors need to be considered when assessing the extent to which high blood pressure can be cured and prevented, namely the blood pressure level of the patient when diagnosed, their age and risk of cardiovascular disease and any changes present in organs such as the kidneys and heart. Unless there is very severe high blood pressure present, then the sufferer should try to use lifestyle changes and non-pharmaceutical options before and drugs are administered.

Managing hypertension and pre-hypertension begins with changes in lifestyle. The best chance for dealing with the disorder lies in lifestyle changes because hypertension is usually a symptom of bad lifestyle choices. Usually blood pressure medication is taken for life, so hypertensive patients should explore all natural and lifestyle options before any medications are used.

Weight should be your first place to start. Reducing weight is a key issue in dealing with blood pressure and couple with light exercise on a regular basis (such as daily walking) is the first step in overcoming hypertension. Your blood flow will be improved by regular exercise and it will also reduce your resting heart rate and blood pressure. Low intensity exercise is recommended rather than high intensity exercise when treating hypertension.

Reducing your dietary intake of salt and sugar is also very important for your blood pressure. Eating less salt is particularly important for effectively lowering your blood pressure and keeping it at safe levels. Many of the recommended dietary changes are common sense for a healthy lifestyle " eating fruit and vegetable rich foods and low fat dairy products. The effects of sodium on the kidneys can also be offset by increasing calcium and potassium consumption which will help to reduce blood pressure.

It is also extremely important to stop smoking cigarettes and drinking alcoholEnding alcohol and nicotine consumption is also extremely important. Blood pressure increases after drinking alcohol and consuming nicotine and over consumption may lead to a more severe state of hypertension. Aside from the obvious health risks associating with cigarettes, blood pressure patients are especially warned to quit because of the increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Cutting out caffeine is also recommended as its consumption increases blood pressure " it doesn't produce hypertension but it will aggravate an existing condition.

The other important factor is to reduce stress. Stress is a key factor in increasing blood pressure so learning how to relax using breathing and meditation techniques can help to ameliorate high blood pressure. High blood pressure patients should also try to recognise and reduce environmental stresses like over-illuminated areas in the home and high levels of noise.

It is important to remember that medication should be your last resort and only in dire need. You can beat hypertension naturally and stay in control of the disorder. There are many more natural remedies and cures which, combined with the lifestyle changes above, can see you say goodbye to hypertension for good.

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