The London School of Economics has warned that half of Britons could suffer from high blood pressure by 2025. According to recent statistics, one in three adults has high blood pressure but doesn’t even know it.

High blood pressure does tremendous damage to your body. The excessive pressure against your arteries and heart will steadily and seriously damage them over a period of time. Left untreated, it can cause kidney and eye damage, hardening of the arteries, heart attack and stroke and double the risk of dying from one of these conditions. Three out of 5 cases of heart attacks in women are due to high blood pressure.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Pressure Institute (NHLBPI) has stated that “Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime”. And if it is left undiagnosed and untreated, that lifetime may be cut radically short.

Unlike many other medical conditions, hypertension (high blood pressure) generally has no symptoms and people who have hypertension generally feel OK. They might be a little overweight, not exercise enough, eat too much salty food, drink heavily, smoke or have a poor diet, but other than that are fairly normal. It’s important to get your blood pressure checked to make sure it falls within the normal range, but if there aren’t any clearly defined symptoms how do you know if you have high blood pressure.

Frequent headaches, nosebleeds, vertigo (dizziness), and tinnitus (constant ringing of the ears) can very well be signs of high blood pressure but the only sure fire way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get it checked. Blood pressure measures how much the heart contracts (systolic pressure) and how much the arteries contract (diastolic pressure).

Normally optimal blood pressure is 120(systolic)/80(diastolic). A reading of 140/90 is considered to be mild hypertension, and above that figure is considered to be clinical hypertension. First, get a home blood pressure kit. This easy, reasonably priced and portable equipment, called a “sphygmomanometer” contains a blood pressure “cuff” and a measuring tool for determining your diastolic and systolic blood pressure. It is better to get an arm blood pressure monitor rather than a wrist for accuracy.

While optimal adult blood pressure has to be about 120/80, if the ‘top’ number, the systolic pressure is over 135 or the bottom, the diastolic, is over 100 you should see your doctor.

Experts suggest that intervention in high blood pressure using a variety of treatments – diet, exercise and natural remedies – should start when readings regularly exceed 120/80. Most doctors recommend that patients try to restore a healthy blood pressure level by first making lifestyle changes before considering drug options. Here are some natural ways to prevent or reduce high blood pressure:

Stop smoking:

Not only will this help keep your blood pressure in line, you’ll also diminish your risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. According to the Heart Foundation quitting is “the single most important lifestyle modification in all patients with hypertension”. Even if you don’t have hypertension (yet), quitting can dramatically reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Cigarette smoking raises your blood pressure by constricting arteries. It also damages the heart muscle and other tissues by decreasing the amount of oxygen they get

Lose the Weight:

According to the Heart Foundation, ‘weight reduction by as little as 5 kg (11lbs) reduces blood pressure in most individuals who are more than 10% over ideal weight.’ It is not hard to lose 5 kg; simply eat more vegetables and fruits, into your diet, choose fish, nuts, eggs and legumes instead of fattier cuts of meat, and reduce the consumption of sweets, white bread, pasta, potatoes and alcohol. Almost everyone will see a reduction in their blood pressure if they shed a few pounds.

Change your daily eating habits:

America has now launched a diet called DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)) which has been shown to be as good as or even better than the effects of drugs. It is now being suggested as a first-line treatment for high blood pressure. Meat is thought to be one of the main culprits and it is suggested that this is substituted with fish and an increase in fruit and vegetables. The DASH diet also limits refined carbohydrates like sugar and products made with white flour such as biscuits, bread, cakes and reduces saturated fats.

Whether or not you need to lose weight the diet recommendations below give your body the nutrients it needs to lower your blood pressure:

• Eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and oily fish and reduce the cholesterol causing foods containing saturate fat e.g., red meat and dairy.
• Emphasise foods rich in the minerals magnesium, potassium and calcium. Include: nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables, legumes, whole grains, avocados, bananas, oranges, and apples.
• Eat high-fibre foods such as whole grains and vegetables. In addition to boosting fibre, these foods contain nutrients that lower blood pressure.
• Eat deep-sea fish that are rich in essential fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. The Omega-3 Fatty acids in these fish relax artery walls reducing blood pressure. It also makes blood thinner and less likely to clot (a good tip also for economy class syndrome when flying)

Reduce the sodium/salt:

Study after study has shown that blood pressure can be lowered by reducing the amount of sodium (salt) in the diet. Salt is often used as a preservative and is added to most processed, pre-packaged foods and if you add salt when you cook, that counts too. It goes without saying that if you add salt at the table or to your cooking, cut back right now.

You’ll gradually find that when you start cutting back your taste buds adjust and you learn to appreciate the more subtle flavours that were once hidden by the over powering taste of alt. Many foods today claim to be reduced salt or low salt but this can be confusing when labels talk of sodium. To find out how much salt is in a food, multiply the sodium content on the label by 2.5. You should aim for less than 5g of salt a day. When preparing, cooking and eating your food, ditch the salt and consider replacing salt with these flavourful herbs and spices:

• Basil: Tomato-based sauces and dishes
• Bay leaf: Braised and stewed dishes
• Chives: Salads, stews, and soups
• Cinnamon: Desserts and beverages
• Cloves: Vegetables
• Cumin: Marinades, chilli, and tomato sauce
• Curry: Fish and vegetables
• Dill: Seafood, salads, light sauces, dips, and spreads
• Ginger: Stir-fried vegetables
• Lemon: Salads and dressings
• Marjoram: Fish and vegetables
• Paprika: Potatoes and fish
• Parsley: Stocks and soups
• Rosemary and Sage: Grilled fish and tofu

Exercise:

Take regular aerobic exercise for 30-40 minutes 3 times a week. Such exercise has been shown to lower blood pressure and prevent heart attacks. You don’t have to go to the gym to have a good workout going for a brisk walk, regularly taking the stairs instead of the elevator, taking a dance class, gardening, cleaning the house can all be beneficial.

Take it Easy:

Studies show that high stress may affect your blood pressure so if you think you may be at risk think of ways that you can eliminate the stressors in your life. Try to find a method of relaxation that you enjoy whether it is meditation, yoga, walking, swimming or other exercise and do it daily or at least every other day. Getting a pet may help too. Researchers from the State University of New York have shown that having a pet can protect against the effects of stress better than drugs designed to lower blood pressure.

Ease up on drinking:

Drinking alcohol excessively or binge drinking can lead to a stroke. Studies say that people who drink an excessive amount of alcohol (over two units per day) increase their risk of high blood pressure. If you’re going to drink do so in moderation limit your intake to two glasses per day.

Herbal helpers:

• Turmeric is one of the blood pressure herbs that many people already incorporate into their diet. Turmeric is common in curry dishes and you might have been already eating it on a regular basis without realising that it’s one of the blood pressure herbs.
• Ginger is another example of one of the blood pressure herbs that people often eat. Ginger adds a delicate spiciness to many foods including salad dressings and pumpkin pies. Adding ginger to your diet can directly impact the level of your high blood pressure. There is a good supplement called Boswellia Plus which contains ginger, turmeric, bilberry and boswellia.
• Garlic – this familiar cooking herb is known to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, treat infections and prevent cancer. One way to help lower blood pressure is to eat 1-3 raw, or lightly cooked, cloves of garlic a day. If you cannot stand garlic breath take it as a supplement: The one I use in the clinic is Aged Garlic which is a concentrated form of organic garlic which has been used in clinic trials to lower blood pressure.
• Hawthorn – the leaves, flowers and berries of the hawthorn are a general tonic for the cardiovascular system. Hawthorn is perhaps the best known herbal medicine used in the treatment of mild high blood pressure. It improves heart function and helps treat congestive heart failure, irregular heartbeats and angina. It lowers blood pressure by relaxing and dilating artery walls. It is the ideal herb to use in the early stages of high blood pressure.
• Reishi – Studies show that Reishi – a Japanese mushroom – lowers blood pressure and reduces “bad” LDL cholesterol. It also makes blood less likely to clot and provoke heart attacks.
• Dandelion – this familiar herb is a popular home remedy for fluid retention. By gently increasing urine flow dandelion helps to lower blood pressure. In very high doses it is a diuretic. The advantages of using dandelion are twofold – it does not cause potassium loss, and almost anyone can find fresh dandelion leaves to make a salad or make into a tea. Dosage: 2-6 cups of tea per day (simmer 1-2 teaspoons of dried leaves in ½ pint of water for 5 minutes), or 1-2 dropperfuls of tincture up to x3 a day

Dietary Supplements:

• Calcium and Magnesium – Take a combination of magnesium and calcium daily. Both these minerals have been shown to lower blood pressure. Taking a quality multi vitamin and mineral daily with vitamin B and vitamin E may also prove helpful. The B vitamins are great for stress reduction and vitamin E thins the blood, protecting it from clotting and is also a powerful antioxidant protecting fats against free radical damage.
• Co-enzyme Q10 – this vitamin-like substance is contained in nearly every cell of your body. It is important for energy production and normal carbohydrate metabolism (the way your bodies break down the carbohydrates you eat in order to turn it into energy). We can become deficient in Q10 as we get older which can result in depleted energy levels. In one randomised double blind trial patients with high blood pressure and taking blood pressure medication, were either given co-enzyme Q10 or a vitamin B complex. Those taking the Q10 had lower blood pressure and triglycerides (blood fats). Their HDL (‘good’ cholesterol) also increased and so did their levels of antioxidants vitamins A, C, E and beta carotene.

Regular neck massage can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease according to research from Leeds University which found that signals from the neck play a key role in helping the brain maintain blood pressure, heart rate and breathing when we change posture, for example when standing up. When these signals stop because the neck is still and not moving we can suffer from problems with blood pressure and balance.

In Chinese Traditional Medicine, celery is used as a cure for hypertension. It is now known that celery contains phytochemical compounds called phthalides, which not only give it its flavour but have also been shown to lower blood pressure. In lab tests, when animals were injected with 3-n-butylphthalide (3nB) extracts from celery, their blood pressure fell by 12-14%.

Studies in vitro and in animals have also shown that 3nB can lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the formation of the arterial plaques which can result in cardiovascular disease. In animal studies, 3nB has also been found to help prevent strokes and to enhance energy production in the brain, as well as to improve neurological function after simulation of a stroke.

Antioxidant celery compounds called coumarins are the focus of much current scientific research due to their potential as anti-cancer therapies. The celery seed oil extract sedanolide has, along with 3nB, been found to inhibit tumours in lab tests. Celery is an excellent source of vitamin C, which has anti-carcinogenic properties through its role as an antioxidant and is rich in folate a vitamin required to make DNA and to prevent pre-cancerous changes to it. In addition, celery is a good source of Manganese, which is important for normal central nervous system and reproduction functions; fibre, which keeps your colon healthy, preventing constipation, diverticulitis and cancer, and potassium which can also help to keep blood pressure low.