How to Lower Your Blood Pressure Without Meds—Simple Tips That Really Work

We all know that keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range (below 120/80 mmHg) is crucial for heart health—after all, high blood pressure is one of the top risk factors for heart disease. But maintaining healthy blood pressure doesn’t just protect your heart. It can also reduce your risk of dementia, diabetes and kidney disease. Even more surprising: a study in Hypertension Research found that reducing elevated blood pressure may cut the risk of hearing loss by up to 47 percent. Here’s how to lower your blood pressure quickly and naturally with the best science-backed tips. 

How to lower blood pressure: 7 easy tips

First things first: What’s considered a high blood pressure reading? High blood pressure (hypertension) is anything above 130/80 mmHg. This is the stage in which your risk of heart disease and other health problems starts to noticeably rise. You can keep an eye on your readings with regular doctor visits as well as home blood pressure monitors.

Aside from the basics like eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol and getting regular exercise, there are simple steps you can take to help lower your pressure if your numbers are elevated. To get started, give these heart-healthy strategies a try:

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Sip a glass of orange juice

Love drinking OJ in the morning? That’s a smart habit for people with high blood pressure. A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that drinking two cups of orange juice daily spurred significant reductions in systolic (top number) blood pressure within 12 weeks. 

And in a report published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the strategy lowered diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure in four weeks. The reason: Oranges and their juice are high in a compound called hesperidin, which fights the inflammation that can cause blood pressure to climb.

Wellness

Eating Broccoli and Kale Lowers Blood Pressure in Just Two Weeks, Study Says

The health benefits of vegetables are seemingly never-ending. Veggies are generally low in fat and calories and a source of important vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Rounding out a healthy diet with sufficient vegetable intake can also help ward off diseases, and a new study is pointing out one specific group of vegetables that lower […]

Reach for these veggies 

Upping your intake of cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and kale can lower both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure in as little as four weeks. So say researchers reporting in the journal BMC Medicine, who found the effects in people who enjoyed 300 grams (about 3-1/3 cups) of the veggies daily. Experts credit compounds such as nitrates and glucosinolates found in crucifers with helping blood vessels relax and widen. 

Dance to some music

Looking for a fun way to lower your blood pressure? Enjoy an impromptu dance break! A recent Japanese study reveals that dancing can lower your systolic blood pressure by 13 points while reducing your diastolic pressure by 10 points in six weeks—and all it takes is 10 minutes a day. The blood-pumping exercise you get from dancing keeps your blood vessels supple. Plus, moving your head up and down while dancing blunts the activity of angiotensin II, which increases blood pressure by constricting vessels. 

Consider an olive leaf supplement

A study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research reveals that olive leaf extract (OLE) can manage your blood pressure naturally. Study participants who took 1,000 mg of OLE daily for eight weeks lowered their systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 13 and 4 points, respectively. Experts explain that polyphenol compounds in the extract exert a similar action on blood pressure as ACE inhibitors, prescription drugs used to treat hypertension. One to try: Swanson Olive Leaf Extract 500 mg.

Enjoy hibiscus tea

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A blood pressure-lowering eating plan doesn’t have to be boring. Simply relaxing with two 12-oz. glasses of tangy, fruity hibiscus tea daily lessens the odds of hypertension by 65 percent. And if your BP is already a little high, it’ll lower it by as much as 13 points, Tufts University scientists say. That’s because natural fruit acids in hibiscus act like artery-relaxing ACE inhibitors.

Wellness

Does Exercise Lower Your Blood Pressure? See Which Workouts Are Best

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle usually involves a balanced diet, regular physical activity, stress management and getting quality sleep. But when it comes to keeping your ticker in tip-top shape, managing your blood pressure is essential. This raises the question: Can exercise lower blood pressure? The simple answer is yes—consistent movement helps keep your heart strong […]

Look for flowers

Lilies, roses, sunflowers…there are so many flowers in bloom in local parks, nature preserves and even your own garden. And just taking a few minutes to pause and admire their beauty can help lower your blood pressure, according to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology. This healthy lifestyle habit can also help reduce stress and eliminate negative emotions, the study authors report. 

Soak your feet

Sounds too simple to work, but regularly soaking your feet in a basin filled with warm water can help lower your blood pressure. In fact, a study published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine found that herbal foot baths helped reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.