5 WAYS TO DECREASE YOUR

BLOOD PRESSURE
Without Medications

Laurie Marbas, MD, MBA

5 Ways to Decrease your Blood Pressure

Many of my patients have hypertension, or high blood pressure. In America, if you are over the
age of 20, you have almost a 1 in 2 chance of having high blood pressure given 46% of
Americans have it. Some more interesting facts about hypertension.

• The number one risk for death worldwide is hypertension.

• It kills 9 million people, worldwide, annually.
• It increases the risk for heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, and
aneurysms.
• It is second only to cigarettes for preventable causes of death.
• It is the second leading cause of kidney failure (34%), following diabetes.
• A systolic blood pressure (the top number) greater than 115 is thought to be the single
most important determinant for death in the world today.

You may be wondering what exactly is high blood pressure? First of all, there are two numbers
to consider: the top number is the systolic blood pressure, and the bottom number is the
diastolic. The blood pressure is the measurement of the pressure exerted against the artery
walls during a heart contraction (systole) and between beats when the heart is relaxed
(diastole).

The categories of hypertension are important to know as then you will understand the severity
of your own high blood pressure.

Category Systolic Blood Pressure Diastolic Blood Pressure

Normal < 120 <80
Elevated 120-129 <80
Stage 1 130-139 80-89
Stage 2 > or = 140 > 90

Beyond medications you may be wondering if there are ways to decrease your blood pressure.
Luckily there not only several things you can do every day but some of these lifestyle
interventions are more potent than medications. Below you will see 5 things you can do today
to decrease your blood pressure.

1. Eat high nitrate containing foods that convert to nitric oxide in your body. Nitric oxide
is a powerful vasodilator (expanding the opening of blood vessels) that will decrease
your blood pressure. It is also an additive effect, meaning the more and longer you eat
them the more the benefit.
o Arugula o Beets and beet greens
o Rhubarb o Cilantro
o Basil o Butter leaf lettuce
 o Mesclun greens o Oak leaf lettuce
o Swiss chard

2. Eat 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily. In one study hypertensive patients with a
starting systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mmHg responded to flaxseed with an
average decrease of 15 mmHg. The magnitude of this decrease is as good or better than
many drugs. 1

3. Get moving. Regular aerobic exercise reduces blood pressure of 5-7 mmHg among those
with hypertension decrease risk of cardiovascular disease up to 20-30%. Similar to a drug
you can be “prescribed” an exercise prescription following the FITT principle:

Frequency: How often? For aerobic exercise, 5-7 days per week, augmented by
resistance exercise 2-3 days per week and flexibility exercise 2-3 days per week.

Intensity: How hard? A moderate level of intensity for aerobic exercise that causes
obvious increases in heart rate and breathing. For example, not being able to complete
a full sentence if attempting to speak.

Time: How long? At least 30-60 minutes of continuous aerobic exercise or 3 to 6, 10-
minute sessions dispersed throughout the day.

Type: What kind? Any type of aerobic that will engage large muscle groups, hold your
attention, and that you will enjoy so that you will continue. Examples include walking,
swimming, hiking, biking, or dancing. For resistance training, using more muscles in
compound movements will be more beneficial. Aim for 2-4 sets with 8-12 repetitions in
each set.

4. Remove added salt from your diet. Sodium causes water retention which in turn causes
the blood pressure to rise. Sodium also causes arteries to stiffen, decreasing the blood
flow. Instead of adding salt to a meal try upping the variety and number of spices in your
food. You may find a tasty new combo. It only takes about 2 weeks for you to stop
craving salt and your heart and arteries will thank you.

5. Drink one cup of hibiscus tea with each meal. This tart red tea has been found to
decrease systolic blood pressure as much as 6 points.2 Also be sure to rinse your mouth
after consuming it due to the acids possibly damaging your tooth enamel.

Finally, a word of caution. Lifestyle interventions can be extremely powerful. If you are
currently taking blood pressure medications, you will want to monitor your blood pressure
regularly and let your doctor know if you feel dizzy or suddenly tired. Blood pressure
consistently under 120/80 could indicate a need for medication reduction. (If you need a plant-
based doctor check out http://plantbasedtelehealth.com)

When I was reading all of the science in preparation for this blog, I found myself being pulled
towards the kitchen. So, I created this flaxseed rich recipe just for you. I hope you enjoy it.

Blueberry Banana Flaxseed Bread

What you need:

4 TBS of ground flaxseed mixed with 6 TBS of warm water (allow to sit for at least 5 minutes)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup chickpea flour (can use all-purpose flour if you prefer)
1 tsp of baking soda
4 mashed overripe bananas
½ cup maple syrup
1 cup apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries
½ cup of pecan pieces
½ tsp cinnamon

What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. (whole wheat flour, chickpea flout, baking
soda)
3. Mix the wet ingredients. (mashed bananas, maple syrup, apple sauce, vanilla)
4. Mix the dry and wet ingredients until well mixed.
5. Then add in blueberries, pecans, cinnamon.
6. Cook for 50-60 minutes. It will be ready when you can stick a butter knife or toothpick
into the bread and it comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes prior to cutting or serving.

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Reference:
1. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.113.02094 Hypertension. 2013;62:1081–1089
2. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. tea lowers blood pressure in prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults. J Nutr.
2010;140(2):298-303.