Easy ways to lower blood pressure
With all that’s going on, who wants to worry about rising blood pressure? Not you! And while new Cedars-sinai research suggests that the “top number” of a woman’s blood pressure should optimally be 10 points lower than that for a man (or 110 mmhg instead of 120), these strategies are proven to deliver lasting results in minutes a day
Channel Rachael Ray
Brushed onto garlic bread, stirred into pasta, drizzled over roasted veggies—the tasty ways to enjoy extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) are endless. And Spanish research reveals getting about 4 Tbs. of EVOO in your daily diet can slash blood pressure by up to 15 points in four weeks. Polyphenols in the oil boost the production of nitric oxide, a substance that helps blood vessels dilate.
Have ‘ants in your pants’
Remember when you were little and your mom scolded you for wiggling around all the time? Turns out, that wiggling is a good thing! Australian scientists found that folks who broke up prolonged periods of sitting with 3-minute walk breaks every half-hour lowered their blood pressure 10 points. Study authors say sitting makes the heart work harder to move blood out of lower limbs, and brief bouts of moving around are all it takes to counter the effect.
Break open lusciousness
Have you ever broken open a fresh pomegranate? If so, you know how decadent those plump kernels can be. And they’re not only delicious enjoyed fresh, in smoothies or sipped as juice, they’re pressure-easing powerhouses: Research in Clinical Nutrition shows eating 1 to 2 pomegranates daily lowers blood pressure by up to 11 points in a month. Antioxidants in the juice fight the cellular stress that causes pressure to climb.
Try a deep-sea supplement
A compound called astaxanthin, which abounds in sea algae, enhances the elasticity of blood vessels and improves circulation to bring blood pressure down. So say experts reporting in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, who found that supplementing with astaxanthin daily lowered blood pressure by 11 points within eight weeks. To try: Naomi Organic Astaxanthin (Naomiw.com).