Lower blood pressure with garlic, fish oil, and CoQ10

Yes, garlic can help to lower blood pressure. Which is a good thing because I love garlic and use it all the time in salad dressings and pasta sauces.

(More on how to lower blood pressure with garlic below.)

If garlic really isn’t your ‘cup of tea’ it’s available in a convenient supplement form. You can get garlic capsules that come with the benefits of natural garlic but without the delicious taste and aroma that some don’t care for.

Coenzyme Q10 – a useful supplement

Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is a supplement that is getting popular lately as a supplement that can help reduce blood pressure levels.  It’s a powerful antioxidant and can help with migraine headaches too. Sometimes it is combined with hawthorn to increase its effectiveness.

I take hawthorn tincture every morning but haven’t tried CoQ10 yet. If anyone has noticed good results from Coenzyme please leave a comment.

Fish oils for lower blood pressure

Then there’s fish oil which is good for reversing high cholesterol or lowering blood pressure.  Fish oil helps to lower levels of the ‘bad’ kind of cholesterol (high density lipoprotein), which is good. Fish oil also contains DHA which helps the brain function properly, as well as lowering blood pressure. I take two capsules of cod liver oil (1100 mg in total) every morning.

Key vitamins and minerals for lower blood pressure

Calcium, magnesium, and potassium also help lower high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels.  Calcium also strengthens bones and teeth, while magnesium (they say) helps maintain your sense of calm and well-being.  Keeping adequate potassium levels in your blood is essential to balance the salt levels and keep your blood pressure down.

Folic acid (a B vitamin) is also important to help maintain healthy blood pressure levels and good cholesterol levels.  As well as helping to lower blood pressure, folic acid reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. It can also promote better memory function. I can remember all this because I usually take a folic acid supplement at least one a week.

And of course – exercise…

On top of this healthy lifestyle of good food and supplements be sure to get some exercise. Go for a walk, stretch those muscles, smell the roses, say hi to your neighbors.

Here’s a little secret: Often I feel lazy. I don’t feel like exercising. But I force myself to get out there for a walk anyway. And you know what? Once I’m out there I really enjoy it and am glad I’m out.

Don’t let the thought of exercise put you off. Do it anyway and you’ll be happy you did. You feel better, more relaxed, and your blood pressure will only come down because of it.

Take care all,
Simon

Lowering your blood pressure with garlic – and many other easy home remedies

Update 2016: I’ve now produced a book, with my partner Alison, to guide you through the process of lowering your blood pressure naturally. We decided to create this book in order to make lowering your blood pressure simple – no more trawling the internet for bits and pieces of information – now everything you need to know is laid out for you in one place.

The book is in the format of nine steps, each of which is laid out in a straightforward easy-to-follow manner. You can take each step at your own pace – one a week, one a month – and improve your health to lower your blood pressure gradually and effectively.

There are so many things you can do to help lower your blood pressure without medications. As well as garlic, there are numerous other natural foods and drinks which affect blood pressure, and these are discussed in the guide.

The guide also covers the many different kinds of activities you can do which are also very effective for healthy blood pressure. These don’t involve being a yoga freak or gym warrior. In fact, one kind of exercise can even be done from the comfort of your couch!

And last, but certainly not least, the guide looks at the range of practices and techniques you can start to keep your stress levels down and relax more deeply – and lower your blood pressure this way too 🙂

Here’s a short excerpt from the guide on how to lower your blood pressure with garlic:

As well as warding off vampires, garlic can also protect you from high blood pressure. A substance called ‘allicin’ has taken much of the credit for this, but the sulphuric compounds which give garlic its distinctive smell, are now thought to contribute to its beneficial effects.

These benefits include protecting the lining of the arteries, relaxing blood vessels, and thinning the blood (so it can flow more easily, with less risk of clotting). Garlic may also help lower ‘bad’ cholesterol levels.

Studies show eating garlic or garlic supplements can lower blood pressure by 7-8%. Garlic has been used in various medicine systems through the ages. It’s antiseptic and strengthens the immune system and has found to be helpful in preventing and recovering from colds, and protecting against some cancers.

Aim to use at least a couple of cloves a day – more if you can.

Garlic works well with onions, as well as on its own and can also be used in a huge variety of dishes. Eating garlic raw is even better for you and you can use it in salads, salsas, salad dressings, dips, or even pickle it!

Garlic has to be chopped or crushed to activate many of its beneficial compounds, but these degrade quite quickly, especially with heat, so wait till the last minute before chopping/mincing the garlic.

There are also some delicious garlic-based recipes – but you’ll have to buy the book to read these!

Click here for more information (you can also download a sample chapter): Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally – The Complete 9 Step Guide