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) Magnesium: It’s long been known that magnesium relaxes blood vessels and improves
arterial blood flow. That makes sense, because it’s a natural calcium channel
blocker—similar in action to a category of anti-hypertensive medication. In a recent
study, magnesium supplementation showed a modest effect on blood pressure, lowering
both systolic and diastolic readings by around two points.
2) Taurine: One of the reasons I use magnesium taurate for my hypertensive patients
is because taurine itself has blood pressure lowering effects. In a recent study,
1.6 grams of taurine lowered systolic blood pressure by 7 points, diastolic by 5
points. To get that much taurine, you’d have to consume lots of mag taurate
capsules, so consider adding L-taurine, 500 mg, 2 or 3 caps per day to your
magnesium regimen.
3) Potassium: When it comes to blood pressure, it’s not about how much sodium you
consume; rather it’s your sodium to potassium ratio.Most Americans get too much
sodium from processed foods and not enough potassium from fresh fruits and
vegetables. Potassium supplementation has been shown to significantly lower blood
pressure, particularly in African Americans.
The problem is, the amount of potassium in supplement pills is limited, for safety
reasons, to just 99 mg; Studies demonstrating potassium benefits use 1000 to 2000 mg
per day. Instead of swallowing numerous pills, consider that a banana delivers
around 450 mg; fresh-squeezed orange juice around 475 mg; an avocado offers a lower
carb alternative yielding 430 mg. A half tsp of Now Foods potassium powder provides
around 1 and 1/2 grams, but check with your doctor first if you have impaired kidney
function or are taking a medication that can cause you to retain potassium.
4) Peptides: Fish peptides derived from bonito are natural ACE-inhbitors, mimicking
the effects of popular drugs. So, too, are milk peptides derived from casein.
5) CoQ10: A must for high blood pressure; a recent meta-analysis concluded that
“coenzyme Q10 has the potential in hypertensive patients to lower systolic blood
pressure by up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by up to 10 mm Hg without
significant side effects.”
6) Vitamin D: Low D (and vitamin K) have been associated with hypertension but a
recent study failed to show that supplemental vitamin D was effective at lowering
blood pressure.
7) Olive polyphenols: Olive oil, rich in hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein, is the
business end of the Mediterranean diet’s protective effects against heart attacks
and strokes. A study showed polyphenol-rich olive oil lowered blood
pressure compared to a control intervention of refined olive oil. Olive leaf extract
supplements contain concentrated olive polyphenols.
8) Aged garlic extract: A recent study showed that a dosage of two capsules daily
containing 480 mg of aged garlic extract (Kyolic) significantly lowered systolic
blood pressure by 12 points compared with placebo—an effect comparable to many blood
pressure medications.
9) Omega 3: Fish oil can modestly decrease blood pressure. Provision of greater than
2 grams per day of EPA/DHA was required to reduce diastolic blood pressure.
10) Grape seed: Grape seed extracts (GSE) contain powerful vasodilator phenolic
compounds that lower blood pressure in subjects with the metabolic syndrome.
11) Pycnogenol: French maritime pine bark extract (pycnogenol) has potent
endothelium-relaxing effects; patients taking it were able to reduce their dosage of
blood pressure medications.
12) Melatonin: Pre-bedtime administration of melatonin (2.5 mg) has been shown to
reduce nighttime blood pressure.
13) Hawthorne: Traditionally used for heart disorders, especially congestive heart
failure, Hawthorne has also been shown to lower blood pressure.
14) ALA + ALC: The combination of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and acetyl-l-carnitine
(ALC) may ameliorate hypertension by reducing oxidative stress and enhancing
mitochondrial function in the heart and blood vessels.
15) Theanine: Anxiety and stress contribute to high blood pressure; l-theanine
provides a non-sedating, non-addictive alternative to pharmaceutical relaxants.
16) Nitrates: Dietary nitrates from beet juice, spinach and lettuce support the
production of nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator. Consumption of beet juice has
proven to have anti-hypertensive effects. Powdered beet juice and greens supplements
are said to confer similar benefits.
17) Arginine: It appears that supplemental arginine is effective in lowering blood
pressure in salt-sensitive hypertension, but is less effective in essential
hypertension.
18) Citrulline: Some believe citrulline is an even more potent vasodilator than
arginine, but studies show you’d have to take a lot (6 grams!).
19) Hibiscus tea: Daily consumers of hibiscus tea saw their systolic blood pressure
lowered by an average of 7 points.
20) Tocotrienols: Part of the vitamin E complex family, there are 4 natural
tocotrienols. In animal studies it was found that antioxidant supplementation of
gamma-tocotrienol prevented development of increased blood pressure.
21) Resveratrol: According to a recent study “The natural polyphenolic molecule
resveratrol is an interesting candidate for the treatment of hypertension, as it
mimics numerous molecular and biological effects of calorie restriction.” Results in
humans demonstrated that resveratrol augmented the anti-hypertensive effects of
medication.
22) EGCG: A meta-analysis of studies concluded that green tea lowers blood pressure
moderately.The active ingredient in green tea is EGCG.
23) Cocoa polyphenols: Diabetic subjects consuming 25 grams of dark chocolate per
day for 8 weeks achieved significant blood pressure reductions with no deterioration
in blood sugar control.
24) Pomegranate: Pomegranate juice consumption inhibits serum angiotensin converting
enzyme activity and reduces systolic blood pressure. Whether standardized extracts
of pomegranate deliver equivalent benefits is a question for further research.
25) Berberine: Noted for its anti-diabetic effects, berberine was found to reduce
blood pressure in diabetic rats.
