10 tips to help reduce blood pressure effectively

Half of people with high blood pressure don't know they have it, because symptoms can be hard to detect, and if left untreated, it increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Change your diet to reduce high blood pressure. Illustration: Shutter Stock

For now, if you find out you have high blood pressure, apply the 10 lifestyle changes below to improve the situation, according to Mirror.

Gym

Try to go to the gym or exercise at home for at least half an hour every day. You can also walk, jog, swim, cycle or learn to dance. Regular exercise can help prevent a full-blown high blood pressure flare-up.

Don't stress

Chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure and can easily lead to bad habits like binge drinking and heavy smoking.

Accept the things you cannot change and plan to deal with them as soon as possible. You should also practice deep breathing to reduce stress.

Adopt a magnesium-rich diet

Magnesium is a mineral that can help lower blood pressure. Studies show that people who consume more magnesium can reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke by one-third. Nuts, seeds, green vegetables and dark chocolate are good sources of magnesium.

Losing weight

As you get fatter, your blood pressure often rises. And if you are overweight, you are more likely to have sleep apnea, which is also linked to high blood pressure.

Therefore, always make sure your weight is at a healthy level.

Be careful when consuming caffeinated beverages.

Caffeine can cause a short but significant increase in blood pressure. You may want to consider cutting back on caffeinated beverages if you are sensitive to it.

Reduce salt now and always

Adults should not eat more than 6g of salt per day (equivalent to one teaspoon of salt). People over 50 years old, people with diabetes and kidney disease are more sensitive to this spice. Limit the use of processed foods and remember to taste the food before adding salt.

Sunbathing

While many people believe that sun exposure can cause skin cancer, scientific studies have also found that exposing the body to sunlight for the right amount of time can bring many benefits to the body through abundant amounts of vitamin D.

A study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that people in the UK are more likely to die from heart disease in the winter than in the summer. The reason is thought to be that there is less sunlight in the winter, so natural vitamin D levels are lower.

Additionally, people's cholesterol levels also increase in winter due to lower vitamin D levels, according to research in the Lancet journal.

Give up bad habits

Do you smoke? Each cigarette you smoke raises your blood pressure for several minutes after you take the last puff. If you can, quit smoking as soon as possible to help your blood pressure return to normal.

Eat healthy

You should eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and avoid saturated fats and foods high in cholesterol.

Drink less

Binge drinking can raise blood pressure and cause weight gain. However, consuming small amounts of wine or beer each day can help reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

According to TNO