High blood pressure vitamins to help control hypertension

If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure or hypertension, that does not mean you have to take antihypertensive drugs for life. By adopting a healthy lifestyle and fulfilling proper nutrition, you can still control blood pressure and prevent complications of hypertension in the future. Apart from the food you consume, meeting nutrients for the body can be through high blood-lowering vitamin and mineral supplements.

Although not the main thing, this vitamin and mineral supplement can be an option for you to help lower blood pressure. Then, is it true that certain vitamin and mineral supplements can help reduce your hypertension? What vitamins and minerals can be used to control hypertension?

Various minerals and high blood-lowering vitamins

Vitamins and minerals are nutritional components that are important in your body's metabolism. When minerals, such as sodium and potassium, are not available in sufficient or even excess levels in the body, this condition can be a risk factor and a cause of hypertension.

To meet the needs of vitamins and minerals, you need to adopt a healthy diet. For people with hypertension, these nutritional needs can be met through the DASH diet guide. However, if you are still deficient in certain vitamins and minerals even though you have implemented a healthy diet, supplements may be needed.

Then, what are the vitamin and mineral supplements that can be consumed to reduce high blood pressure? Here are the options for you.

1. Potassium

Potassium or potassium is an important mineral component needed to control blood pressure. This mineral helps reduce tension on blood vessels and balance the amount of sodium (from salt) in the body so that the heart and blood pressure are kept under control.

Reporting from Blood Pressure UK, the kidneys play a role in controlling blood pressure by filtering blood and removing excess fluid through urine. This process takes advantage of the balance between sodium and potassium in the body.

If the consumption of excess salt and potassium in your body is not enough, the kidney function in removing fluids will be disturbed. The excess fluid in the body can cause an increase in blood pressure.

For that, you need to eat foods with high potassium if you have a history of hypertension. If needed, vitamin and mineral supplements that contain potassium can be an option for lowering your high blood pressure. Consult with your doctor whether you need to take potassium supplements or just enough from multiple foods.

However, in general, this potassium supplement is needed by people with hypertension who are taking diuretic drugs. This is because diuretic drugs, such as hydrochlorothiazie, cause potassium in the body to come out with urine.

In addition, several other conditions can also cause a person to become deficient in potassium, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or consuming excessive alcohol. As for alcohol is one of the causes of hypertension, especially in essential or primary types of hypertension.

However, you also need to be careful about taking potassium supplements, especially if you have kidney problems or are taking ACE inhibitor drugs. In patients with kidney disorders, too much potassium can cause a buildup of potassium in the blood or hyperkalemia. If not treated immediately, hyperkalemia can cause arrhythmias or disturbances in heart rhythm,

Consume sufficient potassium according to the advice of your doctor. As an illustration, adult men are recommended to consume 3,400 mg of potassium a day, while for adult women it is 2,600 mg per day. However, for those aged over 50 years, the recommended consumption of potassium is 4,700 mg per day.

Apart from supplements, you can meet your potassium needs from fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, avocados, potatoes, spinach, and other high blood pressure foods.

2. Magnesium

Other types of vitamins and minerals that you can consume to reduce high blood pressure are magnesium. Magnesium is needed by the body to produce energy, healthy bones, and reduce tension in blood vessels so that it can prevent high blood pressure.

In fact, a study published in the journal Hypertension in 2016 found that magnesium supplements can lower blood pressure. The study showed that someone who took a magnesium supplement with a dose of 368 mg for three months experienced a decrease in systolic blood pressure of about 2 mmHg and diastolic by about 1.8 mmHg.

However, researchers emphasize that the effect of this magnesium supplement may only be felt in someone who is indeed deficient in magnesium from their diet. Therefore, if you have hypertension, you should first consult with your doctor whether you need to take magnesium supplements.

However, just like potassium, this magnesium supplement can be given to people with hypertension who are taking diuretic drugs. The reason is, the effects of diuresis that arise due to the consumption of diuretic drugs can result in the removal of magnesium from your body.

In addition, magnesium deficiency is also more common in the elderly. Therefore, older people are advised to consume more magnesium than younger people.

Reporting from Oregon State University, adult men aged 19-30 years are recommended to consume about 400 mg of magnesium per day, while for women as much as 310 mg. As for men over 31 years old, it is recommended to consume 420 mg of magnesium per day, while for women as much as 320 mg per day.

Meanwhile, tolerate the consumption of magnesium supplements per day, which is 350 mg per day. However, you should ask your doctor about the limit for consuming this supplement according to your condition. The reason is, someone with certain medical conditions, such as kidney problems, is at risk when taking magnesium supplements.

Apart from supplements, you can get magnesium from the foods you eat, such as green vegetables, whole grains, and nuts.

3. Calcium

Another type of high blood-lowering vitamin and mineral that helps relieve symptoms of hypertension is calcium. In addition to healthy bones and teeth, calcium can also relax blood vessels so that blood flow is smooth and blood pressure is maintained.

In people with hypertension, calcium can affect narrowed blood vessels so that already high blood pressure can decrease.

However, it is important for you to know that excessive calcium consumption can actually increase your risk of developing heart disease. Therefore, Dr. Randall Zusman from the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center suggests that you should get calcium from food rather than supplements.

It is recommended that you consume 1,000 mg of daily calcium per day. For the elderly, namely over 51 years for women and over 71 years for men, it is recommended to consume 1,200 mg of calcium per day.

Consumption of calcium for people with hypertension can be obtained from milk and dairy products, fish, and green vegetables. However, you need to remember to consume low-fat or non-fat milk and dairy products, because the high fat content can also make your hypertension worse.

If you feel that you are not getting enough calcium from food, you can consult your doctor whether you can take calcium supplements or other high blood-lowering vitamins.

4. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

Coenzyme Q10 (C0Q10) is a compound that your body produces naturally. These compounds help the body convert food into energy and function as antioxidants in the body.

With regards to blood pressure, the antioxidant properties of CoQ10 can help reduce oxidative stress by increasing the availability of nitric oxide in the body. The nitric oxide plays a role in relaxing the walls of your arteries. When nitric oxide is reduced, you are at risk of developing narrowed blood vessels, which can increase blood pressure.

This has also been proven through research published in the Journal of Human Hypertension. The study found that taking CoQ10 has the potential to reduce systolic blood pressure by 17 mmHg and diastolic up to 10 mmHg in hypertensive patients, without any significant side effects.

Therefore, CoQ10 is recommended as a vitamin and mineral that reduces high blood pressure, especially for those who have low levels of CoQ10 in their bodies. Low levels of CoQ10 are generally found in people who have a history of heart disease or who are elderly.

The reason is, CoQ10 tends to decrease with age and this condition also increases the risk of developing hypertension.

To get CoQ10, you can eat several foods, such as meat, fish, and whole grains. However, eating food alone may not be enough to increase CoQ10 levels significantly. If this happens to you, your doctor may suggest taking CoQ10 supplements.

5. Omega-3 fatty acids

Unlike CoQ10, omega-3 fatty acids cannot be produced by the body. You can get these fatty acids from fish and fish oils, such as salmon, mackerel, trout, and shellfish, which contain the omega-3 types DHA and EPA.

In addition, some seeds and vegetable oils contain another type of omega-3, namely alpha linolenic acid or ALA. Fish oil supplements containing omega-3 have also been found on the market.

Many studies have found that omega-3 fatty acid supplements can reduce blood pressure, especially in patients with moderate to severe hypertension. Therefore, this supplement is also often used as a vitamin and mineral that reduces high blood pressure.

The reason is, these fatty acids are believed to reduce levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the body and prevent fat accumulation in the arteries, which is one of the causes of hypertension.

Although proven to be effective, you also need to be careful about taking omega-3 supplements. Because, this supplement interacts with several high blood pressure drugs and anticoagulant drugs. Consult with your doctor whether you need to consume it.

6. Folic acid

Folic acid includes vitamins and minerals needed to lower blood pressure, especially for mothers who experience hypertension during pregnancy.

In addition to lowering high blood pressure, folic acid is also a vitamin and mineral that is important for the growth and development of the fetus in the womb. A study from Journal of the Australian College of Midwives demonstrated that adequate folic acid intake during pregnancy can reduce the risk of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.

7. Fiber

Fiber is another nutritional component needed by hypertension sufferers to help lower blood pressure. You can get fiber from various types of vegetables, including green vegetables, and fresh fruits.

However, you can also make fiber supplements of choice as vitamins and other high blood-lowering minerals. In a study published in Arch Intern Med shows that, taking 11 grams of fiber supplements per day is proven to reduce blood pressure, both systolic and diastolic.

The decrease was even greater in older adults (over 40 years) than in younger adults. In addition, even in people who do not have a history of hypertension, consumption of fiber has been shown to prevent blood pressure increases.

However, there is no definite reason why fiber can have an effect on blood pressure. However, foods that contain fiber, such as vegetables and fruits, generally also contain high levels of potassium, magnesium and unsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to have an effect on blood pressure.

Apart from those mentioned above, several other vitamins and minerals are also said to have an effect on high blood pressure. However, you should first consult with your doctor about its effectiveness in the hypertension you suffer. Here are some other high blood-lowering vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamin D
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B2 or riboflavin
• Vitamin E
• Iron
• L-Arginine

Pay attention to this before taking high blood-lowering vitamin supplements

Taking certain vitamin and mineral supplements is one method you can choose to reduce high blood pressure. However, you need to be careful because some types of high blood pressure-lowering vitamins may affect the hypertension drugs you are currently taking, such as ACE inhibitors and beta blockers .

In fact, some supplements may even raise your blood pressure. Therefore, if you are undergoing therapy with antihypertensive drugs, you must first consult with your doctor if you want to consume any of the high blood pressure-lowering vitamins or minerals.

In addition, it is important for you to know that taking vitamins and minerals alone is not enough to lower high blood pressure in the long run. The main lowering of high blood pressure, especially in people with hypertension, of course, is medication from a doctor and adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Then, you also need to take vitamin and mineral supplements according to the prescribed dosage. If it's excessive, other health risks can bother you.

You also need to remember that the effect of each supplement varies from person to person. Other people may feel the effects after taking certain supplements, but it may not happen to you.

If this happens to you, don't be disappointed. It's better to ask your doctor about the right way to lower blood pressure according to your condition or you can try other ways, such as natural remedies to reduce hypertension.

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