Foods high in vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, selenium or L-arginine are good options if you're looking to lower your blood pressure. Antioxidants protect your cells from damage and can reduce inflammation, which, in turn, can keep blood pressure in control.
Some vitamins, such as vitamin C, and B vitamins like B2, B6, and B9, may be beneficial for lowering blood pressure. Research has shown that vitamin C supplements may have some effects in reducing blood pressure. B vitamins like folate and folic acid may also have some effect on reducing blood pressure.
It's usually best to get calcium, magnesium, and potassium from food. Are you getting enough? A healthy, balanced diet plays a major role in blood pressure control. And you should consume some specific minerals on a regular basis for good blood pressure management: calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
A low vitamin D level seems to increase the risk of heart disease and death due to the condition. A low vitamin D level may make a person more likely to have high blood pressure and diabetes. These conditions are risk factors for heart disease.
“Consuming diets with adequate magnesium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension).
Low Blood Pressure
Deficiencies of vitamin B12 and folic acid can cause anemia, which can lead to low blood pressure, also known as hypotension. Vitamin B12 helps your body produce red blood cells so that adequate oxygen reaches each and every part of your body, including the heart.
It is recommended that 1000 mg of magnesium be combined with 4.7 g of potassium and <1.5 g of sodium per day through both diet and supplements to maximize BP reduction.
Studies on supplementing magnesium levels indicate that 300 mg/day is enough to impact blood pressure significantly. However, there are also indications that increasing magnesium above normal levels is not advisable.
There's no safe and effective way to quickly lower high blood pressure at home. The best way to lower high blood pressure is to make changes over days to weeks, so that the body can adapt to the change. If your blood pressure is dangerously high and needs to be lowered quickly, it must be done in a healthcare setting.
The researchers found that zinc affects the muscles, endothelial cells, and sensory nerves together, reducing the amount of calcium in the muscles and causing them to relax. This, in turn, results in increased blood flow and lower blood pressure.
People with diabetes, intestinal disease, heart disease or kidney disease should not take magnesium before speaking with their health care provider. Overdose. Signs of a magnesium overdose can include nausea, diarrhea, low blood pressure, muscle weakness, and fatigue. At very high doses, magnesium can be fatal.
Magnesium for sleep
Some studies have found that magnesium supplements can: Make it easier to fall asleep. Improve sleep quality. Reduce symptoms of restless legs syndrome, which can interfere with a good night's sleep.
When taken in very large amounts (greater than 350 mg daily), magnesium is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. Large doses might cause too much magnesium to build up in the body, causing serious side effects including an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, confusion, slowed breathing, coma, and death.
The study notes that taking 300 mg/day of magnesium for just 1 month was enough to elevate blood magnesium levels and reduce blood pressure. It also suggests that high magnesium levels in the blood were linked to improvements in blood flow which can help lower blood pressure.
Meta-analysis showed that green tea consumption caused a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and total and LDL cholesterol. The effects on diastolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were not significant.
When taken at appropriate doses, vitamin B-12 supplements are generally considered safe. While the recommended daily amount of vitamin B-12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms, higher doses have been found to be safe. Your body absorbs only as much as it needs, and any excess passes through your urine.
Magnesium deficiency is diagnosed via a blood test and sometimes a urine test. Your doctor may order the blood test if you have symptoms such as weakness, irritability, abnormal heart rhythm, nausea and/or diarrhoea, or if you have abnormal calcium or potassium levels.
In addition, a meta-analysis synthesizing the results of 30 RCTs suggested that vitamin D supplementation at a dose of >800 IU/d reduced blood pressures significantly (14).