If your blood pressure is elevated and you want to see an immediate change, lie down and take deep breaths. This is how you lower your blood pressure within minutes, helping to slow your heart rate and decrease your blood pressure. When you feel stress, hormones are released that constrict your blood vessels.
Something as simple as keeping yourself hydrated by drinking six to eight glasses of water every day improves blood pressure. Water makes up 73% of the human heart,¹ so no other liquid is better at controlling blood pressure.
What can I eat to lower my blood pressure immediately? While there's no miracle food that can lower blood pressure immediately, consuming a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fish (and low in red meat, salt, and added sugars) may help lower blood pressure over time.
Citrus, such as lemon and limes, has been shown to reduce blood pressure and has the added benefit of adding a little flavor to a boring glass of water.
Bananas. Bananas contain potassium, which can help manage hypertension. One medium-sized banana contains around 422 milligrams (mg) of potassium. According to the American Heart Association (AHA) , potassium reduces the effects of sodium and alleviates tension in the walls of the blood vessels.
Orange Juice
Consuming a cup of fresh orange juice in the morning can fulfil your daily vitamin requirement. According to various health studies and journals, consuming fruits that are rich in vitamin C may help manage high blood pressure.
Blood pressure has a daily pattern. Usually, blood pressure starts to rise a few hours before a person wakes up. It continues to rise during the day, peaking in midday. Blood pressure typically drops in the late afternoon and evening.
Call 911 or emergency medical services if your blood pressure is 180/120 mm Hg or greater and you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or symptoms of stroke. Stroke symptoms include numbness or tingling, trouble speaking, or changes in vision.
Magnesium intake of 500 mg/d to 1000 mg/d may reduce blood pressure (BP) as much as 5.6/2.8 mm Hg. However, clinical studies have a wide range of BP reduction, with some showing no change in BP.
One study in 48 people with overweight or obesity found that water fasting for an average of 17 days under medical supervision led to reductions in systolic blood pressure ( 15 ). It was also associated with improvements in levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and inflammation ( 15 ).
Lifestyle Changes
Chronic dehydration also can be a cause of high blood pressure by making the body hold onto sodium. This increases blood volume and thus blood pressure. Make a point of drinking a minimum of eight and preferably 10 to 12 glasses of pure, filtered water every day.
Conclusion: Medically supervised water-only fasting appears to be a safe and effective means of normalizing blood pressure and may assist in motivating health-promoting diet and lifestyle changes.