Natural remedies for high blood pressure involves the use of non-traditional treatment techniques, many of which originate in the realms of Eastern medicine. Certain herbal remedies which have been known in the East to benefit the circulatory system for centuries have been the subject of recent Western trials and have demonstrated the ability to lower blood pressure. Most of these herbal remedies are readily available as food supplements. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve them as drugs.

Several recent studies have shown that supplementation with the following dietary supplements are beneficial in maintaining normal blood pressure.

A 2001 study by Tran, et al suggests that co-Q10 may lower blood pressure by correcting an endogenous pro-vitamin deficiency (Tran MT, et al. Role of coenzyme Q10 in chronic heart failure, angina and hypertension. Pharmacotherapy 2001; 21:797-806). A 1994 study, which supplemented Co-enzyme Q-10 in addition their to their existing antihypertensive drug regimen. In this study, a definite and gradual improvement in blood pressure status was observed with the concomitant need to gradually decrease antihypertensive drug therapy within the first one to six months. Half the patients were taken completely off of between one and three antihypertensive drugs at an average of 4.4 months after starting co-Q10 (Langsjoen P, et al. Treatment of essential hypertension with coenzyme Q10. Mol Aspects Med 1994; 15 Suppl:S265-72).

In a placebo-controlled trials, coenzyme Q₁₀ supplementation resulted in blood pressure decrease in hypertensive patients. The addition of 120 mg/d (60 mg twice daily) of coenzyme Q₁₀ to conventional medical therapy for 8 weeks in patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease decreased systolic blood pressure by an average of 12 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 6 mm Hg compared to a placebo containing B-complex vitamins (Singh RB, Niaz MA, Rastogi SS, Shukla PK, Thakur AS J Hum Hypertens. 1999;13(3):203-208.)

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The use of omega-3 fatty acids to lower blood pressure has been recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In a 1989 study conducted by Knapp and Fitzgerald four groups of eight subjects received either 10ml or 50ml fish oil (3g or 15g of n-3 fatty acids yielding 1.8 and 9.0g EPA and 1.2 and 6.0g DHA daily,) 50ml of safflower oil (39g of n-6 fatty acids), or 50ml of a mixture of oils that approximated the types of fat present in the American diet. The findings showed that BP decreased in the men who received the high dose of fish oil (systolic BP 6.5mm Hg and diastolic BP pressure by 4.4mm Hg), but not in the other groups (Knapp HR, Fitzgerald GA. The antihypertensive effects of fish oil. A controlled study of polyunsaturated fatty acid supplements in essential hypertension. N Engl J Med 1989; 320:1037-43). Numerous later studies have confirmed the efficiacy of using omega-3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in controlling blood pressure.

A meta-analysis of controlled trials published Circulation, Morris et al. found that patients who consumed 5.6 g/d of omega-3 fatty acids significant reduced their blood pressure (Morris MC, Sacks F Circulation, 1993: 88:523-533). Another study published in the Archive of Internal Medicine, also found that blood pressure was decreased -5.5/-3.5 mm Hg in trials of untreated hypertensive patients who were given >3 g/d of omega-3 fatty acids (Appel LJ, Miller ER3rd, Seidler AJ, et al. Arch Intern Med. 1993; 153: 1429–1438.)

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Several studies suggest that magnesium may regulate blood pressure. The belief is that Magnesium helps relax the smooth muscles of the blood vessels. The DASH study (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) showed that high blood pressure could be significantly lowered by a diet high in magnesium, potassium, and calcium, and low in sodium and fat. A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health on 30,681 American male health professionals, it was revealed that greater magnesium intake was associated with a lower risk of hypertension. (Ascherio A, Rimm EB, Giovannucci EL, et al. Circulation Nov. 1992). The evidence was strong enough that the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure recommended maintaining an adequate magnesium intake for preventing and managing high blood pressure.

Another study conducted in India, to learn about the oral supplementation of Magnesium and blood pressure, demonstrated that magnesium supplementation prevented blood pressure elevation in hypertensive rats. Magnesium's mechanism of action was thought to be associated with inhibition of platelet calcium uptake and decrease in intracellular free calcium concentrations (Kh R, Khullar M, Kashyap M, et al. Journal of Hypertension, July 2000)

In a double blind placebo controlled cross-over study, researchers showed that taking magnesium in amounts as low as 365 mg per day with beta blockers can significantly reduce blood pressure compared to taking beta blockers alone (Wirell MP, Wester PO, Stegmayr et al. J Intern Med 1994)

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Garlic supplementation has been reported to lower blood pressure. It has been used to benefit the cardiovascular system for centuries in Middle Eastern medicine. Western studies have recently confirmed garlic’s beneficial effects in this regard. As well as lowering blood pressure, Garlic helps reduce platelet stickiness and lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The blood pressure effect is thought to be due to an opening of (Ca) ion channels in the membrane of vascular smooth muscle, affecting hyperpolarization, resulting in vasodilation (Siegel G, Walter A, Engel S, et al. Pleiotropic effects of garlic. Wien Med Wochenschr 1999;149:217-224.)

Nitric oxide and its effect on high blood pressure was the explanation of another study of garlic. In vitro, garlic supplements tend to increase the activity of nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme necessary for production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide, which acts as the relaxing factor, is produced by the endothelial cells. Damaged endothelial cells produce less nitric oxide which may lead to blood vessel spasm and higher blood pressure. (Das, I., et al. Curr Med Res Opin, 13(5): 257-63, 1995)

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Vitamin C has been shown to have a lowering effect on blood pressure. Vitamin C as an antioxidant compound that neutralizes cell-damaging free radicals. It is believed that antioxidants help relieve blood pressure by protecting the body's supply of nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes blood vessels. To test this theory, researchers conducted a 2000 study in which they artificially lowered levels of a natural antioxidant chemical, glutathione, to produce oxidative stress in rats. As a result, levels of nitric oxide decreased and blood pressure went up. But the addition of vitamins C and E to the rats' diet alleviated the degenerative process and led to higher levels of nitric oxide and a partial reduction in blood pressure (Hypertension July 2000;36:1-5).

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted at the Boston University of Medicine, published in Lancet in 1999 showed that treatment of 500 mg Vitamin C lowered blood pressure. Thirty nine patients were given either ascorbic acid or placebo, in a one-time dose of 2 g, followed by 500 mg daily for 30 days. Systolic blood pressure decreased from 155 mm Hg to 142 mm Hg after 30 days in the vitamin C group, while placebo had no effect. Diastolic BP decreased in the vitamin C group after one month but was not significantly different than placebo. (Duffy SJ, Gokce N, Holbrook M, et al. Lancet 1999;354:2048-2049.)

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Arjuna Bark (Terminalia arjuna): Arjuna bark has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to improve cardio health. Apart from relieving hypertension, it has been used to reduce the effects of nervousness, and a whole host of heart related problems. A 2001 study in Jaipur, India compared the feects of Termalia arjuna tree bark with the heart-health benefits of Vitamin E. In the month long study, researchers divided 105 patients with coronary disease into three groups; Placebo, Vitamin E and finely pulverized bark powder. No significant changes were found in the placebo or Vitamin E groups for total, HDL and LDL cholesterol levels. In the Arjuna bark group, however, total and LDL cholesterol were significantly reduced. Researchers concluded that Terminalia arjuna tree bark powder proved to have a significant cholesterol lowering effect (The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India (49:231-5, 2001).

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