PHOTO COURTESY SHUTTERSTOCK

Hypertension, aka high blood pressure, affects a lot of people — as in more than a billion of them. 

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 1.28 billion adults between the ages of 30 to 79 years have hypertension, while an estimated 46% of adults with high blood pressure are unaware that they even have the condition, as many have no symptoms.

And while hypertension is common, it can be serious, leading to heart damage if left untreated. 

The good news is preventing, and reversing, high blood pressure is fairly simple in many cases — and it can be done naturally.    

Certified by the American Society of Hypertension, Dr. Raghu Tadikamalla, a cardiologist with Allegheny Health Network, says lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthier diet, quitting tobacco, reducing alcohol intake and being more active can all help lower blood pressure.

“It really is an interplay between lifestyle, and to some extent genetic factors, but largely lifestyle,” Tadikamalla says of reducing hypertension. “In modern Western culture, we tend to be less active than we should, less active than our ancestors were. And we consume a lot more food and a lot more sodium than our ancestors did. As a result, one of the effects of this is elevated blood pressure.”

PHOTO COURTESY SHUTTERSTOCK

Sodium, needed by the body in relatively small amounts to maintain a balance of body fluids and keep muscles and nerves running smoothly, is no doubt an essential nutrient. However, most Americans eat too much of it. 

Tadikamalla says the recommended adult sodium intake is less than 2,300 mg per day, which equals roughly one teaspoon of table salt. The average American consumes about 1.5 times that much.

“In Western society, there’s sodium in almost everything,” he says. “So if you eat out, whether it’s fancy food or fast food, you’re gonna get a lot of salt.” 

He notes the counterpart to sodium is potassium, which offsets sodium and can lower blood pressure. So how do you get more potassium into the body? Tadikamalla says he can sum it up in three little words. 

“Eat. More. Vegetables,” he says with a laugh. 

When grocery shopping, Tadikamalla suggests sticking to the edges of the store, where fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats and low-fat dairy are typically found. Processed food in jars, cans, boxes and bags are more often located in the center of the store. 

“Almost anything in a bag or pouch or can is going to have added sodium — and salt really is one of the big factors in our diet that is contributing to high blood pressure,” Tadikamalla says. 

Other ways to reduce the risks of hypertension include getting more sleep, managing and reducing stress, checking your blood pressure and regular visits to your doctor to monitor your health. 

“High blood pressure is certainly reversible in the short term, but the longer people have high blood pressure, the harder it may be to reverse over time,” Tadikamalla says. “High blood pressure causes the arteries to become stiffer, and at some point that may not be reversed as easily.”