Supplements are recommended by health experts to help ailments from arthritis to bloating.
Lifestyle changes, such as cutting down on your salt intake and drinking less alcohol, are the recommendations by the NHS for lowering blood pressure.
But taking CBD oil, magnesium supplements or ubiquinol coenzyme q10 could also help the condition, according to Dr Sarah Brewer of MyLowerBloodPressure.com
CBD oil
CBD oil supplements are used to promote general feelings of well-being, according to Dr Brewer, and as they help you feel more relaxed, it can lower a blood pressure that is raised due to anxiety and stress.
Dr Brewer explained: “Although clinical evidence is in its early days, a pilot study compared the effects of CBD against placebo in situations of mental stress (rapid arithmetic), exercise stress (gripping a hand dynamometer at 30 per cent maximum contraction for 2 minutes) and cold stress (immersing their left foot in ice slush for 2 minutes).
“Taking CBD oil reduced resting blood pressure by an average of 6/3 mmHg, compared with placebo and helped maintain a systolic blood pressure that was between 5 mmHg and 8mmHg lower after the stressful situations than when taking placebo.
“The researchers suggest that, as well as having anti-anxiety and analgesic effects, the antioxidant action of CBD also has a direct, beneficial effect to relax blood vessels.”
Cannabidiol extracts are available as capsules, gumbos, drops and oral sprays.
You should always follow manufacturer’s guidance on how much of their product to take, which will vary depending on concentration. Products typically supply 6mg to 25mg CBD per serving.
Dr Brewer also advised: “If you are taking any prescribed medications, check with a doctor or pharmacist before taking CBD as interactions can occur.”
Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the best supplements for high blood pressure as it helps to relax arteries and reduce arterial spasm, says Dr Brewer.
Research involving over half a million people found that those with the highest dietary intakes of magnesium were a third less likely to experience a heart attack or stroke than those with the lowest intakes.
Dr Brewer advised: “The latest National Diet and Nutrition Surveys found that magnesium deficiency is widespread, with 13 per cent of adults obtaining less than the lower reference nutrient intake – the level needed to prevent deficiency symptoms.
“The EU nutrient reference value for magnesium is 375mg per day, yet the median intake from food, for women aged 19-65 years, is just 229mg per day.
“Clinical studies involving people with resistant hypertension, whose systolic blood pressure (upper figure) remained above 155 mg despite taking antihypertensive medicines, show that adding magnesium to their drug regimen reduced blood pressure by an average of 18.7/10.9 mmHg which is an astonishing result.”
Diet should always come first, and good sources of magnesium include nuts, seeds, dark green leaves, beans, fish, whole grains and dark chocolate.
Dr Brewer recommended: “If you want to take a magnesium supplement, a dose of 375mg per day is ideal – higher amounts can have a laxative effect.
“I take Healthspan’s Opti-magnesium (for whom I act as Medical Director) which includes inulin – a prebiotic that helps you produce normal stool by ‘feeding’ beneficial bowel bacteria, and which allows you to take divided doses.
“If you are sensitive to the laxative effect, however, you can absorb magnesium through the skin via magnesium flakes added to a bath or using a magnesium skin oil or cream.”
Ubiquinol coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 is needed for energy production in muscle cells, including those within artery walls.
Dr Brewer explained: “Coenzyme Q10 levels naturally fall with increasing age so that reactivity of artery walls decreases, and they are less able to dilate. This has been suggested as one reason why blood pressure tends to increase with age.
“Clinical trials suggest that coenzyme Q10 can reduce blood pressure by, on average, 11/8 mmHg compared with placebo, with no significant side effects.”
While diet should come first, average intakes are low at around 5mg per day for meat eaters and 1mg for day for those who follow a plant-based diet, Dr Brewer explains.
She added: “Supplements are therefore needed to achieve meaningful blood pressure reductions. The oxidised form of coenzyme Q10, known as ubiquinone, must be converted into the active form (ubiquinol) before it can be used by cells, and this conversion becomes increasingly less efficient with age.
“I therefore recommend taking the ‘body-ready’ form, ubiquinol. A dose of 100mg ubiquinol is equivalent to around 280mg ubiquinone.”
With cold and flu season fast approaching, taking supplements could help keep your illness at bay.
