NHS Doctor Amir Khan has shared his five top tips to lower your high blood pressure whether or not you know it’s a problem – and they’re much easier than you might think
An estimated 16 million adults in the UK are living with high blood pressure, and a worrying number remain oblivious to their condition. Common signs of high blood pressure such as headaches, blurred vision, or nosebleeds are often dismissed as minor health issues.
NHS Doctor Amir Khan, known for his appearances on ITV’s ‘Lorraine’ and ‘Good Morning Britain’, has taken to social media to offer five natural remedies to combat high blood pressure. In his informative video, he describes blood pressure as the “force of your blood against the walls of your arteries”, noting that a healthy reading is typically below 120/80 mmHg.
While it’s crucial to stick to any prescribed medication for high blood pressure, Dr Khan suggests that tweaking your diet could also yield significant benefits.
He advised: “Eat less salt. If you don’t have high blood pressure, there’s still a debate about how much salt will affect you but if you do have high blood pressure, listen up.
“Adults should only have around six grams of one level teaspoon of salt per day and most of that is already hidden in the food that we eat.
“So try not to add salt to your food. Instead, season it with things like pepper, herbs and spices and if you’re buying tinned food, go for it in water rather than in salty brine. With nuts, always go for unsalted nuts.”
Next, he encouraged people to consume more foods packed with potassium including bananas, tomatoes, carrots, kiwi, nectarines and spinach.
He explains that the potassium will assist in flushing out surplus sodium or salt from your system, thereby reducing your blood pressure.
Nevertheless, he cautions that individuals suffering from kidney disease ought to monitor their potassium consumption carefully.
With two recommendations working in tandem, he suggests you should “get moving” and “achieve a healthy weight” to ensure your body operates optimally.
Beyond this, he advises giving up smoking and cutting out alcohol, arguing they merely compound your overall health issues.
Many found the informational clip to be very useful – and some even took to the comments section to share their own experiences.
Responding to his post, one user commented: “I’ve had high blood pressure since I was 16 my whole family have it my dad since he was nine been on meds since then don’t think they are working well anymore.
“I am seeing a doctor Tuesday lost four stone ain’t smoked in a year and half and don’t drink, it’s so frustrating.”
Another user contributed: “I asked my nurse what I could do to help reduce my blood pressure she said nothing.”
A third user remarked: “I got preeclampsia with my first baby five years ago. I play netball four times a week. I am 9 stone (skinny) and try to limit salt. I am on two meds and my blood pressure today is 160/90. It’s so frustrating.”