How To Prevent High Blood Pressure

1. Learn to manage stress

Stress is a key driver of high blood pressure.

When you're chronically stressed, your body is in a constant fight-or-flight mode. On a physical level, that means a faster heart rate and constricted blood vessels.

When you experience stress, you might also be more likely to engage in other behaviors, such as drinking alcohol or eating unhealthy food, that can negatively affect blood pressure.

2. Eat dark chocolate or cocoa

Here's a piece of advice you can really get behind.

While eating massive amounts of chocolate probably won't help your heart, small amounts may.

That's because dark chocolate and cocoa powder are rich in flavonoids, plant compounds that cause blood vessels to dilate

A review of studies found that flavonoid-rich cocoa improved several markers of heart health over the short term, including lowering blood pressure

For the strongest effects, use non-alkalized cocoa powder, which is especially high in flavonoids and has no added sugars.

Bottom Line: Dark chocolate and cocoa powder contain plant compounds that help relax blood vessels, lowering blood pressure.

3. Lose weight

If you're overweight, losing weight can make a big difference for your heart health.

According to a 2016 study, losing 5% of your body mass could significantly lower high blood pressure.

In previous studies, losing 17 pounds (7.7 kg) was linked to lowering systolic blood pressure by 8.5 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 6.5 mm Hg.

To put that in perspective, a healthy reading should be less than 120/80 mm Hg.

The effect is even greater when weight loss is paired with exercise.

Losing weight can help your blood vessels do a better job of expanding and contracting, making it easier for the left ventricle of the heart to pump blood.

Bottom Line: Losing weight can significantly lower high blood pressure. This effect is even greater when you exercise.

4. Quit smoking

Among the many reasons to quit smoking is that the habit is a strong risk factor for heart disease.

Every puff of cigarette smoke causes a slight, temporary increase in blood pressure. The chemicals in tobacco are also known to damage blood vessels.

Surprisingly, studies haven't found a conclusive link between smoking and high blood pressure. Perhaps this is because smokers develop a tolerance over time.

Still, since both smoking and high blood pressure raise the risk of heart disease, quitting smoking can help reverse that risk.

Bottom Line: There's conflicting research about smoking and high blood pressure, but what is clear is that both increase the risk of heart disease.

5. Eat more potassium-rich foods

Potassium is an important mineral.

It helps your body get rid of sodium and ease pressure on your blood vessels.

Modern diets have increased most people's sodium intake while decreasing potassium intake.

To get a better balance of potassium to sodium in your diet, focus on eating fewer processed foods and more fresh, whole foods.

Foods that are particularly high in potassium include:

• Vegetables, especially leafy greens, tomatoes, potatoes and sweet potatoes
• Fruit, including melons, bananas, avocados, oranges and apricots
• Dairy, such as milk and yogurt
• Tuna and salmon
• Nuts and seeds
• Beans

Bottom Line: Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, which are rich in potassium, can help lower blood pressure.