If your blood pressure is on the high side, you can bring it down in three simple steps

Three ways to lower your blood pressure without drugs

Let’s be honest: If you didn’t have to take a drug, why would you, right?

But that’s exactly what’s happening to millions of us right now. Doctors, following arbitrary guidelines, bully and shame us into taking drugs for life.

And yet, in many cases, the drug is more dangerous than the reason we were put on it in the first place!

Just yesterday, I told you how blood pressure drug side effects include cancer, type 2 diabetes, and age-related macular degeneration.

That’s millions of unnecessary health disasters just waiting to happen.

So if you don’t have to take a blood pressure drug…don’t!

And just about nobody NEEDS a blood pressure drug. If your blood pressure is on the high side, you can bring it down in three simple steps — without popping a single pill.

Eat this, don’t take that

What does a guy who told us to eat steak and bacon and ditch carrots and rice know about keeping blood pressure low?

EVERYTHING.

The late Robert Atkins, was a famous diet guru. But he was a doctor first. And more importantly, he was that rare breed of M.D. with expertise in nutrition.

So the easy Step One in lowering blood pressure comes from Dr. Atkins. In his books, he cited numerous studies that came to this conclusion… You can lower blood pressure simply by increasing potassium intake.

Lima beans, spinach, and papaya are all great sources of potassium. And if you don’t care for that menu, you can boost potassium with a supplement. Easy.

Step Two — I’m not going to lie, this one isn’t quite as easy. But it’s also Atkins-inspired.

In a remarkable study I told you about three years ago, a low-carbohydrate diet drove blood pressure down into normal range in half the subjects. Changing your diet to cut back on added sugars and simple carbs can be tough. But the significant rewards are weight loss, blood sugar control, and…reduced blood pressure.

And you don’t have to give up all carbs like you would on the Atkins diet.

That’s pretty good bang for your buck. (Especially because it won’t cost you a single extra dollar!)

With Step Three, it couldn’t get any easier. And this is one that will surprise a lot of people.

Stop taking a daily aspirin. That’s right — aspirin “therapy” can actually boost blood pressure. In fact, many over-the-counter and prescription painkillers increase high blood pressure risk when they’re taken frequently. I’m talking about any NSAIDs and acetaminophen.

Make these small changes and you’re likely not to need any blood pressure meds at all — even by the most conservative doctor’s standards.

Sources:
“Frequency of Analgesic Use and Risk of Hypertension” Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 167, No. 4, 2/26/07, archinte.ama-assn.org

“A Randomized Trial of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet vs Orlistat Plus a Low-Fat Diet for Weight Loss” Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 170, No. 2, 1/25/10, archinte.ama-assn.org