Control High Blood Pressure With Vitamins And Minerals
This post was most recently updated on July 25th, 2023
The vitamins and minerals you get from your daily diet can help you control high blood pressure and maintain a healthy body.
A healthy diet plays an important role in controlling high blood pressure. The NHLBI's DASH eating plan, which is built around foods rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and protein, is one of the best-studied diets for lowering blood pressure.
Here are some vitamins and minerals that matter for people with high blood pressure.
Vitamins and Minerals to control high blood pressure
Potassium
Potassium helps muscles, including the muscles in blood vessel walls, work normally. It also helps the body get rid of sodium and eases tension in blood vessel walls, which lowers blood pressure. Normal potassium levels are also needed for a steady heartbeat.
MedlinePlus lists the recommended potassium intake for adults as 3,400 mg a day for men and 2,600 mg a day for women. Foods high in potassium include potatoes, prunes, apricots, mushrooms, peas, oranges, tuna, spinach, tomatoes, raisins, fat-free milk, and yogurt.
Be careful with potassium supplements. People with kidney disease, or who take medicines such as ACE inhibitors, ARBs, or potassium-sparing diuretics, can build up too much potassium, so talk with your doctor first.
Magnesium
Magnesium also plays a role in controlling blood pressure. Enough magnesium helps blood vessels relax, and a diet rich in magnesium lowers blood pressure slightly and is linked with a lower risk of stroke.
The kidneys control how much magnesium the body keeps, and some medicines, such as certain diuretics, can increase how much is lost in urine.
Magnesium is found in foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and beans. The recommended amount for adults 31 and older is 420 mg/day for men and 320 mg/day for women.
Magnesium from food is safe, but too much from supplements can easily cause diarrhea.
Calcium
Calcium helps blood vessels tighten and relax as needed, which helps regulate blood pressure. Calcium is found in foods like milk, cheese, yogurt, kale, broccoli, and canned fish with bones, such as salmon and sardines.
The recommended calcium intake is 1,000 mg/day for men aged 51 to 70 and 1,200 mg/day for men over 70. Women 51 and older need 1,200 mg/day.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant. It is found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, and fortified foods. Most healthy people get enough from food, and deficiency is rare.
Vitamin E may affect the production of nitric oxide, a substance that helps blood vessels relax. However, vitamin E is not a standard treatment for high blood pressure, and studies have not shown that supplements prevent heart disease.
MedlinePlus notes that high-dose vitamin E supplements may raise the risk of bleeding in the brain. Adults need 15 mg a day, and it is best to get it from food.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. The body can’t make it, so you get it from fruits and vegetables. Nutrition experts recommend getting vitamin C from a variety of foods rather than from supplements.
Vitamin C helps the body fight infections and heal wounds. Some studies suggest that vitamin C supplements may lower blood pressure slightly, but the effect is small and it does not replace medicine. Claims that it treats depression, Alzheimer’s disease, or heart attack are not supported.
Vitamin C may help by reducing oxidative stress and supporting the production of nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels relax.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is fat-soluble. Food sources include fatty fish (mackerel, salmon, tuna) and fortified foods such as milk, some juices, and cereals labeled “vitamin D fortified.” The skin also makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.
Low vitamin D levels have been linked with high blood pressure and heart disease, but large trials have not shown that vitamin D supplements lower blood pressure in most people. Vitamin D is important mainly for healthy bones and muscles.
What you eat affects your health. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy, with less sodium, gives you potassium, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins C, D, and E. It can help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range, alongside any medicine your doctor prescribes.
Sources
- DASH Eating Plan, NHLBI
- Potassium in diet, MedlinePlus
- Vitamin E, MedlinePlus
