Easy ways to meet new blood-pressure guidelines

Pressure Kickers

Grapes.  Men with elevated blood pressure drank 12 ounces of Concord grape juice a day in one recent study.  Within 12 weeks, their top numbers fell by 5.7 points.  Their bottom numbers fell by 5.8 points.  This is a very significant drop.  A five-point reduction in top numbers alone translates into a 9 percent drop in heart disease risk.  Grape juice is high in potassium and plant compounds called flavonoids, both of which are linked to lower blood pressure.

Exercise.  Recent studies show that aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming lowered top numbers by 3.8 points and bottom numbers by 2.5.  Burning off as little as 10 pounds can help you lower your blood pressure, according to a Tufts University study.

Salad.  Greens are good for you!  In a recent British study, subjects who ate five servings of fruits and veggies per day dropped their blood pressure without any other lifestyle changes!