High Blood Pressure: Here's how drinking water can help you to reduce BP levels

High blood pressure aka Hypertension is one of the common health issues across the world. Simple lifestyle changes are often recommended to keep it at bay or reduce the harmful high levels of blood pressure. The same is known as a silent killer as the symptoms are easily missed. If left untreated and avoided then it can lead to many health, eye, brain and kidney-related health complications.

Decreasing the intake of salty or sodium-rich foods, increasing food intake of fruits, veggies and potassium-rich foods, avoiding junk food, physical activity, reducing smoking and alcohol consumption are some of the changes advised. One of the ways to bring BP at safe levels is drinking adequate water.

According to a study which was published the Journal of American Heart Association, drinking calcium and magnesium-rich water can help you to lower blood pressure. In the study, people who drank salinated water and those who drank freshwater were compared. While we know that sodium leads to increase blood pressure levels rapidly, participants of the study who drank salinated water showed lower blood pressure. As not it was not because of the sodium, but the presence of minerals in water such as calcium and magnesium that led to the change.

People who drank mildly salinated water showed average systolic blood pressure levels to be 1.55 mmHg lesser than those who had freshwater. Average diastolic blood pressure was 1.26 mmHg lower. Not just this study, many other studies have shown that both calcium and magnesium can help to bring BP to healthy levels.

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In context to the results of the study, Dr. Sameer Gupta stated, "There are some small data suggests calcium and magnesium may be protective for hypertension. It's interesting, However, this needs to be replicated in clinical settings before it can be incorporated into modern medicine and ready for prime time. He added, "I wouldn't encourage people to start adding supplements of calcium or magnesium to their daily water consumption. Having a healthy diet and getting on an exercise program are much better remedies to reduce the risk of hypertension."

So, one can add calcium and magnesium supplements to your drinking water for health benefits. Also, one can Epsom salt, a form of magnesium, to your bathing water to get more magnesium. 

Apart from drinking water, food items that high BP patients should include are bananas, beetroot, dark chocolate, watermelon, oats, avocado, leafy green veggie, garlic, fermented foods, beans, lentils and legumes, and nuts & seeds.

Also, make sure you indulge in any form of physical activity and if you are obese then losing weight is one of the best ways to keep BP levels in check.