Blood pressure is one of those health markers that everyone’s heard of but that’s rarely actually explained properly. So let’s break it down in a way that actually makes sense, and more importantly, talk about what you can do to support healthy blood pressure naturally.
First Up: What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is simply the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps. It’s measured using two numbers:
- Systolic pressure (the top number): the pressure when your heart contracts and pumps blood out
- Diastolic pressure (the bottom number): the pressure when your heart relaxes between beats
A reading of around 120/80 mmHg is generally considered healthy for most adults, although ‘normal’ can vary depending on age, health history and individual context.
A key point here is that blood pressure isn’t static. It changes throughout the day depending on stress, movement, sleep, hydration and even how recently you’ve eaten. Problems arise when it stays consistently too high (hypertension) or, less commonly, too low (hypotension).
What goes wrong with blood pressure?
From a functional medicine perspective, high blood pressure isn’t a condition in isolation - it’s often a signal that something else is out of balance.
Common contributors include:
- Chronic stress and an overactive nervous system
- Poor blood sugar regulation and insulin resistance
- Inflammation and oxidative stress
- Stiff or damaged blood vessels
- Excess sodium combined with low potassium and magnesium intake, OR insufficient sodium that then triggers stress hormone release to raise blood pressure
- Poor sleep, sedentary lifestyle, alongside over-training or excessive cardio in some cases
When blood pressure remains high over time, it puts extra strain on the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and kidney issues.
But there is a lot we can do to improve blood pressure!
Supporting Healthy Blood Pressure Naturally
1. Diet: what you eat really matters
Rather than focusing on restriction, the goal is to nourish the blood vessels, support mineral balance, and stabilise blood sugar.
Key dietary principles:
- Eat plenty of vegetables, especially leafy greens, beetroot, courgettes and broccoli - these provide potassium, magnesium and natural nitrates that support blood vessel relaxation
- Balance your plate with protein, healthy fats and fibre at every meal to avoid blood sugar spikes
- Choose whole, unprocessed foods as much as possible - ultra-processed foods are often high in isolated sodium and refined carbohydrates whilst being low in protective nutrients
- Include healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds and oily fish
Salt is not the enemy it’s often made out to be, but quality and balance matter. Many people get too much refined salt from processed foods, while not enough potassium-rich foods to balance it. But if you eat a whole food diet you will need to add salt to your food to achieve your requirements.
Helpful foods to include regularly:
- Oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel)
- Beans and lentils
- Berries
- Dark chocolate (70%+ cocoa) or even better raw and ceremonial cacao
- Natural yoghurt or kefir (if tolerated)
2. Lifestyle: calm the nervous system
Stress plays a huge role in blood pressure. When we’re under constant pressure, the body stays in ‘fight or flight’ mode, keeping blood vessels constricted.
Simple but powerful strategies include:
- Daily breathing exercises (even 5 minutes can make a difference)
- Spending time outdoors and in daylight
- Creating proper boundaries around work and rest
- Prioritising sleep - consistently getting 7–8 hours
These aren’t nice extras - they’re foundational. You can also download my free 6 Stress Fire Breakers pdf here.
3. Exercise: the right type matters
Movement helps blood vessels stay flexible and responsive. The key is consistency over intensity.
Best options for blood pressure support:
- Brisk walking
- Cycling or swimming
- Strength training 2–3 times per week
- Gentle yoga or Pilates
Very intense exercise without adequate recovery can actually raise blood pressure in some people, especially if stress levels are already high.
4. Supplements: when appropriate
Supplements can be useful, but they should always sit on top of solid foundations.
Commonly used options (depending on individual needs):
- Magnesium (especially glycinate or taurate) - supports blood vessel relaxation and stress response
- Omega-3 fatty acids - help reduce inflammation and support cardiovascular health
- CoQ10 - may be helpful, particularly for those on statin medication
- Electrolytes - control fluid balance which will keep the appropriate amount of fluid in circulation and shift it out when required
Supplement use should always be personalised, especially if someone is on blood pressure medication.
Blood pressure is not just a number to fix - it’s feedback from the body. When we listen to it, it often points us towards better nourishment, better rest, better movement and a calmer nervous system. Small, consistent changes really do add up!
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