Blood Pressure: What Causes High BP & Natural Solutions

Your Doctor Says Your Blood Pressure Is High

You sit in the exam room. The cuff squeezes your arm. The machine beeps.

"Your blood pressure is 142 over 88. That's high. We need to get that down."

Your doctor pulls out the prescription pad. Beta blocker. ACE inhibitor. Diuretic.

"Take this. Come back in three months. We'll check your numbers."

You leave with a prescription and zero understanding of what just happened.

Here's what your doctor didn't tell you: high blood pressure is a symptom, not a disease.

Something is causing your blood vessels to constrict, your arterial walls to stiffen, or your blood volume to increase.

The medication lowers the number on the machine. It doesn't fix what's broken.

What Blood Pressure Numbers Actually Mean

Blood pressure measures the force of blood against arterial walls.

Two numbers:

Systolic (top number): Pressure when your heart contracts and pumps blood

Diastolic (bottom number): Pressure when your heart relaxes between beats

The standard tells you "normal" is 120/80 mm Hg.

Anything above that is "elevated" or "hypertensive."

Here's the problem: 120/80 is a population average, not an individual optimal range.

Some people function best at 110/70. Others at 130/85. Age matters. Activity level matters. Arterial compliance matters.

Treating everyone to the same target ignores individual physiology.

What Actually Causes High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure doesn't appear out of nowhere. Something is driving it.

Four primary mechanisms:

1. Insulin Resistance and Hyperinsulinemia

Chronic high insulin from blood sugar dysregulation causes:

Sodium retention: Insulin tells kidneys to hold onto sodium. More sodium = more water retention = higher blood volume = higher pressure.

Arterial smooth muscle proliferation: Insulin promotes growth of smooth muscle cells in arterial walls. Thicker walls = narrower vessels = higher resistance = higher pressure.

Sympathetic nervous system activation: High insulin increases adrenaline and norepinephrine. These hormones constrict blood vessels.

Endothelial dysfunction: Insulin resistance impairs nitric oxide production. Less nitric oxide = less vasodilation = higher pressure.

Most people with high blood pressure have insulin resistance. Fix the insulin resistance, blood pressure often normalizes.

But doctors rarely check fasting insulin. They measure blood pressure and prescribe medication.

2. Chronic Stress and Elevated Cortisol

Chronic stress keeps your sympathetic nervous system activated.

The cascade:

• Adrenal glands release cortisol and adrenaline
• These hormones constrict blood vessels (prepare for fight-or-flight)
• Blood pressure rises to deliver oxygen to muscles
• This is normal acutely
• Chronically, it damages arterial walls

Cortisol also:

• Increases sodium retention (raises blood volume)
• Promotes visceral fat accumulation (drives insulin resistance)
• Impairs magnesium absorption (magnesium relaxes blood vessels)
• Disrupts sleep (worsens everything)

Stress management isn't optional for blood pressure control. It's foundational.

3. Arterial Stiffness and Inflammation

Inflammation damages arterial walls.

The process:

• Seed oils, sugar, and processed foods create oxidative stress
• Free radicals damage endothelium (arterial lining)
• Inflammation triggers arterial stiffening
• Stiff arteries = higher systolic pressure (heart has to pump harder against rigid vessels)

Arterial stiffness shows up as:

• Rising systolic pressure while diastolic stays normal or drops
• Widening pulse pressure (difference between systolic and diastolic)
• Example: 150/70 (pulse pressure 80 = very stiff arteries)

This is why oxidized LDL and inflammation matter more than total cholesterol for cardiovascular risk.

4. Mineral Imbalance (Sodium-Potassium Ratio)

The problem isn't too much sodium. The problem is too little potassium and magnesium.

Sodium-potassium pump:

• Cells pump sodium out, potassium in
• This maintains cellular function and vascular tone
• Modern diet: 5,000mg sodium, 2,000mg potassium (2.5:1 ratio)
• Ancestral diet: 700mg sodium, 7,000mg potassium (1:10 ratio)

Result of imbalance:

• Cells retain sodium and water (increased blood volume)
• Vascular smooth muscle contracts (vasoconstriction)
• Blood pressure rises

Magnesium deficiency:

• 50% of Americans deficient
• Magnesium relaxes blood vessels (natural calcium channel blocker)
• Deficiency = vasoconstriction = higher pressure
• Stress depletes magnesium (vicious cycle)

Eating more salt isn't the problem for most people. Not eating vegetables (potassium source) is.

Why Blood Pressure Medications Don't Fix The Problem

Medications lower blood pressure. They don't address why it's high.

Beta blockers: Block adrenaline receptors (heart beats slower, less forcefully)

• Doesn't fix: Why your sympathetic nervous system is overactive

ACE inhibitors / ARBs: Block angiotensin (prevents vasoconstriction)

• Doesn't fix: Why your kidneys are releasing angiotensin

Calcium channel blockers: Prevent calcium from entering smooth muscle cells (vasodilation)

• Doesn't fix: Why your vessels are constricted

Diuretics: Force kidneys to excrete sodium and water (lower blood volume)

• Doesn't fix: Why you're retaining sodium (insulin resistance)
• Side effect: Also depletes potassium and magnesium (worsens mineral imbalance)

The number on the machine improves. The underlying dysfunction continues.

You're on medication for life because the root cause was never addressed.

What Actually Lowers Blood Pressure

Address the mechanisms driving it:

1. Fix Insulin Resistance

Remove:

• Sugar and refined carbohydrates (eliminate blood sugar spikes)
• Seed oils (drive inflammation and insulin resistance)
• Processed foods (combination of sugar, seed oils, refined carbs)

Add:

• Protein and fat at every meal (stabilizes blood sugar)
• Non-starchy vegetables (fiber, potassium, magnesium)
• Strength training (improves insulin sensitivity dramatically)

Monitor:

• Fasting insulin (goal: <5 μIU/mL)
• Fasting glucose (goal: 70-85 mg/dL)
• HbA1c (goal: <5.3%)

Most people see 10-20 point BP drop within 4-8 weeks of removing sugar and seed oils.

2. Manage Stress

Chronic stress keeps blood pressure elevated through sympathetic nervous system activation.

Effective strategies:

• Sleep 7-9 hours (non-negotiable)
• Daily meditation (20 minutes reduces cortisol 20-30%)
• Aerobic base training (lowers resting sympathetic tone)
• Reduce chemical stressors (blood sugar swings, caffeine excess, poor sleep)
• Set boundaries (work, relationships, obligations)

Blood pressure responds to stress management within days. You can see 5-15 point drops from consistent meditation alone.

3. Increase Potassium and Magnesium

Potassium-rich foods:

• Leafy greens (spinach, Swiss chard, kale)
• Avocados
• Sweet potatoes
• Salmon
• Bone broth

Target: 4,000-7,000mg daily from food

Magnesium-rich foods:

• Dark leafy greens
• Nuts and seeds (pumpkin seeds, almonds)
• Dark chocolate (85%+)
• Avocados

Target: 400-600mg daily

Supplementation:

• Magnesium glycinate or threonate: 400-600mg before bed
• Potassium citrate: 300-500mg daily (if dietary intake low)
• Get RBC magnesium tested (serum magnesium is useless)

Many people see 10-20 point BP reduction from magnesium supplementation alone.

4. Reduce Inflammation

Inflammation stiffens arteries and raises systolic pressure.

Remove inflammatory foods:

• Seed oils (biggest driver)
• Sugar and refined carbs
• Gluten (triggers autoimmune inflammation)
• Processed foods

Add anti-inflammatory foods:

• Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) 2-3× weekly
• Extra virgin olive oil (polyphenols, oleic acid)
• Colorful vegetables (antioxidants)
• Herbs and spices (turmeric, ginger, garlic)

Check inflammatory markers:

• hs-CRP (goal: <1.0 mg/L)
• Homocysteine (goal: <7 μmol/L)
• Lp-PLA2 (goal: <200 ng/mL)

5. Exercise Appropriately

Aerobic base training (conversational pace, 30-60 min, 4-5× weekly):

• Lowers resting heart rate
• Improves arterial compliance (vessels become more flexible)
• Reduces sympathetic nervous system tone
• 10-15 point BP reduction common within 8-12 weeks

Strength training (2-3× weekly):

• Improves insulin sensitivity (addresses root cause)
• Reduces visceral fat (lowers inflammation)
• 5-10 point BP reduction

Avoid:

• Chronic high-intensity training (keeps sympathetic system activated)
• Overtraining (raises cortisol, worsens BP)

For complete exercise protocols, see this guide.

6. Lose Excess Weight (Specifically Visceral Fat)

Visceral fat (belly fat around organs) drives:

• Insulin resistance
• Inflammation
• Cortisol production

Every 10 pounds of fat loss = approximately 5-10 point BP reduction.

But weight loss happens as a result of fixing the mechanisms above (insulin resistance, inflammation, stress). It's not the primary goal, it's the outcome.

7. Optimize Sleep

Poor sleep raises blood pressure through multiple mechanisms:

• Increased sympathetic tone
• Elevated cortisol
• Impaired insulin sensitivity
• Increased inflammation

7-9 hours in a dark, cool room:

• 10-20 point BP reduction in people with sleep deprivation
• Often more effective than medication

When Medications Might Be Necessary

Sometimes blood pressure is dangerously high and requires immediate reduction while addressing root causes.

Situations where meds may be needed:

• BP consistently >160/100 (stroke risk too high)
• Evidence of end-organ damage (kidney dysfunction, retinopathy, left ventricular hypertrophy)
• Genetic conditions (rare)

Even with meds:

• Still address root causes
• Medication can often be reduced or eliminated as insulin resistance, stress, and inflammation improve
• Work with prescribing doctor (never stop BP meds suddenly)

Most people can reverse high blood pressure through lifestyle alone. But it requires actually addressing the mechanisms driving it.

How to Monitor Blood Pressure Properly

Don't trust single office readings:

• "White coat hypertension" (stress of doctor visit elevates BP)
• Office readings often 10-20 points higher than home readings

Home monitoring protocol:

• Get quality automatic cuff (Omron, Withings)
• Measure same time daily (morning after waking, before caffeine)
• Sit quietly 5 minutes before measuring
• Take 2-3 readings, record average
• Track trends over weeks, not individual readings

What to track:

• Systolic and diastolic
• Pulse pressure (systolic - diastolic)
• Heart rate

Concerning trends:

• Rising systolic with stable/falling diastolic (arterial stiffness)
• Rising pulse pressure (>60 mm Hg)
• Consistently >140/90 despite lifestyle changes

The Bottom Line

High blood pressure is a symptom, not a disease.

Four primary mechanisms drive it:

1. Insulin resistance (sodium retention, arterial dysfunction)
2. Chronic stress (sympathetic activation, cortisol)
3. Arterial inflammation and stiffness
4. Mineral imbalance (sodium/potassium/magnesium)

Medications lower the number. They don't fix what's broken.

Natural approaches that address root causes:

• Remove sugar, seed oils, processed foods
• Eat potassium and magnesium-rich whole foods
• Manage stress (sleep, meditation, boundaries)
• Exercise appropriately (aerobic base, strength training)
• Lose visceral fat (outcome of fixing above)
• Reduce inflammation

Most people can normalize blood pressure through lifestyle alone.

But it requires understanding the mechanisms and addressing them systematically.

Your blood pressure is trying to tell you something. Listen to it.

For comprehensive nutrition strategies that support cardiovascular health and blood pressure regulation, visit the Fuel Your Body pillar page.

For stress management and recovery protocols that lower blood pressure naturally, visit the Regulate Your System pillar page.

Ready to optimize your health and performance? Dr. JJ Gregor uses Applied Kinesiology and functional health approaches to help patients achieve their wellness goals at his Frisco, Texas practice. Schedule a consultation to discover how personalized nutrition, stress management, and lifestyle strategies can support your cardiovascular health.