Lowering Highblood Pressure




High blood pressure and factors such as high cholesterol, obesity and smoking contribute to cardiovascular disease. In the United States, someone experiences a coronary event every 25 seconds and someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, according to the 2011 heart disease and stroke statistics published by "Circulation," a publication of the American Heart Association. It could prove dangerous to self-treat high blood pressure with vitamin B complex.

B Vitamins


The B vitamins, found in a variety of foods, provide important health benefits, including promoting healthy digestion and improving liver and nervous system function. Individual B vitamins, as prescribed by your doctor, may treat conditions such as high cholesterol, type 1 diabetes and eye disease. If you take over-the-counter vitamin B complex, containing a half dozen or more B vitamins, the effects may prove contradictory. One B vitamin, for instance, might raise your blood pressure, while another could lower it.



Vitamin B-3


Vitamin B-3, also known as niacin, may lower blood pressure. If your blood pressure normally measures low, do not take vitamin B complex that includes vitamin B-3. Niacin could cause a serious drop in your blood pressure. If you think vitamin B-3 might help you treat hypertension -- high blood pressure -- talk to your doctor about potential risks, benefits and -- if applicable -- recommended dose. Taking niacin in doses high enough to lower high blood pressure puts you at risk for serious side effects, including liver damage, loss of vision, stomach ulcers and irregular heartbeat. Although niacin may lower your blood pressure, it could increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Vitamin B-5


Vitamin B-5, another B vitamin commonly found in B complex supplements, may raise your blood pressure. If you take a B complex supplement that contains both B-3 and B-5 -- niacin and pantothenic acid -- they may cancel each other out in terms of effectiveness in treating blood pressure problems. If you have hemophilia, a blood clotting disorder, do not take B complex supplements that contain vitamin B-5 -- it could make it harder to control bleeding.

Considerations


You should see a doctor about the best way to treat high blood pressure. You may need to take a prescription medication rather than an over-the-counter remedy such as vitamin B complex. If you want to try safe home remedies, reduce the sodium and increase the potassium in your diet. This means consuming fewer processed foods and replacing salt with other spices in cooking, as well as adding potassium-rich foods such as sweet potatoes, bananas, spinach and raisins to your diet.



References

Article reviewed by Eric Lochridge Last updated on: Jul 7, 2011