High blood pressure is an issue that many Americans face. About one in every three adults suffers from high blood pressure, and only about half of them have their condition under control. You can limit the risks by taking preventative measures, but sometimes you’re too late, or it is ingrained in your genetics. Those that are at this point turn to medication, and more and more people everyday are switching to Cannabidiol (CBD) to lower their blood pressure. A Little About CBD CBD is a chemical that is extracted from the cannabis plant. By itself, it is entirely legal in all 50 states because of its lack of psychoactive properties that we know THC has. Cannabidiol’s interaction with the endocannabinoid system is possible without psychoactive effects in part because it doesn’t directly bind with the CB1 and CB2 receptors on neurons. It stimulates non-cannabinoid receptors and travels through ion pathways and independent receptor channels. This gives it the ability to police and monitor the activity in the brain, making sure it functions properly. CBD’s job is to regulate the endocannabinoid system. This system is in charge of homeostasis, which is what keeps everything in your body running like a well-oiled machine. If you have a weak endocannabinoid system, or any damaged or faulty parts, CBD helps your brain fill in the missing pieces and can even repair damaged cells. Two Main Hypertension Types Essential Hypertension This kind of blood pressure is diagnosed when an individuals blood pressure is high after three or more visits and other causes have been ruled out. Often, the patient doesn’t experience any symptoms. The symptoms they may feel are frequent headaches, dizziness, fatigue or nosebleeds. Doctors and researchers are unsure of the cause, but factors like smoking, obesity, drinking alcohol, and hereditary are known to play a role in the disease. Secondary Hypertension The most common cause of Secondary Hypertension is abnormalities in the arteries that supply blood to the kidneys. Other less common causes are airway obstruction during sleep, disease, and tumors in adrenal glands, hormonal abnormalities, too much salt in the diet, and hormone abnormalities. It can also be caused by over-the-counter medicine like Advil and Aleve. (Full list of medications that can cause High Blood Pressure) Once this type of Hypertension is diagnosed in a patient, it cannot be cured, and many lifestyle changes are going to need to occur to prevent detrimental damage. Additional Hyptertension Types Isolated Systolic There are two numbers that are measured when your blood pressure is taken, and the first or upper number is the systolic number. This is the pressure exerted during the heartbeat. The bottom or second number is the diastolic number, which is the pressure of the heart in between its beats. Loss of elasticity is often a cause for the systolic number of being high while the diastolic number remains normal. The individuals who are at the highest risk of developing this type of Hypertension are people over the age of 65. Malignant Hypertension One of the rarer forms of hypertension with only about 1% of people suffering from high blood pressure suffering from this form of the disease. Malignant Hypertension makes your blood pressure rise rapidly, and it is considered a medical emergency that should be treated in a hospital. The individuals who have the highest risk of this disease are younger adults, black males, and women with pregnancy toxemia. The symptoms are blurred vision, numbness in the arms and legs, confusion, headache, and chest pain. Resistant Hypertension This type of Hypertension is rewarded to the disease that just won't go away. The reason it has its name Resistant Hypertension is that it doesn’t go away after taking the proper medications. This happens in 20-30% of blood pressure cases. The causes are speculated to be genetic, though there is more research to be done. What they have found I that it is most commonly found in the elderly, black community, the obese, females, those who have diabetes, or have an illness involving the kidney. How You Can Prevent Hypertension Some risk factors of hypertension are out of your control. You cannot change your gene pool, your age, or your ethnicity. There are some factors you can control, and by practicing these healthy habits, you can even reduce the risks that you were forced to live with. Healthy Body Weight A healthy body should always be the primary concern when it comes to body weight, not aesthetics. Knowing the healthy body weight for your size can be a huge help in reducing the risk to high blood pressure. Just losing ten pounds could make the world of a difference. Eat A Balanced Diet The healthier your eating habits, the healthier your body is most likely going to be. By staying away from foods that can clog arteries, damage cells, and slow your body down, you can help lower your risks of the disease. There are even some foods that have been known to reduce blood pressure that contains magnesium, potassium, and fiber. Hypertension Diet Foods Apples Bananas Apricots Green Beans Broccoli Grapes Mangos Melons Raisins Spinach Strawberries Tuna Fat-Free Yogurt Reduce Salt Intake The higher the sodium intake, the worse the blood pressure. It is always a good idea to not go overboard with salty foods. To make it easier, try to make a food diary that lists how much salt you’ve eaten. It is suggested to limit your salt to 2,300 milligrams. Try eating foods that only have 5% or less of the daily value of sodium, and especially stay away from processed foods. Exercise Regularly Exercising is very effective in lowering systolic blood pressure. It strengthens the heart which means the heart doesn’t have to work so hard to get the blood pumping. This relaxes the arteries, making blood flow easy and blood pressure lower. Drink Less Alcohol It’s a known fact that drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure. It also contributes to unwanted weight gain. By reducing your alcohol intake, you can reduce both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. For most people with high blood pressure, it is suggested to limit your drinking to one alcoholic beverage a day. Monitor Blood Pressure By keeping track of your blood pressure, you will know if either your efforts are working or if you need to see a doctor to find out how to tackle this disease differently. It is also just good to know if your symptoms are getting worse what the cause is. When all of these strategies fail, or the hypertension is in your blood, many turn to using medication. How CBD Can Help With Hypertension Studies have shown that just one dose of CBD can reduce blood pressure. This is because when CB1 receptors are stimulated by endocannabinoids like anandamide, the force used to for the heart to pump can become suppressed. This allows for more significant blood flow which normalizes blood pressure and reduces damage to the arterial walls. Using CBD can also protect the individual’s brain after experiencing a heart attack or stroke. When the brain stops receiving blood, it can start to shut down and become damaged. Hemp repairs damaged cells and has neuroprotective properties that help keep parts of the brain out of harm’s way. Many brains that experience a stroke go through oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis. During a test with rats that had a stroke, they eliminated the brain alterations entirely by giving the rat CBD directly after the stroke, which in turn helped save its brain from long-term damage. The reason so many are switching to CBD over many medications, even effective ones, is because they hold a lot less risk in taking them. Some drugs can cause skin rashes, an unhealthy change in weight, nausea, and fatigue. One of CBD’s highest risks is that it lowers blood pressure. Which, in this case, seems like less of a risk. It is always suggested to speak to a doctor before switching medications or taking yourself off of them. Smoking medical cannabis can increase heart rate and standing blood pressure and reduces lying blood pressure. Though it is extremely uncommon to have a heart attack triggered from smoking medical marijuana, it may be best to take the safe route. Luckily, CBD is extremely versatile in a number of ways you can take it. There are pills, tablets, edibles, and even suppositories that can help you lower your blood pressure safely. If you are wanting to take CBD oil for your blood pressure, be sure to discuss this with your doctor. Your doctor always needs to know what kind of medication you are taking so they can help monitor your progress and make sure that you are taking the best route to health.