盤點10個日常生活中有效降血壓的辦法(下)

more Garlic in your Diet.

3.多吃大蒜

Anecdotally we all know that a Mediterranean diet is healthy for us. Mediterranean diets are high in products like olive oil and garlic.

相傳地中海式飲食十分健康，裏面放有大量橄欖油和大蒜。

As a result many medical studies have tried to establish whether or not garlic can play a role in reducing blood pressure.

因此很多醫學專家努力研究大蒜到底有沒有降血壓的功效。

Meta-analysis of these studies has shown that it does seem to have some effect in reducing blood pressure.

分析結果發現，大蒜確實能夠降血壓。

The trials showed that garlic supplements, when taken once a day over a period of months, can lower high blood pressure when compared with the results of people taking placebo pills.

試驗中，一組人每天服用含大蒜食物，另一組服用安慰劑，幾個月後，發現服用大蒜組血壓確實有所降低。

What the research has not done is compare the effectiveness of garlic compared with traditional medications nor has there been research into whether the supplements are effective long term or what dosage gives the optimum results.

不過，試驗並未對比調查大蒜與傳統藥物的有效性，也未深入研究大蒜補充物是否長期有效或多大劑量效果最佳。

While we would not advise you to bin your prescription and start popping garlic supplements instead it would certainly not harm your health if you were to go to the chemists to buy some garlic supplements and/or use more garlic in your in your diet.

雖然我們不會建議你把醫生的處方擱置一旁，用大蒜補充物代替，但是讓醫生給你開一些大蒜補充物，或者平日飲食多吃大蒜，對你的身體絕對沒有壞處！

on Lavender

2.吃薰衣草

You know lavender – that beautiful purple plant that, if you are lucky enough to live in the right area brings heavenly aromas (and beautiful butterflies) to your garden.

薰衣草，花呈紫色，極爲漂亮，若住所旁邊有一片薰衣草，在花園裏就能聞到令人沉醉的香氣，甚至能吸引美麗的蝴蝶。

If you have lavender you will know exactly how delicate the smell is and how much pleasure it can bring. It turns out, however, that lavender is more than just ornamental.

見到薰衣草，你就會知道薰衣草的香氣能夠使人愉悅。不過，薰衣草可不僅僅只是香氣迷人啊！

Originally grown for its scent and use in perfumes Lavender has been used for centuries to help people relax, balance their moods and to cure insomnia.

幾百年來，薰衣草因其香味兒多用於香水，能夠讓人放鬆，舒緩心情，以治療失眠。

European medicine women and monks from Roman times onwards were aware of the benefits lavender could bring.

自羅馬時代起，歐洲的女巫醫和僧侶就已經對薰衣草的好處有所瞭解。

Lavender plants were strewn amongst the floor rushes in bedrooms to help people sleep and lavender was used as a herb in cooking and as an ingredient in teas and tisanes.

他們把薰衣草撒在地板上助眠，還將薰衣草用於飲食、藥茶之中。

More recently studies have been undertaken to try to place our understanding of the potential benefits of lavender on a scientific footing.

近來，人們對薰衣草進行了多項研究，以圖從科學上證明薰衣草確實益處頗多。

One study gave people lavender oil to smell and recorded their responses both unconscious (such as blood pressure, heart rate etc) and their conscious responses such as their mood. The effect of lavender on the brain was also recorded through the use of EEGs.

一項研究給試驗者提供薰衣草精油，並記錄他們的潛意識（血壓、心率等）和意識反應（心情等），同時用EEGs記錄薰衣草對大腦的影響。

Compared with the placebo oil (sweet almond) the test subjects reported that they felt happier and more relaxed when they sniffed lavender oil. Recordings also showed a drop in blood pressure and heart rate readings.

試驗者表示，相比使用安慰劑（甜杏仁）而言，使用薰衣草時更爲開心、放鬆，而且記錄顯示血壓和心率也較低。

We are not suggesting that you replace all the fragrances you wear and in your home and car with lavender (you will get sick of the smell) but you might benefit from carrying a bottle of Lavender essential oil with you to dab on a handkerchief or tissue to sniff at times when you are feeling particularly stressed.

當然，你也不用把家裏和車上的所有香料換成薰衣草（那樣你肯定會厭煩的），但是你可以隨身帶一瓶薰衣草精油，感覺緊張的時候擦在手帕或紙巾上聞一聞，會讓你放鬆下來。

You might also want to research recipes that use lavender and perhaps drink a cup of lavender tea at bedtime every day (lavender mixes particularly well with green tea).

此外，還可以把薰衣草納入日常飲食，或每天睡前喝一杯薰衣草茶（薰衣草和綠茶配在一起味道極好）。

If you enjoy massage you should also consider switching to a lavender based massage oil.

若是喜歡按摩，還可以用薰衣草按摩油。

Smoking

1.戒菸

This one should be a a no-brainer; however almost 20% of people between 45-64 smoke and 9% over 65 are still smoking.

戒菸一事，衆所周知，百利而無一害，然而45歲至64歲的人羣中，仍有20%的人還在吸菸，65歲以上的老人中，吸菸人數也佔到9%。

Any guesses why the percentage is cut in half after age 65? I bet it's not because those people finally got the courage to quit. Nope. They dead. Drop the cancer sticks.

有人好奇爲什麼65歲以上吸菸的人數少了一半？肯定不是他們終於鼓起勇氣戒菸了。真相是：他們死掉了！所以，趕快戒菸吧！

Not only are they proven to give you cancer but smoking raises your blood pressure and heart rate, narrows your arteries and hardens their walls, and makes your blood more likely to clot.

吸菸不僅會導致癌症，還會使血壓和心率升高，使動脈變細，動脈壁增厚，更容易發生血栓。

It stresses your heart and sets you up for a heart attack or stroke.

心臟壓力增大，會增加心臟病或中風的風險。

So there you have it – our top 10 natural ways to reduce your blood pressure without resorting to medication.

以上就是我們總結的“自然降壓10法”，無需藉助藥物。

Of course if your doctor has prescribed tablets you should continue to take them and to attend your regular blood pressure monitoring sessions. They are important for your health!

當然，若是醫生給你開了藥，還是不要放棄治療，繼續吃藥、定期監測血壓爲好。