Over 70 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure and a further 30 percent have prehypertension, making this condition extremely crucial to control.

“While health is important at any age, chronic insults to the arteries such as elevated blood pressure can certainly take their toll over time leading to increased risk for heart disease,” says Dr. Felicia Stoler, MS, RD., an expert consultant in healthy living who specializes in integrating behavior and nutritional modification to influence positive health outcomes.

“It’s important to schedule regular doctors visits especially if you know you have a genetic predisposition to hypertension and monitor your blood pressure regularly with a home device,” she tells Newsmax Health.

While physicians are quick to prescribe medication to lower blood pressure, Dr. Stoler cautions that any medication can have side effects.

“Some people taking ACE inhibitors, for example, can have a dry cough while others suffer from dizziness and have an upset stomach. It’s important to try natural remedies first before diving into drugs.”

Stoler warns that high blood pressure is often called “the silent killer” because it rarely shows symptoms, so monitoring your numbers regularly can be life saving. According to the American Heart Association, ideal blood pressure should be less than 120/80.

Here are some suggestions on how to lower or stabilize hypertension naturally:

1. Choose foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich grains, oily fish, nuts, legumes and seeds.
2. Daily activity is important, says Stoler. “You don’t have to sweat or get out of breathe in order to reap the benefits. Take a five-minute walk every hour at work which can add up to 40 minutes of activity during an 8 hour day.”
3. Fish oil supplementation. Fish oil Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to lower cardiovascular risk by reducing inflammation in the body and also reducing clotting time.
4. Meditate. The American Heart Association released a recent scientific statement endorsing the practice of Transcendental Meditation as a valid technique to lower blood pressure. The report also said that the method was safe and had no side effects.
5. Hawthorn. This herb is commonly used in Europe to lower blood pressure, Dr. Ellen Kamhi, Ph. D, author of The Natural Medicine Chest, tells Health Radar. “It improves blood flow and strengthens the contractions of the heart muscle.”  In a British trial, this herb showed significant health benefits with a 1,200 milligram daily dose.
6. Coenzyme Q10. This supplement lowers both the systolic pressure, when the heart is beating, and the diastolic pressure, when the heart is relaxed, says Kamhi. University of Western Australia research shows that taking 60 to 100 milligrams daily lowers blood pressure by up to17 points.
7. Aged garlic extract. A Brown University study showed that taking daily capsules of aged garlic extract lowers high blood pressure by 6 percent.
8. Beet Juice. Scientist at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that a daily dose of beetroot juice significantly improved blood pressure in elderly patients with heart failure. It also boosted their exercise endurance levels by 24 percent after one week.