How Meditation May Affect Your Blood Pressure

Key Points

• Meditation may help reduce blood pressure by easing stress and encouraging slower breathing.

• Studies suggest that regular practice over several weeks can produce modest improvements.

• Meditation should be used together with, not as a replacement for, medication and other heart-healthy habits.

High blood pressure affects nearly half of U.S. adults, and the standard advice for managing it is familiar: reduce sodium, exercise more and take prescribed medication when needed. Meditation may seem less obvious, but research increasingly points to it as another useful tool.

Even a few minutes a day may help. To learn more, we spoke with a mindfulness researcher, a cardiologist and two registered dietitians about what happens to blood pressure during meditation and how to make the habit easier to keep.

How Meditation Can Influence Blood Pressure

Meditation may affect blood pressure through the nervous system, breathing patterns and even everyday food choices.

It Can Ease the Stress Response

Stress triggers a body-wide response meant to help you react quickly. “When we experience stress, our sympathetic nervous system becomes activated, which can increase heart rate, constrict blood vessels and raise blood pressure,” says Eric B. Loucks, Ph.D. “Mindfulness meditation may help us respond to stress with greater awareness and less physiological reactivity, potentially reducing some of these effects over time.”

Meditation may also influence some of the hormonal signals involved in the stress response, according to Marschall Runge, M.D. These changes may continue beyond the time spent meditating.

It Slows Breathing

Most meditation practices encourage slower, more controlled breathing. “It is likely that slower breathing during meditation is the most important component in achieving these effects,” says Runge.

Slower breathing may help reduce blood vessel constriction and improve the baroreflex, the body’s built-in blood pressure regulator. Sensors in the arteries detect changes in blood pressure and signal the heart and blood vessels to adjust.

It Can Make You More Aware of Your Habits

Mindfulness can also increase awareness of daily habits and how they influence health. “For example, mindfulness can help us recognize when we’re eating because we’re stressed rather than hungry, or notice when we’ve been sitting for extended periods and that it would be beneficial for our bodies to move,” he says.

Research suggests that mindfulness-based programs may improve interoceptive awareness, or the ability to notice what is happening inside the body. They may also support healthier eating habits, including better adherence to the DASH diet, an eating pattern designed to help lower blood pressure.

Val Warner, M.S., RD, CSSD, CPT, sees a similar pattern with her clients. When they practice mindfulness, they approach meal planning and preparation more intentionally. Instead of grabbing something quick for breakfast, they may take a few extra minutes to include a source of protein and fiber, she says.

Benefits May Accumulate Over Time

You may notice a temporary drop in blood pressure during or soon after a meditation session, especially if you were stressed beforehand. But lasting change takes time. Runge says the effects generally show up after eight to 12 weeks of regular practice.

Even small improvements in blood pressure can be meaningful for heart health. Still, the size of the benefit can vary from person to person, and meditation is not a substitute for treatments that have been proven to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The American Heart Association’s blood pressure guidance takes a cautious view, saying meditation and other stress-reduction techniques may be helpful additions to lifestyle changes or medication. Melissa Hooper, M.S., RDN, stresses that “meditation should complement, not replace, prescribed blood pressure medications or recommended dietary modifications.”

Ways to Build a Meditation Habit

You do not need a retreat or a free hour to begin. Simple strategies can help you create a routine you can maintain.

Other Ways to Support Blood Pressure

Meditation works best alongside other heart-healthy habits. Here is where our dietitians recommend focusing your efforts.

Our Expert Take

Meditation may help lower blood pressure over time by calming the body’s stress response, promoting slower breathing and increasing awareness of habits that affect heart health. Research suggests that consistent practice over several weeks or months may lead to modest improvements, though results vary. Starting with a few minutes a day is a practical approach, especially if it helps you build a routine you can keep.

“What I’d say first is to try it. Meditation is low cost, and the benefits likely go far beyond blood pressure, with many studies showing a reduction in anxiety and improvement in sleep and a sense of well-being,” says Runge. If you take blood pressure medication, keep taking it as prescribed and speak with your doctor about how meditation may fit into your heart-healthy plan.

Read the original article on EatingWell