High blood pressure also known as hypertension, is particularly common in today's fast-paced, high stress world. Often called `the silent killer', high blood pressure can wreak havoc on the human system without any overt systems.

In fact many people do not realise they have high blood pressure until they've already experienced some cardiovascular damage. Normal healthy blood pressure would be less than 140/90, borderline about 141/91 to 159/94 and a high level 160/95 or more.

Most cases of high blood pressure are caused by clogging and hardening of the arteries along with exhausted kidneys -- factors that can be brought under control by diet and lifestyle improvement.

Standard high blood pressure medications may be indicated in cases of severe hypertension. The implications of untreated high blood pressure are serious and therefore a qualified healthcare practitioner should always be consulted.

However, many people are being told that if they have high blood pressure, lifetime drug therapy is the best solution. But over the long term, side effect hazards may outweigh the benefits of these drugs. New studies in the journal 'Circulation' find that calcium channel blockers increase heart attack risk up to 60 percent and for men impotence commonly results. Beta blockers also have a long list of side effects.

Studies show that most people do not require medication to control high blood pressure if they adopt simple diet and lifestyle therapy.

Here are some dietary guidelines to keep your blood pressure on track: Follow a low fat diet. You should get no more than twenty five percent of your daily intake of calories from fat. Restricting the fat in your diet will help you lose weight, which almost always lowers blood pressure. Restricting your consumption of animal products is an excellent way to cut down on saturated fat. Supplementing with good fat like fish or flax seed oil helps to clear the system of fat solids.

Increase you intake of potassium, magnesium and calcium. You can do this by including more plant foods in your meals.

Traditional Chinese medicine recommends three glasses of warm celery juice daily.

Reduce your intake of salt. This is particularly important for salt-sensitive individuals. Sodium is present not only in table salt, but also in many processed foods. For example, one cup of canned French cut green beans contains 780mg of sodium. You can cut down on sodium by emphasising fresh, natural foods. A sodium-restricted diet for hypertension ranges from 1,000 to 3,000mg of sodium per day. Also watch out for over-the-counter drugs like antacids, laxatives and sleeping aids which often contain generous amounts of sodium. For example, instant Metamucil has 250mg of sodium per package.

Restrict your consumption of refined sugars. Refined sugar is often converted to body fat, which is a primary risk factor in hypertension. Do not substitute with phenylalanine, especially as found in nutrasweet and over-the-counter anti-histamines as it aggravates high blood pressure.

Reduce your intake of alcohol. 'The PDR Family Guide to Nutrition and Health' recommends a daily intake of no more than one drink for women and two drinks for men.

These supplements can also help: Hawthorn can widen blood vessels, especially the coronary arteries. In addition some of the flavanoids in hawthorn help prevent the narrowing of blood vessels.

Kudzu contains a chemical (puerarin) that decreased blood pressure by 15 percent in laboratory animals, reports Dr. James Duke. In addition puerarin has many times the antioxidant activity of vitamin E, thus reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Garlic helps reduce cholesterol as well as blood pressure. In a 1993 study, people with high blood pressure consumed one clove of garlic daily for 12 weeks. At the conclusion of the study, they demonstrated significantly lower pressure and cholesterol levels. Odorless garlic capsules are a good alternative.

CoQ10 shows great promise for hypertensives. Coenzyme Q10 is a nutrient that naturally occurs in our bodies. One study investigated 26 hypertensives who took 50mg of CoQ10 twice a day for ten weeks. At the end of the study, systolic blood pressure had dropped from an average of 165 ton 147, and diastolic blood pressure had dropped from 98 to 86 according to Dr. Ray Sahelian in, `Coenzyme Q10; Nature's Heart Energiser'.

Magnesium supplements may also lower blood pressure. One double-blind study focused on 91 middle-aged and elderly women with mild to moderately high blood pressure. They received either 480mg of magnesium aspartate or a placebo each day for six months. At the end of the study, both systolic and diastolic levels dropped significantly in the magnesium group.

Valerian promotes higher levels of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) in the body. GABA helps regulate blood pressure. In addition, valerian has sedative activity, which has a beneficial impact on blood pressure.

Potassium supplementation may be especially beneficial for hypertensives over the age of 65, suggests naturopath and author Michael T. Murray. According to Murray the elderly often do not fully respond to blood-pressure-lowering drugs, which make the use of potassium supplementation an exciting possibility.