Controlling Hypertension Naturally

What's the first thing the Doctor invariably does when you visit? Take your blood pressure.!.... and, if it's above an acceptable level you will be told to 'get more exercise', 'lose some weight', 'change your diet' and more than likely you will come away with a prescription for a blood-pressure lowering drug. There are a myriad of drugs that can be prescribed. Unfortunately, as is the case with most drugs, these can have undesirable side effects..

Controlling your blood pressure naturally is the much better way to go.

There is no 'cure' for hypertension - the best we can do is to keep it at a desirable level. The drugs won't 'cure' the problem which is why very often, once we are prescribed 'blood pressure lowering drugs' we are on them for life.

There is a more 'natural' path we can follow for controlling hypertension and I recommend this high blood pressure remedy report which will tell you how to "Normalize" your blood pressure DRUG FREE in 3 weeks or less,using a safe, natural, home remedy! Please, if you are already taking drugs to control your blood pressure but would prefer to follow a more natural path, discuss your ideas with your Doctor so that together you can work out the best plan of action for you.

As I already mentioned hypertension, or blood pressure, is often referred to as the 'silent killer' because there are, quite often, no warning signs that your blood pressure is higher than it should be. If it is not controlled, high blood pressure can overload the heart and blood vessels and speed up the artery-clogging process known as atherosclerosis. This can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney failure which makes it one of the main risk factors for heart attack.

There are several risk factors that need to be addressed if you are wanting to keep your blood pressure at an acceptable level.

Not only will losing weight (if you are, in fact, overweight) improve the health of your heart, it will help your body to work better and reduce the risk of many of the diseases that we encounter today.

There has been so much written about weight loss and there are so many diet programs that have come and gone and still they keep coming .... and still, people are overweight.

If weight is a problem to you, there is weight control help available.

You can learn how to make simple lifestyle changes, how to add in some exercise, learn about glycemic indexing and the foods that you should and shouldn't eat.

Smoking can have a very detrimental effect on your blood circulation, and your blood pressure. Because, as a smoker, your blood carries less oxygen and more plaque, so you are more likely to suffer dangerous blood clots and strokes, as well as back pain and blockages of the tiny blood vessels in the eyes, ears and other organs. This can lead to poor circulation in your hands, feet and limbs, which can cause severe pain, especially when exercising, and can result in gangrene and amputation.

Go to my Squidoo Lens Why Quit to learn more about giving up smoking and why it's important.

If you have a story to tell about your efforts at quitting, whether you have been successful or not, please tell your story at Quit Smoking Help

Regular physical activity will make your heart grow stronger so that it can pump more blood with less effort. The less work your heart has to do, the less pressure that is exerted on your arteries.

Just becoming more active could reduce the need for medication. If your blood pressure is at a reasonable level, exercise can keep it from rising. It will also help you to lose some weight. Simply adding moderate physical activities like mowing the lawn, scrubbing the floor, climbing stairs, swimming or just walking, to your daily routine will help enormously. Aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity most days of the week. If you can't set aside that much time at once, remember that shorter bursts of activity count, too.

There are, of course, many more factors that you will need to consider, one of the most important being your diet. In the next section of this lens you can see some recommendations of the foods that can help to control your hypertension.

Diet and exercise are very important aspects to take into consideration when looking for ways of controlling hypertension. To help you with your diet considerations I have listed below a few diet additions that you should consider.

POTASSIUM is one of the most important nutrients when it comes to treating high blood pressure. It allows muscle contraction and helps send nerve impulses through the body. Potassium can also help the body remove waste. Too much sodium (salt) in the body can keep potassium from working as it should, so even if you are getting enough potassium (most people aren't), if you are also getting a lot of sodium you could be missing out on the healthy effects of the potassium.

Diuretics (often prescribed for high blood pressure) can flush potassium as well as sodium from the body which leaves you worse off than before you started. In fact, water expert F Batmanghelidj says that high blood pressure is the result of an adaptive process to a gross body water deficiency, and should be treated with an increase in your daily water intake.

The recommended daily allowance for potassium is 4,700 milligrams, though most people get much less than that.

Here is a list of foods that are high in potassium and as a guide, a banana contains about 400 milligrams and three apricots would be about 314. So, eat up!

* Apricots
* Avocado
* Bananas
* Melons
* Kiwi Fruit
* Lima Beans
* Milk
* Oranges
* Potatoes
* Prunes
* Spinach
* Tomatoes
* Meat, Fish, Poultry

Because Potassium works together in the body with MAGNESIUM, it is recommended that we have around 400 milligrams of magnesium daily.

Magnesium which is necessary for normal nerve and muscle function, steady heartbeat, strong bones and a healthy immune system is a micronutrient found in the bones, body tissues and organs of the body. If you are taking a diuretic you may need supplementation to ensure adequate supply of magnesium or at the very least eat extra foods that are rich in magnesium.

Many studies suggest that a combination of potassium, magnesium (and often calcium) and fibre are protective of the heart and can reduce high blood pressure. Foods that are high in magnesium include:

* Whole-grain Bread
* Dark green leafy Vegetables
* Halibut
* Most nuts, especially almonds and cashews
* Soybeans
* Potatoes
* Peanut Butter
* Black-eyes Peas
* Yoghurt

CALCIUM is the third member of the nutrient trio that is often mentioned as important for the reduction of high blood pressure. Apart from helping to keep the bones and teeth healthy, calcium is also essential for the proper functioning of muscle and nerves and helps blood clot.

Most studies agree that having low levels of calcium can raise blood pressure so it is important to try to get the recommended amount of calcium, either through supplements or diet. Here are some good natural food sources:

* Broccoli
* Salmon
* Spinach
* Tofu
* Orange Juice

GARLIC is probably one of the most popular herbal supplements. Allicin, the volatile compound which gives garlic its pungent smell is thought to help in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Eating between one and four cloves (depending on the size) of garlic daily is believed to lower the systolic blood pressure five to eleven points and diastolic pressure up to five points. The reduction in blood pressure is most significant when real, whole garlic is eaten but garlic supplements are also effective if you don't like to eat the real thing.

COENZYME Q-10 is not as well known but is present in virtually all human cells and is needed for basic functioning of the cells. Levels are thought to decrease as we age and are often lower in people with heart disease, cancer and diabetes. People taking statin drugs to treat high cholesterol also are found to be deficient.

Coenzyme Q10 has been used to treat everything from arthritis to Alzheimer's, to boost exercise performance among healthy people and to lower blood pressure.

Food sources are:

* Sardines
* Peanuts
* Spinach

HAWTHORN is widely used in Europe to treat cardiovascular problems. Both the berries and the flowers of the hawthorn plant are used in herbal preparations to make the heart and cardiovascular systems more efficient.

Hawthorn widens the blood vessels, so it works in a similar way to the conventional ACE inhibitor drugs. Its ability to lower blood pressure is rather mild compared to some of the other supplements you could be taking, but it is also thought to generally improve the condition of the heart when taken for several weeks.

The recommended dose for hawthorn is 100 to 250 milligrams of hawthorn preparation with 10 percent procyanidins (the active ingredient in hawthorn) three times a day. You may have to take it for up to a month before you notice any effects.

Many vitamins have been shown to have an effect on blood pressure, particularly vitamins C, E, B5, B6 and Folic Acid (also a B vitamin). Folic acid, found in green leafy vegetables and many enriched food products reduces homocysteine levels in the blood. Homocysteine is a risk factor for heart disease and higher levels leave you at higher risk for heart problems.

SELENIUM, along with ZINC and COPPER may be helpful for people with high blood pressure. These three nutrients are often low in people with heart disease so supplementing would be a good idea.

Selenium is found in meat, dark greens, wheat, walnuts and brazil nuts, Zinc is in meat, dairy and beans and Copper is in seafood, nuts, legumes and leafy dark greens.

BETA GLUCAN is found in oat bran and maitake mushrooms. It is beneficial for lowering cholesterol which in turn helps to lower blood pressure.

Oat bran is particularly helpful for moving waste materials out of the body and can help lower cholesterol.

L-ARGINE is an amino acid that helps the body produce nitric acid and may be helpful in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. It can be found in meat, peanuts, soy and wheat products.

LECITHIN helps the body eliminate fat and can help improve liver function. It's function is similar to the Omega 3 fatty acids. A good source for lecithin is beef and sheep brains but the supplements you will find in the market are made from soy. Another good source is egg yolks.

FISH OIL also known as Omega 3 fatty acid is very helpful for the heart. Unless you eat fish at least two or three times a week as recommended, you may not be getting enough fish oil to protect your heart and lower your blood pressure. Supplementation with a good quality fish oil supplement is necessary.

Studies have shown that consuming just a tablespoon of flaxseed oil daily lowered blood pressure, so that could be an alternative to the fish oil.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR is reputedly quite successful for treating blood pressure, perhaps because it is high in so many of the vitamins and nutrients that are thought to be helpful in lowering high blood pressure. Apple cider vinegar includes vitamins C, A, E, B1, B2 and B6 as well as potassium, magnesium, copper and other helpful nutrients.

It's usefulness for high blood pressure is largely anecdotal but it does make sense that it could help. (My Mother used to swear by this for her arthritis, but I'd prefer to get my extra vitamins in supplement form).

CAYENNE PEPPER is another herb that is thought to benefit the heart. It improves circulation and keeps the arteries from hardening.

The recommendation is to mix a teaspoon of cayenne into a glass of water and drink twice daily. Hot water seasoned with lemon or honey is probably an improvement. (I haven't tried this yet!)

GREEN TEA was first used as a beverage over 4500 years ago in China and has long been believed to possess many health benefits. Drinking as little as a half cup a day of green or oolong tea for a year could cut the risk of hypertension by as much as 50%, according to a study done in Taiwan.

Polyphenols, which abound in green tea, are thought to be the reason for most of the health benefits associated with tea. Recent reviews have concluded that green tea consumption appears to be effective in lowering the risk of liver disease, heart disease, and cancers.