ensure healthy blood pressure

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Ensure Healthy Blood Pressure

Healthy & Natural Journal,Dec, 2000byJulian Whitaker

Your height and weight are vital statistics you probably carry around in your head, but do you

know what your blood pressure is? According to a recent survey, almost half of all Americans

over age 50 don't have this important piece of health information at their fingertips. Fewer still

are aware of the serious consequences of high blood pressure.

Unless you have your blood pressure checked regularly, you could have hypertension for years

without knowing it. In its early stages, this condition has few obvious symptoms, yet all the

while it takes a toll on your health. If you have high blood pressure, your risk of suffering a heart

attack is 300 percent higher than that of someone with normal blood pressure. Your risk of

suffering a stroke is 700 percent higher. In addition, you are at increased risk of kidney disease,

blindness, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Those are scary statistics. But the news is not all bad. By making small but necessary changes inyour diet and lifestyle, you can successfully reverse high blood pressure--without drugs--as so

many of my patients have.

Beyond drugs

High blood pressure affects 50 million Americans--more than 1 in 3 adults. Hypertension is the

leading reason for visits to physicians as well as for drug prescriptions. That may be good news

for the pharmaceutical companies, but not for patients who suffer from hypertension.

Though antihypertensive drugs are often prescribed as the first course of action, the fact is that

for the 80 percent of patients whose blood pressure is classified as mild to moderate, drugsaren't the only or even the best answer. Antihypertensive drugs may lower blood pressure, but

they have a host of side effects, which range from relatively "mild" symptoms like coughing,

dizziness, headache and fatigue to more serious complications, including depression, sexual

dysfunction, disturbances in heart rhythm, elevated cholesterol and even congestive heart

failure. According to a recent report, 25 percent of patients stop taking blood pressure drugs

because of adverse side effects.

There is another path to controlling blood pressure. It requires some education and motivation

on your part, but you will find the improvements in your overall health well worth the effort.

Five steps to health

* Maintain a healthy weight

Excess fat places tremendous stress on the arteries and overworks the heart with each beat. In

fact, obesity, defined as being 20 percent above your ideal body weight, is the single most
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The best way to ensure you're getting all of these protective nutrients is to eat a variety of plant

foods at every meal. Be sure to include plenty of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, which

contain phytochemicals called flavonoids that fight free radicals, strengthen blood vessels, and

protect against heart attack and stroke. Other plant foods with special blood-pressure-lowering

properties are onions, garlic and celery.

* Drink more water

Put a crimp in your garden hose and pressure builds up as the amount of water increases. In the

same way, blood pressure increases as the volume of blood increases. Diuretics, or "water pills,"

are drugs commonly prescribed to lower blood pressure by forcing the kidneys to eliminate

sodium and water, thus decreasing blood volume.

Believe it or not, water is actually a natural diuretic. I know you're probably wondering how

more water could reduce your blood volume, but there's a simple explanation: when your body

doesn't get enough water, it tries to hold on to whatever it has by retaining sodium. Blood flow

is decreased to less essential areas, thus leaving more water (and increased blood volume) for

its most important, life-sustaining functions. This often results in increased blood pressure.

Conversely, the more water you drink, the more fluid your kidneys excrete as urine. Capillaries

open since there is less need to conserve water; resistance on the peripheral blood vessels

decreases and blood pressure goes down. By drinking more water--at least eight but preferably

12 glasses a day--you'll help normalize your blood pressure.

* Take nutritional supplements

If you have high blood pressure, nutritional supplements aren't optional--they're essential. No

matter how healthy your diet, you simply cannot be sure that you're getting all the nutrients

your body needs. Poor soil quality, prolonged storage, processing and cooking all decrease the

nutritional content of food.

I suggest that you begin with a high-potency multivitamin and mineral supplement. By "high

potency," I mean amounts well above the paltry Recommended DailyAllowances (RDA's), which

are meant only to prevent deficiency diseases, not to promote optimal health. Then add the

following nutrients, which have a proven roles in regulating blood pressure and protecting

against heart attack and stroke.

* Magnesium

Magnesium is the second most concentrated mineral in the cells of your body, a status that

clearly underscores its importance for health. This safe, inexpensive mineral is one of the most

powerful therapies I know of for all types of cardiovascular disease. Magnesium lowers blood

pressure much like the class of antihypertensive drugs called calcium channel blockers do: it

prevents calcium from entering cells, which allows the artery walls to relax and dilate. Blood

flows more freely, and pressure against the artery walls is reduced. If you have hypertension, I


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recommend supplementing with 1,000 mg of magnesium daily, balanced with 1,000 to 2,000 mg

of calcium. Magnesium supplementation is especially important if you are taking a diuretic,

which promotes water loss through urination and may lead to deficiencies in magnesium and

other minerals.

* Antioxidants

Free radicals are unstable molecules that attempt to stabilize themselves by stealing electrons

from healthy cells. The damage caused by free radicals is a key factor in hypertension, primarily

because it contributes to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis, which occurs when oxidized

cholesterol and other debris accumulate within the artery walls, results in stiff, narrow arteries

that impede blood flow, causing blood pressure to rise.

Fortunately, nature has provided us with an antidote to the oxidative damage caused by free

radicals: antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by giving them electrons, thus ending

their chain reaction of destruction and protecting healthy cells from damage. Antioxidants play a

number of important roles in promoting cardiovascular health and lowering blood pressure,

from preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and raising levels of HDL cholesterol to

repairing damage to arteries and improving their ability to relax and dilate.

The antioxidant vitamins C, E, A and beta-carotene are the major free radical fighters against

hypertension and heart disease. I recommend 2,500-5,000 mg. vitamin C, 800 IU natural vitamin

E, 5,000 IU vitamin A, and 15,000 IU beta-carotene daily.

* B-complex vitamins

B-complex vitamins also promote healthy blood pressure by helping to protect against

atherosclerosis. One of the chief factors involved in atherosclerosis is homocysteine, a toxic

byproduct of protein metabolism. Homocysteine damages the lining of arteries, encourages the

formation of blood clots, stimulates the growth of excess muscle tissue in the arterial walls, and

allows LDL cholesterol to be more easily deposited.

Much as the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E neutralize free radicals, the B vitamins folic acid, B-

12, and B-6 neutralize homocysteine by converting this toxic compound into harmless amino

acids. This process, called methylation, is your body's housecleaning mechanism for preventing

the buildup of homocysteine inside your cells.

Because of the overwhelming evidence that high levels of homocysteine increase your risk ofheart attack and high blood pressure, and that B-complex vitamins detoxify homocysteine and

protect against heart disease--I recommend supplementing with folic acid (800 mcg.), vitamin B-

12 (100 mcg.), and vitamin B-6 (75 mg.).

* Fish oil


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Just as a car needs the right kind of oil to keep running smoothly, your body needs the right

kinds of fats. Among the most important for healthy blood pressure are fats called omega-3

essential fatty acids (EFA's), deemed essential because your body cannot produce them. They

must be derived from food or supplements. Omega-3 fatty acids lower cholesterol levels, help

prevent atherosclerosis and improve blood flow, all of which decrease resistance on artery walls

and allow blood pressure to fall.

Cold-water fish such as salmon and mackerel, as well as flaxseed, are nature's richest sources of

omega-3 EFA's, and I recommend incorporating these foods into your diet. However, the easiest

way to make sure you're getting enough omega-3 fatty acids is to supplement with fish oil

capsules--at least 1,000 mg. twice a day. If you have high triglycerides and cholesterol, you may

want to increase this to five 1,000 mg. capsules spread throughout the day.

* Arginine

When a busy city street can no longer handle the flow of traffic, a construction crew is sent in to

widen the road so that it can accommodate more vehicles. Your body has a similar mechanism

for widening your blood vessels to accommodate blood flow and reduce blood pressure. In this

case, the "construction crew" consists of molecules of a gas called nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator. It relaxes the smooth muscle cells of the arteries, increasing

their diameters and lowering blood pressure. In addition to relaxing your blood vessels, nitric

oxide plays another role in reducing blood pressure: it prevents platelets and white blood cells

from attaching to arterial walls and initiating the process of artery-narrowing atherosclerosis.

In order for your body to make nitric oxide, it must have adequate supplies of the amino acid

arginine. Yet it can be difficult to get enough of this raw material from food sources to keep upwith your body's demand. This is especially true if you already have significant atherosclerosis,

which blocks the production of nitric oxide. Studies have shown that supplementation with

arginine can have beneficial effects on both high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, and I

encourage you to give this safe, natural therapy a try.

The typical starting dose of arginine is 1,000 mg. three times a day, although some people

require double that dose to notice benefits. Arginine is best absorbed on an empty stomach. If

you experience stomach upset when taking it this way, then try it with some carbohydrate-

containing food. Avoid eating protein at the same time as this may impair absorption.

Relax your mind and body

One of the simplest and most powerful tools for promoting healthy blood pressure is to make a

conscious choice to relax each day. The relationship between high levels of stress and high blood

pressure is well known. However, instead of struggling to eliminate stress (which only creates

more stress), learn to manage it. I encourage you to explore the many excellent stress


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management programs available. Carving out some time each day to quiet your mind and relax

your body will do wonders for your blood pressure as well as your overall health and well-being.

Julian Whitaker, M.D., is the founder of the Whitaker Wellness Institute in Newport Beach, Calif.,

as well as the founder and past president of the American Preventive Medical Association. Dr.

Whitaker's monthly newsletter, Health & Healing, and website,www.drwhitaker.com, provideinformation about alternative medicine and natural therapies for a broad range of health

conditions. He is the author of five books, including Reversing Hypertension.

Julian Whitaker, M.D., is an author, lecturer, head of the Whitaker Wellness Institute in Newport

Beach, Calif., and publishes a monthly newsletter, Health & Healing. In short, he's a busy guy! He

treats us this month with his tried and true methods of combating high blood pressure naturally.

Julian Whitaker "Ensure Healthy Blood Pressure". Healthy & Natural Journal. FindArticles.com.

24 Mar, 2011. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HKL/is_6_7/ai_76471224/

COPYRIGHT 2000 Measurement & Data Corporation

COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group
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