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Nutrition & Healing - High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
By Dr. Jonathan V. Wright
Natural and nutritional treatment for high blood pressure can be very effective, usually reducing and sometimes eliminating the need for anti-hypertensive drugs. Both diet changes and dietary supplementation are needed for the greatest effect.
If you've been told that you have high blood pressure, it's a very good idea to monitor your own blood pressure at home as well as at your doctor's office. If you need help selecting equipment, your pharmacist can usually help you find a reliable brand. With your own blood pressure measuring equipment you can keep much better track of what influences your own blood pressure.
In nutritional and natural treatment, diet changes come first. Include as many vegetables and fruits in your diet as possible, while cutting back on animal protein and fat as much as you can. Although many of us prefer not to become complete vegetarians, research work has shown that vegetarians have lower blood pressure, so trend in that direction as much as you can.
Eliminate caffeine, alcohol and sugar for awhile and observe what effect that has on your blood pressure, frequently you'll see a difference. If you have "type 2" or "maturity onset" diabetes, it's especially important to reduce sugar and alcohol to zero. And always eliminate any added salt.
Adding onions and garlic in your diet can help reduce your blood pressure. Use garlic and onions in cooking, salads and wherever else you can. In addition, you could take garlic oil capsules. Four to six garlic oil capsules daily will often take a few points off your blood pressure.
Food allergy can contribute to high blood pressure m susceptible individuals. If you know or suspect you have food allergies, make sure to check with a doctor skilled and knowledgeable in nutritional therapies to determine whether eliminating food allergy might help.
Heavy metals and toxic minerals such as lead and cadmium occasionally contribute to hypertension. Industrial exposure is a common source of heavy metals, cadmium is also found in cigarette smoke. To determine if heavy metals or toxic minerals might be related to your hypertension you'll need the help of a doctor skilled and knowledgeable in nutritional and natural therapies. If you happen to have excess heavy metals or toxic minerals, both vitamin C and chelation {key-lay-shun] therapy can help remove them.
Whether it's a vitamin, mineral, or herb, each individual supplement usually lowers blood pressure only a few points. To make a larger impact on hypertension, it's usually necessary to use several supplemental items along with basic diet change.
Supplemental items should start with vitamin C, 1 gram, twice daily.
Calcium and magnesium should also be on you list. I usually recommend 1000 milligrams calcium and 400 to 500 milligrams magnesium daily.
Co-enzyme Q10 is a molecule important to energy metabolism that's found in every cell in our bodies. In many cases, supplemental Co-enzyme Q10 can significantly lower blood pressure, although is takes several weeks to make a difference. I usually advise 30 milligrams, twice or three times daily.
Fish oil and vegetable oils usually lower blood pressure. Although it's not been determined for certain which oils are most helpful. I usually recommend 1 tablespoon of cod liver oil or flax oil daily. If you prefer, these and other oils are available in capsules, usually 1000 milligrams per capsule. It takes 5 to 6 capsules to make one tablespoon.
Whenever we take supplemental oils, extra vitamin E is necessary, too. 400 units daily is sufficient. However, vitamin E by itself isn't known to lower blood pressure.
Some have found that hawthorne, an herbal remedy, can lower blood pressure a little. I often recommend 120 to 240 milligrams, two to three times daily.
If you're taking these or other individual supplements, it's wisest to take a good general vitamin-mineral capsule, also.
The "mainstream" medical treatment for high blood pressure involves the use of one or more prescription medications. Although usually successful in reducing blood pressure, drugs have various undesirable effects, and must always be used under a doctor's supervision.
Because of differences in age, sex, metabolism, or potential allergy, these diet and supplement therapies may not be suitable for you. Consult a health care professional skilled in nutritional and natural therapies. To locate one near you, you might call the American College of Advancement in Medicine at 800-532-3688 or the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians at 206-323-7610.
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