Fresh articles from Holistic Health Articleshttp://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:34:51 EDTHolisticHealthArticles.com http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10764/274/Potassium-Offsets-Salt-Induced-Cardiovascular-Distress.html
Potassium is highly concentrated in your cells, whereas sodium (salt) is concentrated between your cells New science is showing that a lack of potassium is a primary reason why salt can cause high blood pressure and cardiovascular damage This is especially important in the summer when higher heat can aggravate a potassium deficiency

Potassium is the most important positive ion (cation) within your cells Your cells have an ion pump that pumps 2 potassium ions into a cell while pumping 3 sodium ions out In this way the proper electrical charges of cells is maintained, which is essential for maintaining proper fluid and electrolyte balance in your body The normal concentration of potassium within cells is especially important to your nervous system and is needed for normal nerve transmission

Potassium is high in foods such as bananas, oranges, cantaloupes, tomatoes, potatoes, legumes, and garlic Other good sources include most fruits and vegetables as well as meat and dairy A problem for many Americans is the excessive intake of salt in comparison to the intake of potassium, thereby creating a relative potassium deficiency Additionally, dietary surveys of Americans age 60-80 show their diets to be lacking in potassium

A lack of potassium shows up as nerve, muscle, and fluid problems Irritability is common and will occur in combination with impaired muscle function In milder cases this is simply muscle weakness In more significant deficiencies coordination is reduced and muscle cramps may occur, along with more noticeable muscle fatigue Irregular heart beats or even cardiac arrhythmia can be caused by a lack of potassium Swelling and fluid retention from milder cases of ring tightness, to more advanced cases that are involved with high blood pressure, is another common sign of potassium deficiency

Ironically, the diuretics often given by doctors to lower blood pressure by removing excess water and salt also have the undesired side effect of stripping away potassium — which actually increases cardiovascular distress

Sodium intake in and of itself is not a health problem as long as you are healthy Indeed, healthy kidneys can readily handle huge fluctuations in salt intake However, once a person starts down a path of gaining weight, the kidneys enter into a state of stress and have difficulties processing the large amount of sodium naturally passing through them every day

New science shows that potassium can help offset many of the adverse changes of salt by lowering blood pressure and stabilizing nerve transmission which can help to reduce cardiac arrhythmia It even helps improve insulin resistance that can be caused by excess salt intake Its effect on nerves is relaxing in nature, even though it is needed for all nerve transmission This latest scientific research shows that proper potassium balance is also working as an antioxidant in all key areas

Potassium, like magnesium and calcium, are minerals that help buffer your body against stress and help maintain proper pH in your body When any of these important minerals are lacking, your pH can become too acidic and your body will slip into an unhealthy zone Since potassium problems are more noticeable in heat or during intense exercise, ensuring potassium adequacy in the summer months is a good idea for everyone This is why many people gravitate toward extra fresh fruit in the summer You also need salt, but not in excess And in many cases, especially if you struggle with symptoms of potassium deficiency, supplemental potassium can be a real help





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Americans are progressing towards heart disease in alarming numbers, with significant signs of poor cardiovascular health occurring even in our overweight teenagers Whether young or old, DHA from fish oil can help offset the stress of a poor diet and dietary indiscretions While I'm all in favor of everyone being perfect - it is easier said than done A number of recent studies demonstrate the value of DHA as an invaluable protector of your health

It is well known that a high fat meal provokes a variety of cardiovascular stressful reactions in the circulation In this study 20 healthy men and women were fed a high fat meal either with a placebo or with 1000 mg of EPA/DHA fish oil Various parameters of blood flow and blood pressure were tested The high fat meal, as expected, showed significant signs of reduced arterial blood flow four hours post meal whereas those consuming the fish oil supplement maintained normal blood flow in response to the high fat meal

A placebo-controlled trial with 78 overweight teenage boys (ages 13 - 15) tested 1500 mgs of EPA/DHA compared to placebo over a 16 week period Due to metabolic youth teenagers have some ability to tolerate the adverse metabolic condition of being overweight without displaying clinically high blood pressure or high cholesterol, as was the situation in these participants However, this study sought to test if fish oil could help prevent these teenagers from the early changes that lead to the full blown metabolic syndrome and eventual high risk for heart disease At the end of the study the boys in the fish oil group had significantly lower blood pressure and higher levels of the protective HDL cholesterol This demonstrated that fish oil does indeed have an ability to help reduce the progression into heart disease that is induced by the condition of being overweight

A just-published Spanish study sought to understand why Spain has such a low rate of heart disease and cardiac death despite high prevalence of what are termed cardiovascular risk factors in America (such as high cholesterol) 451 individuals with high cholesterol had the thickness of their carotid arteries measured along with the fatty acid profile of their red blood cells (which exactly predicts what types of fats they eat) The combination of higher omega 9 oleic acid (olive oil) and DHA (fish oil) were inversely related to the thickness of the carotid artery The EPA score did not matter, once again confirming that DHA is the primary omega 3 oil with cardiovascular benefit Thus, even in individuals who have eaten too much and gotten themselves metabolically unfit, olive oil and DHA fish oil offered considerable protection against the development of actual cardiovascular disease

This finding is consistent with a number of earlier studies showing that DHA actually helps to stabilize any existing plaque in the carotid arteries so that it doesn't rupture and cause a stroke In a normal world such findings would be on the front page of every paper In the Big Pharma sickness industry world, they are actively ignored

Lastly, I'd like to call attention to a new animal study that shows that DHA in the mitochondrial membrane drastically improves cardiovascular energetics and normal function This is different than the anti-inflammatory benefits of DHA within cell membranes Mitochondria exist within cells as the "car engines" that produce cellular energy (ATP) Their ability to function optimally is a major determinant of your lifespan as when energy production capacity declines so goes everything else This study also proves that it is the DHA part of fish oil not the EPA, that is vital to healthy cell energetics

Everyone should of course work in the direction of better or optimal body weight Most Americans simply eat too much When you follow the Leptin Diet you can get more energy from less food and have fewer cravings How consistently you are "good" over the course of your life will have a profound impact on your quality of health as you grow older It is good news that DHA can help protect us and even offset a health pattern of too many indiscretions I wouldn't interpret this as a license too eat poorly, but rather a gift at a second chance




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The simplistic notion that LDL cholesterol is "bad" and HDL cholesterol is "good" has only one purpose in public health dogma: scaring people into taking toxic statin drugs to lower their LDL cholesterol A new study shows that some people with high HDL cholesterol have increased rates of chest pain, heart attack, and death - but who?

When Pfizer tried to raise HDL cholesterol with its drug torcetrapib the results were disastrous and the trial had to be stopped early due to significant cardiovascular deaths The new study confirms that patients with a high level of inflammatory C-reactive protein and high HDL are at particular risk But there are plenty of people with high C-reactive protein and normal or low HDL who are still at risk for heart disease Since many of the best researchers in the world seem puzzled by this seeming HDL paradox, let me help them out a bit

I liken LDL cholesterol to a UPS truck, helping to deliver important fat-soluble nutrition and antioxidants all around your body It becomes "bad" only when it is damaged due to interactions with toxins, germs, free radicals, or some type of inflammatory insult Damaged LDL cholesterol, also called oxidized LDL, may form plaque in your arteries People take fat-soluble antioxidants, like the tocotrienol form of vitamin E, to protect their LDL from damage

HDL cholesterol is like a tow truck, specifically towing LDL cholesterol back to your liver to be recycled, regenerated, or cleared from your body If you don't have enough HDL cholesterol or if you have too much LDL cholesterol, then the balance between the tow trucks and the UPS trucks is out of whack and you are at risk for a problem

You can't tell how much damaged LDL cholesterol you have by your number, although it is assumed that if it is higher your likely have more By the same token, you can't tell the quality of your HDL tow trucks by an HDL number, although you can assume that if your HDL number is low you either don't have enough nutrition to make them or something toxic/inflammatory is destroying them I have written extensively on the importance of the quality of your HDL cholesterol in my article, The Amazing New World of HDL Cholesterol, which explains why it is so important to never let your triglycerides become more than twice the number of your HDL

It is quite true that certain long-lived populations with low rates of cardiovascular disease have higher HDL cholesterol, meaning they have a very efficient tow truck service that is really good at carting off damaged LDL cholesterol before it can form plaque in the arteries So what is going on when HDL is high and cardiovascular disease is increasing?

It is my belief that this is a sign of increased toxic stress wherein the elevation of HDL cholesterol is a compensating mechanism for LDL being damaged at a higher rate of speed This means one's body is trying its best to get rid of the damaged cholesterol by increasing HDL Interestingly, LDL levels may be rather low in this situation I have seen many cases wherein a person has twice as much HDL as LDL, the opposite of a normal ratio Such people are routinely told by their doctors they have nothing to worry about In my experience these are some of the unhealthiest people I have encountered

I noticed many years ago that people with this high HDL/low LDL profile either had some major form of inflammatory trouble (often autoimmune) or had a very high level of chemical sensitivity Either situation is highly inflammatory, which correlates well with the new finding of increased inflammation and high HDL as a risk factor

The moral of the story is that cholesterol numbers in and of themselves only mean something in the context of a person's overall health And then you have to understand what LDL and HDL are trying to do to understand what your own issues may be Just thinking "good" and "bad" may cause you to miss the boat entirely or take a toxic drug that is far from good for you If your HDL cholesterol is high and you aren't feeling so good then you should take aggressive steps to reduce inflammation and toxicity, as the newer science is showing that you need to lower your cardiovascular risk





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The statin drug Zocor (simvastatin) has been shown to directly compromise the immune response to an opportunistic infection This is not good news for any person taking any statin, as the type of impairment involved seriously compromises basic immune system function

The production of cholesterol is much like an automobile assembly line, except with multiple branches that build other things at the same time (a novel system of efficiency) The various molecules produced are vital to your survival Indeed, cholesterol synthesis is the backbone of survival The primary cholesterol production line is called the HMG-CoA reductase pathway Important branches include the production of selenoproteins that run your antioxidants and thyroid, as well as the production of coenzyme Q10 and vitamin D One of these branches involves the production of novel compounds called isoprenoids (geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate and farnesyl pyrophosphate) Isoprenoids also occur in nature in fat-soluble nutrients like carotenes In fact, the power of tocotrienol vitamin E compared to regular vitamin E is due primarily to the fact that tocotrienols have a side chain molecule that is an isoprenoid These isoprenoids play a vital role in attaching fatty substances to proteins, a process called protein prenylation Proper protein prenylation is required for the healthy function of many cells in your body, including the prevention of cancer Taking any statin reduces the protein prenylation activities in your body via suppressing the production of the isporenoids needed to carry out this activity This is a highly undesirable side effect of statins

The new research looked into the function of macrophages, important members of your front line immune troops Some macrophages were treated with Zocor at a relevant physiologic dose and others were not They were then exposed to a common bacterial infection The Zocor-treated macrophages experienced a double-negative whammy Their ability to engulf the bacteria was crippled Next, the macrophages generated excessive inappropriate inflammatory signals The researchers traced the molecular malfunction to the fact that the statin blocked proper protein prenylation within the macrophage, crippling its function

While I have tried to make this rather complex issue as simple as possible to understand, the bottom line is that this is a highly adverse effect on human immunity that will cause more severe infections in humans or allow low-grade infections to gain a hold within the human body and wreak havoc to health In turn, these infections will increase the overall inflammatory burden that is now known to be a primary contributing factor to poor health and all "diseases of aging " On this point alone the use of statins should be banned for 95% of the people currently taking them as there is no way the benefits could possibly outweigh the risks The medical profession prescribing these drugs invariably ignores or doesn't understand this type of study and hopes the general public doesn't understand health well enough to be concerned





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The nightmare for those writing prescriptions for drugs and those taking them continues The medication debacle in America highlights the blatant failure of Western medicine to improve the human condition and reverse disease in millions of Americans whose health is headed in the wrong direction

A number of recent studies on using drugs to control blood pressure are challenging the essence of Western medicine theory; i e , the reliance on managing numbers on paper instead of the actual patient The shaky theory is based on the idea that somehow changing numbers with drugs produces health If true, you would think that changing them to look ideally healthy would produce the greatest benefit Not so, doing so can actually cause worse health when it comes to blood pressure and Type 2 diabetic patients

The blood pressure arm of the ACCORD trial has proven to be another humongous failure, just like the lipid arm and the blood sugar arm The ACCORD trial is based on the ridiculous idea that aggressively using drugs to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar in Type 2 diabetics will improve their cardiovascular health and save their lives While lowering systolic blood pressure to 140 or less has shown benefit, lowering it below 120 (normal blood pressure) shows no additional benefit To the contrary, multiple parameters of the health of Type 2 diabetic patients declined and medical complications rose significantly as their blood pressure was lowered to typical normal with drugs

In a separate study with Type 2 diabetic patients with coronary artery disease the data showed that they were best off if their systolic blood pressure was 130 - 140 If it was lowered to 115 the patients developed the same risk for cardiovascular problems that patients over 140 had This really throws a monkey wrench into Western medicine theory, as not only is lower that looks like ideal worse, "healthiest" seems to be higher than what is considered normal for the population in general

Needless to say, the medical authorities had no explanation for their findings - a testament to the fact they don't really know what they are doing Maybe they should go back to blood pressure 101 Here they would find that blood pressure exists to move nutrients and oxygen around the body to places that need them In Type 2 diabetics there are many traffic jams in the circulation that are reducing the ability of nutrients to arrive at the desired locations In response, one's body raises blood pressure to help push the nutrients where they need to go Lowering blood pressure too much is like letting air out of a balloon Without adequate pressure nutrients can't get where they need to go and health deteriorates People with circulation related health problems "need" higher blood pressure or else they suffer cellular malnutrition On the other hand, if blood pressure stays too high too long then something might burst It is like being between a rock and a hard place This is not an unsolvable health problem - it just can't be solved with drug use based on the deficient theory of Western medicine Yet, this charade continues to pass for health care in America

While these studies are with Type 2 diabetics the information applies to anyone on blood pressure medication Oftentimes these medications make it so that blood doesn't flow to one's head properly, resulting in irritability and depression Other times they shut off the flow of nutrients to cells resulting in handicapped metabolism that leads to weight gain Many times these problems develop slowly over time and so a person does not even think the blood pressure medication caused them - sort of a progressive malnutrition

I have seen people develop autoimmune problems from taking blood pressure medication - something not discussed in the medical literature This is because the lymph system, which is a pressure system, is on the back end of the circulatory system Lowering blood pressure can induce lymphatic stagnation (shoulder pain and pressure) resulting in immune system malfunction

Blood pressure in a good range because you are healthy is a good thing Blood pressure numbers that look better because you are taking a medication may relieve some acute stress - but it is like using a credit card to buy health One day you will have to pay the bill The only way to pay it correctly is to replace the drug with health The long term use of blood pressure medication for a majority of the people using these drugs is not actually fixing their health problems regardless of the number achieved, and may actually be making them worse On top of that the medical profession doesn't understand much of what they are doing when they prescribe blood pressure medications





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Each day, your heart pumps nearly 2,000 gallons of blood Over the course of an average lifetime, it will beat over 3 billion times It is slightly larger than a clenched fist, and is located behind the sternum, between the lungs

This article will explore your heart s anatomy We ll describe its exterior, including the arteries and veins that supply blood to the muscle We ll also describe the organ s interior, including the chambers, valves, and blood flow Lastly, you ll learn how its electrical system helps ensure its proper function

Exterior Of The Organ

A network of coronary arteries and blood vessels supply the surface of the organ with oxygenated blood If anything obstructs this blood supply, the muscle can become damaged This is known as a heart attack

The organ receives oxygen depleted blood from the rest of your body through the inferior and superior vena cavae Blood flows into the right side of your heart before traveling to your lungs through the pulmonary arteries It picks up oxygen from your lungs and flows into the left side of the organ Enriched with oxygen (by your lungs), blood leaves the left ventricle and travels through the aorta; some of it passes into the coronary arteries and supplies blood to the surface of your heart

Interior Of The Organ

There are four chambers within your heart: two upper chambers called atria and two lower chambers called ventricles The left and right sides are separated by a wall called the septum A series of four one way valves help regulate the flow of blood as it moves through the organ

As noted earlier, blood flows into the right atrium from the vena cavae It then passes through the tricuspid valve as it moves into the right ventricle From there, it flows through the pulmonary valve into the lungs before flowing into left atrium The mitral valve controls the flow of blood between the left atrium and the left ventricle The left ventricle empties as blood moves through the aortic valve into the aorta This entire process is possible due to contractions triggered by your heart s electrical system

The Electrical System

A group of cells within your right atrium form the sinoatrial node This node produces electrical impulses that spread across the surface of each chamber, causing them to contract The signals begin by spreading through the atria As the atria contract, the blood within is forced through the corresponding valves into the ventricles

The electrical impulses then arrive at another group of cells called the atrioventricular (AV) node This node is located near the tricuspid valve (between the right atrium and right ventricle The signals pause at the AV node while the ventricles fill with blood Once they have filled, the signals are released in order to spread throughout the lower chambers, causing them to contract and push blood outward

Your heart works tirelessly to pump blood between the chambers and your lungs, and out to the rest of your body Over time, problems such as mitral valve disease, atrial fibrillation, and clogged coronary arteries can prevent the organ from performing its job If such problems emerge, speak with your physician regarding an appropriate form of treatment



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Stress has been identified as one of the factors that cause high blood pressure Unfortunately, there are several sources of stress It can be work or relationships related Environmental conditions and certain situations are also major contributors to stress Examples are going through job interviews or confronting someone In some cases, people with normal blood pressure become hypertensive upon entering a physician's office This occurrence is generally referred to as white coat high blood pressure or simply white coat hypertension It is interesting to note that patients with this type of hypertension do not have or experience elevated blood pressure whenever at home or in other places except in the physician's office

It is generally a temporary and treatable condition And most of the time medications are not necessary since the root cause is psychological Recovering spontaneously is possible as the patient deals and manages the anxiety induced by clinical visits Some patients are able to overcome it after three visits to the doctor Some people however need more time to recover and are usually under observation until the doctor deems it necessary to proceed with other treatment methods Time is an important consideration when verifying the actual condition of the patient

Initially, it can be difficult to tell if someone has white coat hypertension since the average blood pressure readings are irregular Monitoring of blood pressure is therefore a critical step in determining the health condition of the patient As the person becomes more accustomed to having his/her blood pressure checked in the clinic, the hypertension eventually subsides For severe cases however, the patient is advised to continue monitoring his/her blood pressure at home for a certain period (usually about one to two weeks) Ambulatory monitoring for twenty four hours may also be recommended by the doctor as there are studies claiming that this type of blood pressure monitoring is more efficient in detecting patients with white coat hypertension

The nature of this type of hypertension may imply that it does not increase the risk of having other complications related to the heart, kidney and brain But it is not the case Mild forms of hypertension develop into severe forms if neglected Some information sources have reported that individuals with white coat hypertension are most likely to develop persistent hypertension in the future; are prone to stroke; and may experience cardiovascular irregularities Hypertension after all is generally considered a silent killer Causes and health effects are continuously being studied at present to increase better understanding of this condition

In any case, prevention is still the best defense against any type of disease Information on the causes and factors that may induce hypertension can aid in this life long battle Learning stress management techniques and adapting a healthier lifestyle will significantly reduce an individual's risk of having a disease Staying healthy for the sake of avoiding diseases may be a boring excuse to be fit Perhaps it would also be helpful to reassess one's outlook or perception of living Being healthy could also mean being able to accomplish a lot regardless of age



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It appears the new FDA leadership is not much different than the last administration, as the diabetes drug Avandia killed 304 people in the third quarter of 2009 while the FDA dragged its feet The scandal is hitting a fever pitch as the New York Times and Washington Post feature stories on a bipartisan Senate investigatory report released over the weekend It criticizes GlaxoSmithKline for failing to warn patients years earlier that Avandia was potentially deadly "Instead, G S K executives attempted to intimidate independent physicians, focused on strategies to minimize or misrepresent findings that Avandia may increase cardiovascular risk, and sought ways to downplay findings that a competing drug might reduce cardiovascular risk," concludes the report, which was overseen by Senator Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, and Senator Charles E Grassley, an Iowa Republican

In reality, the FDA is sitting on several dozen of these big-selling-drug time bombs FDA management refuses to take action in a timely manner to protect Americans The logical conclusion as to why the FDA behaves this way is to protect the drug company, in this case GlaxoSmithKline, from a flood of lawsuits A second reason is that the FDA management knowingly approved a dangerous drug in the first place and now looks inept (which they are) taking it off the market Back in 2006 the FDA management (headed by cancer biotech kingpin Andrew von Eschenbach) forced their own safety expert to retract the black box warning she wanted to place on Avandia for congestive heart failure She was then stripped of her power to make such warnings and removed from supervision of the safety of Avandia

The new FDA commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, doesn't seem to have a clue On Friday evening she said she was going to wait several more months until a new advisory committee (typically industry friendly) offered a new opinion on the issue, adding "Meanwhile, I am reviewing the inquiry made by Senators Baucus and Grassley and I am reaching out to ensure that I have a complete understanding and awareness of all of the data and issues involved " Is Dr Hamburg willing to be personally responsible for all the needless deaths that occur in the meantime?

The Senate investigation showed that FDA safety scientists conducted a report on Avandia and concluded that it should be removed from the market Their report was ignored by FDA management, as FDA commissioner Hamburg continues to do It is pretty obvious that GlaxoSmithKline aggressively marketed Avandia knowing that it injured and killed, reaching peak sales in 2007 of 3 2 billion When cardiovascular concerns began coming to public light worldwide profits fell, and were just over a billion last year

The Senators think this problem of drug safety can be solved by placing the safety scientists in their own FDA entity, rather than having their findings overruled by managers who approved the drugs in the first place While such a change may help, the FDA resists making such a move I don't think it would solve the problem

The only way this problem is going to get solved is if criminal penalties are given to management at Big Pharma companies who knowingly withhold safety data and then Americans die If they were tried for involuntary manslaughter, as they should be, then this nonsense would stop FDA managers who overrule safety findings which then result in deaths of Americans should face the same penalty - and then the FDA management, often in a revolving door with the industry it is supposed to be regulating, would stop acting like the best friend of Big Pharma

Avandia is the tip of the iceberg as far as FDA-approved blockbuster drugs that are injuring and killing Americans If not for a few Senators trying to look out for the public this information would not see the light of day The FDA is utterly incompetent at doing the job it is supposed to be doing It does not need more money to do its job It needs a legal and ethics overhaul The next question the FDA should be forced to answer is, "How many other drugs have your safety scientists warned should not be on the market?" And what about the poisoning of our food supply with GMOs - didn't your scientists warn they were unsafe to eat?





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Definition of High Blood Pressure

One disturbing fact about high blood pressure is that people can have it for years and not be aware of it The National Heart Association estimates that about 30 of the adults in the United States have high blood pressure and that one third of them are unaware of it

When you have your blood pressure taken it is reported in two numbers, as 120/80 for example The first number is called the systolic and the second is the diastolic The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute have issued its set of guidelines for the interpretation of these numbers

- Normal - below 120/80 mmHg

- Prehypertension - Systolic pressure between 120 and 129, diastolic pressure between 80 an 89

- Stage 1 Hypertension - Systolic pressure between 140 and 159, diastolic between 90 and 99

- Stage 2 Hypertension - Systolic over 160 and diastolic above 100

In the initial stages of high blood pressure it is not uncommon to experience no symptoms at all Over time symptoms may include nosebleeds, dizzy spells and headache

Many times there are no obvious causes for high blood pressure What we do know is there are certain risk factors associated with developing the condition These include age and heredity, smoking, excess weight and having a diet consisting of high sodium intake

NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

You should always work very closely with your doctor if you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure They may want you to take medication to control it If you do not treat high blood pressure it can cause damage to your organs, heart attack and stroke You should also explore natural remedies and lifestyle changes with your physician

(CoQ10) COENZYME Q10

Recent studies suggest that this is effective in treating high blood pressure In one study systolic pressure was reduced by 17 8 mmHg and another showed it to be reduced by 6 1 mmHg These were viewed as significant reductions by researchers

GARLIC SUPPLEMENTS

Recent studies have shown that garlic supplements have the ability to lower both systolic and diastolic pressure Patients with mild cases of high blood pressure have been the most successful These supplements have the ability to thin down blood and may interact with prescription drugs It is therefore advised that this be done only under the supervision of your primary care provider Due to the blood thinning abilities garlic supplements should be discontinued in the weeks prior to and after any type of surgery

HAWTHORNE

Studies show that this has the capability to significantly reduce both systolic and diastolic pressure It has been long used by herbal practitioners and has not shown any interaction with prescription medication

FISH OIL

Additional research is needed on this There have been some preliminary studies that show it can produce moderate effects Fish oil contains an acid called DHA that is thought to be responsible

FOLIC ACID

This is a B vitamin that is needed for the formation of red blood cells Limited studies suggest that it can lower blood pressure in some people

DASH DIET

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute along with the National Institute of Health both promote the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Studies have shown that this diet which includes fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products, nuts and beans can reduce blood pressure in as little as two weeks If you are interested in doing further research I would suggest that you visit their websites for detailed information

If left untreated high blood pressure overtime can present serious health problems These are some of forms of natural remedies that you can do further research on Others include biofeedback, yoga, aerobic exercise and Ayurvedic Medicine Some of these also offer important forms of stress reduction which can also be beneficial



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Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries When it stays high, you have high blood pressure, also called hypertension Below are 4 easy guidelines about How To Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

This increased pressure of blood puts a stress on your heart that may lead to a coronary It also is affecting other organs in the body like the kidneys and brain There are actually loads of prescription medicines for treating hypertension but certain life changes can also have advantageous effects on the condition

It is estimated that over 90 of USA citizens have or will have hypertension in their lifetime When the pressure is more than 115 over 75, the damage to the body has just started For each 20 over 10 increase, the damage essentially doubles

However much of the situation can be brought under control with life style changes and exercise Diet is the quintessential part and one ought to know which foods to take and avoid the quantum of liquid intake, effective vitamins and minerals supplements, etc Some excellent and interesting resources on natural methods can be found online, one of which even have a rather controversial but effective advise of taking more chocolate! Always remember the earlier action is taken, the better

Medical practitioners record the pressure as 2 values, the systolic (the pressure of the blood as it enters the aorta) and the diastolic (the pressure when the heart ventricles relax between beats) It is measured in millimetres of mercury (mm hg) Ranges are as follows:
1 Hypotension (Low) less than 90/ less than 60
2 Normal 90 119/ 60 79
3 Pre Hypertension (Mild) 120 139/80 89
4 Stage 1 Hypertension (Moderate) 140 159/90 99
5 Stage 2 Hypertension (Severe) more than 160/more than 100

Diet
Eating foods that are low in saturated fats, low in total fat, and low in cholesterol can reduce hypertension A balanced diet of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, and lowfat dairy foods should make up the bulk of your eating plan

The decreased pressure effect of this diet change is usually the same as taking a prescribed medicine Proved calorie reduction methodologies include eating smaller portions, using reduced fat or fat free products, and limiting sugar intake

Exercise
Exercising just twenty to 30 mins a number of times a week can produce dramatic results The physical activity can include anything like walking, biking, or gardening Simply getting your body in motion and keeping it in motion for a time period is all you want

Reduce Salt
Reducing sodium (salt) in your diet is an alternative way to keep the pressure down Processed and pre packaged foods usually contain a high quantity of sodium After a high sodium meal, many of us have a swollen feeling due to excess water retention This extra volume increases the pressure

Alcohol
Drinking an excess amount of alcohol can raise your pressure It also harms the liver, brain, and heart Alcohol is also heavy in calories, which can that lead to gains in weight If you drink, be certain to have a reasonable amount None of these life changes will work unless you stay on them

The earlier action is taken, the better It is advisable that you quickly lower blood pressure before you become one of the statistics



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