Less Pressure

FROM YOGA TO YARROW: Keep your corpuscles flowing smoothly with a range of alternative solutions.

Get high blood pressure under control with a holistic plan of nutrition, herbs, supplements, complementary therapies, and stress relief.
 
By Tom Weede, Illustrations By Tracy Walker

THE SILENT KILLER, they call it, and with good reason: While other diseases expose their presence via various aches and pains, high blood pressure, or hypertension, usually causes no symptoms at all as it systematically damages your health. Hypertension is a major risk factor for stroke, coronary artery disease, and kidney disease, says Maurizio Trevisan, M.D., dean of the School of Public Health and Health Professions at the University at Buffalo. Its also linked to poor cognitive performance across the board.

In the United States, more than 50 million people have hypertension, but 30 percent dont even know it. More women than men are afflicted, and while cases peak for men in the age range of 45 to 54, for women the incidence keeps rising with age.

BY THE NUMBERS
High blood pressure is just that. When the pressure of your blood flow escalates, it exerts excess force on arterial walls, injuring these vital passageways and ultimately harming your organs. Blood pressure can vary significantly due to factors like body position, eating patterns, and moodstress and anger spike itso a reliable assessment often requires two or more seated readings on separate occasions. (You can check your pressure with a home monitor, but bring the unit into your doctors office to gauge its accuracy.) According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a healthy blood pressure level is less than 120/80. (The higher, or systolic, number is the pressure generated when the heart beats. The lower, or diastolic, figure is the pressure when the heart rests between beats.) Hypertension is defined as 140 or more systolic or 90 or more diastolic, with those at 120139/8089 considered prehypertensive. Starting at 115/75, the risk of cardiovascular disease doubles with every 20 points systolic and 10 points diastolic. Risk factors include increasing age, family history, and raceAfrican Americans have a higher incidenceas well as obesity, inactivity, fluid retention due to sodium, and the use of oral contraceptives, tobacco, or alcohol.

CREATIVE CONTROL
PHARMACEUTICAL treatments for hypertension include diuretics, beta blockers, and ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors. But in the prehypertensive range among otherwise healthy people, lifestyle changes can control the condition. The most powerful behavior intervention is weight loss, says Trevisan. Its been shown over and over again: If you lose weight, your blood pressure goes down. Exercise helps control weight; it may also lower blood pressure by keeping the vessels from becoming rigid.

The DASH regimen is rich in magnesium, potassium, calcium, and fiber. For reasons not fully known, the synergy of these nutrients appears to have a beneficial effect, especially when obtained through food. If you pull [the nutrients] out and take them as separate supplements, you get a modest decrease in blood pressure, says Jane Higdon, Ph.D., a research associate with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University and author of An Evidence-Based Approach to Vitamins and Minerals. But when you put them all together in the diet, you get a better one. Of course, if your diet is deficient for some reason, supplements provide a useful backup. Here are the top nutrients to consider.

Magnesium: Research indicates that getting enough magnesium lowers your risk for hypertension. Food sources include dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, and whole grains. For women over 30, the recommended daily allowance of magnesium is 320 mg per day. One-half cup of cooked spinach or 1 ounce of almonds has about 80 mg each.

Calcium: Observational and clinical studies suggest that calcium is an integral part of a diet that lowers blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health. The recommended amount for adults is 1,000 mg per day to age 50, and 1,200 mg a day after that. Food sources include all dairy products, sardines, fortified juices, and dark green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin C: Results are mixed, yet vitamin C may benefit cardiovascular health by enhancing the ability of blood vessels to dilate. (This doesn't necessarily lower blood pressure, Higdon says.) A report in The Lancet found that systolic and diastolic pressures each dropped about 9 percent in hypertensive individuals taking 500 mg of vitamin C daily for one month. If you don't get at least 400 mg a day in your diet, consider adding 250 to 500 mg in supplement form.

Omega 3s: It takes high doses of these fatty acids at least 3 grams daily to achieve a modest pressure-lowering effect. But more moderate intakes do promote heart health. The American Heart Association advises eating a variety of fatty fish at least twice a week, plus walnuts, flaxseed, and canola and soybean oils. Ask your doctor before taking fish oil capsules, especially if you use blood thinners.

Coenzyme Q10: A few small studies have found benefits in lowering blood pressure, but its too early to know if supplementing is effective, Higdon says. Standard dosage in clinical trials ranges from 50 to 100 mg twice daily ingested with foods that contain fat; consult your health-care provider if you take blood thinners. 

From:   http://www.naturalhealthmag.com/health/53