How To Treat High Or Low Blood Pressure

Hypertension is such a common health problem that one out of three of you reading this has it, and uncontrolled hypertension is a serious health concern that can cause heart disease and increase your risk of having a stroke. It’s especially danger­ous because it often has no warning signs or symptoms.

Many people confuse the term hypertension with being overly tense. This is a common misunderstanding. However, hypertension simply means that you have high blood pressure. And although tension and anxiety can be contributing factors, it is for the most part not the primary reason why people have high blood pressure.

Medical books will tell you that 95 percent of the causes of hypertension is idiopathic, meaning they don’t know what’s causing it. But that’s not true! We do know what the cause of hypertension is, which I will go over in just a moment.

Even better news: over 85 percent of those who have hypertension can normalize their blood pressure through lifestyle modifications.

It’s important to realize that drugs that treat hypertension will not change, modify, or in any way address the underlying cause of your high blood pressure. Additionally, statistics show that over half of people taking multiple medications for high blood pressure are still not able to manage their condition, so for many these drugs simply don’t work as promised.

What is High Blood Pressure?

You are generally diagnosed with pre-hypertension if your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/80, and anything above 140/80 is generally diagnosed as hypertension.

The first number is your systolic pressure, which should typically be below 120. The second number is your diastolic pressure, which should typically be below 80. If either your systolic or diastolic number is higher than the typical 120/80, you may get a diagnosis of hypertension, or pre-hypertension.

If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you should know that a common risk factor for high blood pressure is weight. So if you’re obese that is going to increase your risk for developing high blood pressure.

However, it’s important to realize that your blood pressure reading may be inaccurate if you’re getting your pressure measured with an ill-fitting blood pressure cuff. Your blood pressure is measured by placing a cuff around your arm, and these cuffs are available in different sizes. So, if you are large, you will require a larger cuff in order to get an accurate reading. Likewise, a child’s blood pressure should be measured using a pediatric cuff.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

For the most part, high blood pressure is related to your body producing too much insulin. As your insulin levels rise, it causes your blood pressure to increase. Research published in 1998 in the journal Diabetes reported that nearly two-thirds of the test subjects who were insulin resistant also had high blood pressure.

This crucial connection between insulin resistance and hypertension is yet another example of how wide-ranging the debilitating effects of high insulin, leptin and blood glucose levels can have on your body.

I highly recommend you get a fasting insulin level test done by your doctor. The level you want to strive for is about 2 or 3. If it’s 5, or over 10, you have a problem and you definitely need to lower your insulin levels to lower your risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.

Fortunately, there are a few very simple techniques that will lower your insulin levels. And if your hypertension is the direct result of an out-of-control blood sugar level, then normalizing your blood sugar levels will also bring your blood pressure readings into the healthy range.

How to Effectively Treat High Blood Pressure Without Drugs

A vast majority of people can normalize their blood pressure by implementing a few simple techniques that address the underlying cause, namely high insulin levels.

Exercise – One of the most effective ways to lower your insulin levels is through exercise. A regular, effective exercise program consisting of aerobics, sprint-burst type exercises, and strength training, can go a long way toward reducing your insulin levels and your blood pressure.

Ideally, you’ll want someone to supervise your program and monitor your progress. To reap the optimal effects from your exercise program, you’ll need about an hour a day. Just remember to start slowly and work your way up to that level.

Avoid foods that boost insulin levels – Another effective method is to avoid foods that will raise your insulin, such as sugar-type foods and grains. Even whole, organic grains will rapidly break down to sugars, so they too should be avoided.

If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or obesity, you’ll want to avoid foods like:

* Breads

* Pasta

* Rice

* Cereal

* Potatoes

While vitamin C may be helpful, you’ll also want to avoid eating too many fruits; the types and amounts being adjusted based on your nutritional type.

One food that can be helpful for reducing your blood pressure is crushed, raw garlic. Many people swear by it, and it’s something you can easily add to your diet.

Reduce your stress – You’ll also want to take steps to reduce your stress, as that is a factor for some people. Prayer, meditation, or the Emotional Freedom Technique are all useful techniques.

Normalize your vitamin D levels – It has recently become clear that normalizing your vitamin D levels can have a powerful effect on normalizing your blood pressure. Lower Vitamin D levels is also unquestionably associated with an increased risk for heart disease.

Additionally, previous research has revealed that if your blood pressure doesn’t drop notably overnight, you run an increased risk of having cardiovascular problems. Here, the connection is also elevated blood sugar (glucose) levels as elevated blood sugars can result in diabetes and other diseases which increase cardiovascular problems.

And likewise, vitamin D has been shown to have a positive impact on diabetes, so it’s all linked together.

Balance your omega-6 to omega-3 fat ratio – Most Americans eating a standard American diet have a ratio of 25:1, which is highly unbalanced. The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is 1:1. Therefore, you’ll want to lower the amount of vegetable oils in your diet, and make sure you have a high quality, animal-based source of omega-3s.

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High blood pressure, or hypertension, is often characterized as the silent killer–and for good reason. Although it affects an estimated one in five North Americans, many people don’t experience any symptoms. As a result, less than one-quarter of sufferers actually receive treatment. Left untreated, however, it can severely damage the cardiovascular system, leading to death from stroke, heart attack or kidney failure.

Most high blood pressure patients are candidates for medications, including ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and diuretics. However, statistics show that of the 20 to 30 million individuals diagnosed with high blood pressure, less than half stay on their medication for more than one year. Moreover, 60 per cent of those who lower their medication do so because of side-effects. Given this information, the use of nutritional and botanical supplements, along with the adoption of a healthier lifestyle, can be of immense benefit in fighting this hidden killer.

Lifestyle and Dietary Approaches

If you wish to either prevent or treat high blood pressure, changing how you eat, sleep, and respond to stress are very important considerations. In the eight-week DASH trial conducted by the Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in 1997, 70 percent of volunteers who eliminated meat and sugar, decreased unhealthy fat intake, and increased fruit and vegetable consumption decreased blood pressure to below 140/90 mm/Hg compared to just 45 percent of those who only ate more fruits and vegetables.

Individuals with high blood pressure should decrease sodium intake to approximately three grams per day and add at least four daily servings of foods rich in potassium (beans, spinach, melon, potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, avocados). Decreasing sodium intake alone has reduced blood pressure by 8.4 mm/Hg systolic and 4.4 mm/Hg diastolic. Moreover, alcohol intake should be reduced to less than two drinks per day. Research has shown that a shift from five to two drinks daily can decrease blood pressure by 8 mm/Hg systolic and 4.4 mm/Hg diastolic.

A structured exercise program is another important factor. In one study, an average weight reduction of 4.5 kg by individuals who were 10 to 65 per cent overweight led to a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure after just six months. In addition, stopping smoking is a must for anyone diagnosed with hypertension.

Stress Management and Sleep

Those with high blood pressure need to employ stress management and relaxation techniques. This concept was investigated by Dr. D. Shapiro and associates from the department of psychiatry and bio behavioural sciences at the University Of California Los Angeles School Of Medicine. Individuals with a mild to moderate increase in blood pressure were given blood pressure-lowering medications and then divided at random into two groups. One group performed simple stress management techniques, while the other did not. Remarkably, 55 percent of those who employed stress-reducing strategies were able to remain medication free, compared to only 30 percent in the control group, as found after a one-year follow-up examination.

A good night’s sleep is also important. Researchers from the University of Pavia in Italy found that high blood pressure patients deprived of sleep had significant increases in blood pressures and heart rates, especially during the evening.

CoQ10, Magnesium and Fish Oil

Several supplements have proven to be of great value in the fight against hypertension. One is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), or ubiquinone. One study of 18 patients with high blood pressure concluded that 100 milligrams of CoQ10 daily for 10 weeks lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 10.6 and 7.7 mm/Hg respectively.

In addition to CoQ10, 480 mg of magnesium oxide daily for two months decreased blood pressure on average by 2.5 mm/Hg systolic and 1.4 mm/Hg diastolic over 24 hours in individuals with mild to moderate hypertension. (Those employing magnesium therapy are cautioned that this may lead to episodes of diarrhea.)

Fish oils rich in the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are also helpful adjuncts in the control of blood pressure. Individuals with mild increases in blood pressure were given either two grams of EPA and 1.4 g of DHA from fish oil (approximately 12 1,000-mg capsules of an 18 percent EPA/12 percent DHA mixture) or a placebo every day for four months. After only eight weeks, blood pressure was reduced by 6 mm/Hg systolic and 5 mm/Hg diastolic. Individuals wishing to try this high-dose fish oil approach should also increase vitamin E intake to 800 IU per day.

Garlic and Reishi Mushroom

For those with mild to moderate elevations in blood pressure, garlic and reishi mushroom may be of value. The use of standardized garlic (Allium sativum) supplements at a dose of up to 900 mg per day for 12 to 16 weeks decreases both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in individuals with moderate elevations in blood pressure. In fact, one study concluded that garlic supplements decreased standing diastolic pressure from 101 to 90 mm/Hg and systolic pressure from 171 to 150 mm/Hg after 12 weeks.

Unlike garlic, the use of reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum or Ling zhi in Chinese) in the treatment of hypertension is not well recognized. However, the conclusions of a recent trial suggest that it may be another helpful, natural, blood pressure-lowering agent. Fifty-five individuals on anti-hypertensive medications with moderate increases in blood pressure were given either 55 mg of concentrated reishi mushroom extract or a placebo, three times a day for one month. Unlike the 14 individuals in the placebo group, those taking the concentrated mushroom extract had a significant reduction in blood pressure.

In conclusion, high blood pressure is a serious problem that affects one in four adults. It is important that individuals afflicted with this problem adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes quitting smoking, reducing stress, eating better, losing weight and increasing exercise. These changes, along with the judicious use of supplements and herbal therapies, can help combat this silent killer.

Alistrol Natural Supplement

Alistrol is a patented, proprietary blend of natural ingredients that have been used for centuries to help support healthy blood pressure. Use Alistrol everyday to help maintain healthy circulation and support cardio-vascular health. Time-tested for safety, the herbal extracts in Alistrol have no known side effects.

Studies confirm this unique blend of natural ingredients support healthy heart function. Helps maintain healthy arteries, helps support blood flow and central and peripheral vascular circulation. Furthermore, Alistrol helps maintain blood flow to the heart and supports healthy blood pressure in the pulmonary artery and all arteries in general.

What is Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is simply the pressure of blood against the walls of the main arteries. Two readings, systolic (when the heart is contracting) and diastolic (when the heart is relaxing), are measured by a device that records pressure changes in millimetres of mercury (mm/Hg). Various factors–age, stress, diet, exercise–will affect the readings. The following chart shows a continuum of blood pressure values including both healthy and unhealthy states.

Blood pressure

Systolic

Diastolic

Ideal

Less than 120 mm/Hg

Less than 80 mm/Hg

Mild hypertension

140 to 159 mm/Hg

90 to 99 mm/Hg

Moderate hypertension

160 to 179 mm/Hg

100 to 109 mm/Hg

Severe hypertension

More than 180 mm/Hg

More than 110 mm/Hg

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