Control High Blood Pressure Naturally with Whole Food Nutrition

High blood pressure is alarming to cardiologists because it is one of the possible symptoms for stroke or heart attack. One of the biggest concerns is that the cause is relatively poorly understood. What is known, however, is that diet affects blood pressure, and cardiologists advocate a diet change right away for anyone with the problem.

Adjunctive Nutritional Schedule
(Always check with your cardiologist) Healthy Heart: 4 tablets per day
* Whole Calcium Supplement: 10 tablets per day
* Fish Oils: 6 capsules per day
* Super Green Food: 8 tablets per day
Also helpful is a good exercise program as well as a weight-loss program (if applicable).

Recommended reading is Reversing Heart Disease by Dean Ornish, MD.

Quick Facts...
Calories and body weight go hand in hand. Excess body fat leads to an increased risk of health problems.
Potassium has an important role in blood pressure treatment. (See Super Green Food)
Low calcium intake may increase risk of hypertension.
Excessive sodium intake is linked with high blood pressure or hypertension in some people.
Dietary recommendations suggest avoiding too much sodium. The suggested range is 1,100 to 3,300 mg per day.

What is Blood Pressure?
Your blood pressure is the force exerted on your artery walls by the blood flowing through your body. A blood pressure reading provides two measures, systolic pressure and diastolic pressure, which are expressed as millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), or how high the pressure of blood would raise a column of mercury. Systolic pressure is measured as the heart pumps. Diastolic pressure is measured between beats, as blood flows back into the heart.

Potassium Can Lower Blood Pressure
Potassium works with sodium to regulate the body’s water balance. Research has shown that the more potassium and less sodium a person has in his/her diet, the greater the likelihood that the person will maintain normal blood pressure. However, the evidence does not suggest that people with high blood pressure should take potassium supplements. Instead, potassium rich foods should be eaten everyday. (See Super Green Food)

Many physicians recommend people with hypertension restrict salt intake and studies show that 10 to 30% of those with hypertension become worse when ingesting large amounts salt. Good food sources of potassium include bananas, oranges, other fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, legumes, and meats.

Lowering Blood Pressure through supportive actions:
Reducing salt intake
Increasing Calcium intake (See Whole Calcium Supplement)
Increasing Potassium intake (See Super Green Food)
Relaxation of blood vessels (See Healthy Heart)
Consumption of green tea
Sources: Ingels, ND, MT (ASCP), Darin, Healthnotes Newswire, 2003Colorado State University bulletin #9.318; http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09318.html

Food & Diet Study
The effectiveness of combating hypertension with a specialized diet was evaluated in a recent study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. Researchers wanted to investigate the effects of water-only fasting on blood pressure. After initially eating only fruits and vegetables for two-to-three days, 174 hypertension patients (with a minimum blood pressure of 140/90) consumed only distilled water for 10 days. Then, for approximately one week, subjects followed a vegetarian diet during a re-feeding stage, to slowly re-accustom their bodies to food again. Nearly 90% of patients reduced their blood pressure to less than 140/90 in the three-week period, regardless of how high their blood pressure had been. On average, BP reduction was 37/13, and was greatest in more severe cases. This is “substantially in excess” of the combined effects of a vegetarian diet, alcohol and sodium restriction, and exercise. All those who began the study on hypertension medication were able to discontinue use by the end of the study. This study supports the theory that blood pressure can be dramatically reduced through simple, short-term diet modifications, without drug use.” Reference: Goldhamer A, Lisle D, Parpia B, et al. Medically supervised water-only fasting in the treatment of hypertension.

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics , June 2001:24(5), pp. 335-339.

Disclaimer
Always coordinate your health program with a qualified health care practitioner. The nutrients in each Adjunctive Nutritional Schedule are not meant to treat or cure diseases such as high blood pressure, but rather to support health. The FDA has not evaluated any statements made herein. All products have been formulated based on sound scientific and medical research. No artificial ingredients are used.