Tag Archive for hypertension

How accurate are blood pressure readings?

There’s simple formula that is pounded out day after day on the web and it goes something like this:

“Go to your doctor, get your pressure read, if it’s over 140/90 get a prescription and start your lifelong habit of daily drug taking.”

Ok, that’s an oversimplification but it all amounts to the same thing – too hasty a diagnosis and a preference to patronize the pharmaceutical industry over getting you body back in a healthy balance.

here’s an example from copdnewsoftheday.com:

bloodpressuretraficlights

Always ask your provider what your blood pressure is and write it down. Discuss these numbers with your provider.

Your provider may prescribe medicine to help lower your blood pressure.

Take your medicine every day, or as directed by your provider.
If your blood pressure numbers get lower, it’s because your medicine is working. Don’t stop it or take a lower dose unless your provider says you should.

Blood pressure reading is an inexact science at best. Blood pressure readings vary as much as 10 points from one reading to another taken in succession. In other words, you could be pre-hypertension for one reading and below normal for the next – without your actual blood pressure changing at all. Accuracy can only be measured in ranges, not exact number.

Lowering blood pressure via natural an alternative means is easily achievable for most. Prescription medication should only be promoted as a last an desperate measure for that small minority that can’t do it any other way.

Although not well publicized, people on blood pressure lowering drugs have a greater chance of suffering heart attack and  stroke. That doesn’t necessarily mean that these drugs cause heart attack and  stroke. That’s just statistics.

The bottom line is this:

If you suffer from high blood pressure make the necessary lifestyle changes and get healthy – not drugged up.

Is high blood pressure really a ‘silent killer’?

From: bloodpressurequestions.org

What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

Lace asked:I was just recently told i had high blood pressure, never would of thought it, i even told the doctor, i feel fine…wow…silent killer huh? thats pretty scary, i didn’t know that….thanks…

The saying that high blood pressure is ‘the silent killer’ is just hype and scare mongering.

Yes, high blood pressure increases the chance of dying from heart attack or stroke in the same way that driving a car increases the chance of you dying in a road accident.

So you may not want to stop driving your car but you should consider reducing your blood pressure and possibly extend your life in the process.

The good news is that it’s entirely possible to lower your blood pressure from critically high levels to a safe level without the need to become a lifelong dependent on medications.

There are viable natural alternatives.

I speak from direct experience – not just something I read somewhere.

Is all salt bad for blood pressure?

From: hypnowil.wordpress.com

One of the most common high blood pressure causes is excessive salt consumption. Some people have high sensitivity to sodium (salt), and their blood pressure goes up when they use salt. When these people reduce their sodium intake their blood pressure tends to lower. According to many experts, taking in too much salt is common among Americans. It is estimated that we consume 10 to 15 times more salt than we need.

Diets of fast and processed foods contain particularly high amounts of sodium. To reduce your sodium intake levels read labels carefully to find out how much sodium is contained in food items and then avoid those with high sodium levels. Although this is only one of the high blood pressure causes for certain salt sensitive people, it can’t hurt to decrease your salt consumption, and may help prevent your risk of heart attack.

Be careful what drugs you put in your body. Certain drugs, such as amphetamines (stimulants), diet pills, and some pills used for cold and allergy symptoms, tend to raise blood pressure. Also, people that drink too much alcohol have a tendency to develop high blood pressure. For those that are sensitive to alcohol, drinking more than one to two drinks of alcohol per day tends to raise their blood pressure.

Simon Foster

Simon Foster

There are also some nice things you can do to help lower your high blood pressure – like have a glass of red wine and 100 grams of dark chocolate everyday.

It’s not all about self-denial.

With regards to salt, yes, too much is not good. On the other hand, if you cut out all processed foods as I have, you have to be mindful to get enough salt.

And not all salt is the same. No no. Naturally harvested Celtic Sea salt from Brittany still contains all the nutrients and minerals nature intended. A much better substitute to common table salt most commonly used.

The bottom line is this: Lower your blood pressure by living a balanced happy life through moderation, not self-denial.

What to eat to lower your high blood pressure

From: www.organicsandyou.com

FOODS THAT BALANCE BLOOD PRESSURE

Legumes: mung bean sprouts, soy bean sprouts, tofu, tempeh, peas, Adzuki Beans, Black Beans, Black-eyed peas, Broad Beans (Fava Beans), Butter Beans, Calico Beans, Cannellini Beans, Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans), Edamame
Great Northern Beans, Italian Beans, Kidney Beans, Lentils, Lima Beans, Mung Beans, Navy Beans, Pinto Beans, Soy Beans, including black soy beans, Split Peas, White Beans

Grains: (whole grains, ½ cup for all grains) sprouted wheat – hard red winter wheat, Amaranth, Barley, pearled, Buckwheat (kasha), Bulgar, Oats, whole kernel, Rice, brown, Rice, wild, Rye, whole kernel, Quinoa, Wheat, whole kernel, All Bran with Extra Fiber, Bran Buds, Fiber One, Kashi, Go Lean, Shredded Wheat, Shredded Wheat and Bran, Buckwheat Groats, Oat Bran, Old Fashioned Oatmeal, Steel-Cut Oats

Vegetables: (Pungent) radish, horseradish, hot peppers, onion family (garlic, onion, leek, scallion, shallot, chive), Leafy greens (cabbage, spinach, carrot greens, mint leaf, nasturtium leaf, dandelion greens, kale, wheat greens, barley greens, broccoli, parsley), asparagus, bell peper, rose hip, tomato, celery
Green seaweeds: Green rope, Green tuft, Dead man’s fingers, Encrusting codium, Bird guano alga, Sea lettuce, Stringy, hairy, ribbon Ulva, Green barrels, Brown seaweeds: Winged kelp, Bottlebrush seaweed, Seersucker, Three-ribbed kelp, Northern bladder chain, Flattened acid kelp, Witch’s hair, Green acid kelp, Geather Boa, Rockweed, Spiraling rockweed, Sea cauliflower, Perennial kelp, Twisted sea tubes, Bull kelp, Dwarf rockweed, Woody-stemmed kelp, Sea fungus, Sugar kelp, Stiff-stiped kelp, Sea cabbage, Split kelp, Wireweed, Soda straws, Studded sea balloons), Red Seaweeds (Turkish towel, Bleached burnett, Winged rib, Sea moss, Sea sac, Rusty rock, Sea tangle, Turkish washcloth, Tar spot, Iridescent seaweed, Coarse sea lace, Black pine, Flattened sea brush, Sea brush, Sea laural, Red ribbon, Sea comb, Bleachweed, Sea noodles, Red eyelet silk), chlorella, cucumber
Mushrooms: Honey Mushroom, Brown Stew Fungus, The Miller, Shaggy Ink Cap, Green Russula, Russula integra, Weeping Milk-Cap, Saffron Milk-Cap, Hedgehog Fungus, Man on Horseback, Wood Blewit, Chantarelle, Funnel Chantarelle, Horn of Plenty, Yellow-Crack Bolete, Slippery Jack, Brown Birch Bolete, King Bolete, Sheep Polypore, Pestle Puffball

Fruit: (citrus) Clementine, Kumquat, Minneola, Mandarin, Orange, Satsuma, Tangarine, Tangelo, Lemon, Rough Lemon, Lime, Leech Lime, Grapefruit, Pummelo, Sweety, Ugli, banana, persimmon

Nuts & Seeds: Almonds, hazlenuts (filbert), flax seed, chia seed, pumpkin seed (lightly roasted to remove surface E coli), poppy seed, walnut, sunflower sprouts

Animal products: fish: sardine, salmon, mackerel, Cold water fish (LAKE TROUT, RAINBOW TROUT, BROOK TROUT, BROWN TROUT, ARCTIC GRAYLING, ARCTIC CHAR, SPLAKE, etc.) raw honey, bee pollen

Herbs: hawthorn berry, dandelion root, burdock root, chaparral, peppermint (palpitations), cayenne pepper, ginger, rhubarb root (constipation), yarrow, chamomile, motherwort, valerian (Traditional Chinese herbs & American herbs)

FOODS TO AVOID (worsens high blood pressure)

Sugar, or foods with added sugars, Processed grains, or foods containing them (except as listed on the Grains List e.g. packaged cereals, even whole grain cereals, are usually processed, verify), Refined grains (which don’t say “whole” in front of each grain on the label) or foods containing them, “Wheat” or “wheat flour” without the word “whole” is usually a code word for “white” (includes white rice, “Flour” listed alone is always white flour), Potatoes, Cakes, cookies, muffins, etc. Crackers, unless whole grain, Cereals, unless whole grain and at least 8 grams of fiber per serving, Chips, Ice cream, Jams and Jellies, Maple Syrup, Regular Soda and other sweetened beverages, Juices, Oils except for extra virgin olive oil, nut oils, and canola oil, Mayonnaise, Creamy salad dressings, Butter, Magarine, Dairy products that are not fat-free, including cheese, cream cheese, milk, etc., Fatty meats such as bacon or sausage, Anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats in it.

“The sages follow the laws of Nature and therefore their bodies are free from strange diseases. They do not lose any of their natural functions and their spirit of life is never exhausted.” — Inner Classic

Mark Hammer C.M.H.,  Master Herbalist - Longevity Mountain    5/09

Simon Foster

Simon Foster

That’s a huge list of foods to help lower blood pressure. Kinda boggles the brain!

My favorites from your list (that I eat regularly) include: oatmeal, oat bran, spinach, lavabread (locally harvested dark green/black seaweed in South Wales), bananas, mackerel, sardines, and hawthorn flowers/berries freshly picked locally (in my back yard).

With regards to your list ‘Foods to Avoid’ I would suggest that these should be eaten in moderation or healthy substitutes found.

High blood pressure is a sign of you body getting out of balance from too much this, or not enough of that – not from accidentally eating the wrong thing one day.

Natural cures for high blood pressure

from: www.newsreelnetwork.com

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Simon Foster

Simon Foster

Thankfully there are a number of effective natural cures to high blood pressure being promoted these days.

I know they are effective because I am using them everyday to lower and keep low my otherwise severely high blood pressure.

For a review of cures that work visit my blog review page:

Alternative High Blood Pressure Cures Review

Is vegetarianism an answer to lowering blood pressure?

From:  biggest-loser.net

It’s better that you stick to a 100% pure vegetarian diet if you want to live a long and healthy life in the surface of this happy planet. Health experts believe that a typical vegetarian diet contains more potassium, complex carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fat, fiber, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin A, all of which mostly have a favorable influence on bringing down a person’s high blood pressure. Eating food with lots of fiber in it it’s going to do you better than you could ever think.
Celery, garlic, onion, tomato, broccoli, carrot and saffron are all medical miracles. They do much more than we can imagine when it comes to taking good care of our heart and blood. So if you can do all that, you most certainly are going to have a nice time while you are at it. Yes, it is a bit difficult in the beginning, but as time passes you will get used to your new best friends, fruits and vegetables. When it comes to sticking to fruits and vegetables, the best part is you get a lot of different varieties, after all isn’t variety the spice of life?

Simon Foster

Simon Foster

I’m not sure if it fits into the ‘vegetarian vision’ but fish makes a great addition to a lowering blood pressure diet. It’s fully of essential fatty acids and omega 3 which are good helpers in get your circulatory system back in balance.

I’d agree that most of us tend to eat too much salt which increases hypertension. On the other hand if we eat only unprocessed foods without adding any salt we can suffer from a lack of salt. A measure of salt in our diet is needed to maintain optimum health.

Why drinking milk can lower your blood pressure

From: www.saga.co.uk

Drink skimmed milk for lower blood pressure

milk

Consuming lots of low-fat dairy products, like skimmed milk and low-fat yoghurt, could cut the risk of developing high blood pressure and help maintain a healthy heart, say scientists writing the in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Researchers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands looked at 2,245 adults aged 55 and over who did not have a history of hypertension (high blood pressure). The volunteers were interviewed by a trained dietician and dietary habits including dairy intake were recorded.

Blood pressure was assessed at the beginning of the study and again two years later. High blood pressure was defined as 140/90 mmHg or above.

The team found that those people who consumed the most low-fat dairy had a 31 per cent decreased risk of high blood pressure compared to those who consumed the least. The same association was not found with high-fat products like full-fat milk or cheese.

This is not the first study to show that a healthy diet can significantly cut the risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease.

“Trials show a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy products can substantially reduce blood pressure,” say the authors of the study. “Although the underlying mechanism remains to be established, it has been linked to proteins, bioactive peptides and minerals such as calcium, potassium or magnesium.”

Around 10 million people in the UK have high blood pressure which is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure tends to run in families and is also more common in people who smoke or are obese.

People diagnosed with hypertension are encouraged to make lifestyle changes to lower their blood pressure including following a healthy diet, losing weight and reducing salt, caffeine and alcohol intake. If blood pressure levels remain at 160/100 mmHg or above drug treatment may be advised. There are several medications for hypertension including ACE (Angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors, calcium-channel blockers, diuretics and beta-blockers.

Mike Rich, Executive Director of the Blood Pressure Association welcomed the study but cautioned against over indulging in low-fat dairy.

“While this study is further evidence that a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, there is not enough evidence to say that low fat dairy products alone can do this, ” said Rich.

“So we wouldn’t suggest that people need to start gulping down gallons of skimmed milk or other low-fat dairy products just yet. It’s all about balance – opting for low fat in place of high fat dairy products, as part of a low-salt diet with lots of fruit and vegetables will set you on your way to lifelong healthy blood pressure.”

Simon Foster

Simon Foster

Milk has loads of calcium.

Calcium plays a role in the constriction and relaxation of your blood vessels. Supplementing with calcium has helped lower blood pressure in a number of studies.

If drinking loads of low-fat milk everyday isn’t your cup of tea talking a daily calcium suppliment (500 – 600 mg) will help put you on the road to lower blood pressure.

High Blood presure dialogues – how much salt is too much?

From: foodessentials.com

Sodium and Salt – How Much is Too Much?

salt1by Shereen Jegtvig

Sodium is a dietary mineral that in the right amount is essential for your health.  It’s called an electrolyte mineral, which along with potassium and chloride, helps to keep the fluids balanced in your body.  Sodium also aids in muscle contractions and is necessary for nerve impulses.  Too little sodium could result in low blood pressure and eating too much sodium may contribute to high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

Most likely, you already get enough sodium from the foods in your diet, and actually it’s very likely that you get too much sodium.  Experts calculate that healthy people should keep to no more than 2400 milligrams sodium every day, and people with high blood pressure should drop their sodium intake to less than 1500 milligrams.  Sodium is naturally found in salt, which is half sodium and half chloride, milk, cheese, beets and celery and some tap water.

These natural sources of sodium only contribute about one-quarter of your daily sodium intake.  The rest comes from processed foods like canned foods, boxed dinner mixes, frozen dinners and most of the snacks you’ll find in the grocery store.  Foods high in sodium don’t have to taste salty.  It’s found in many of the preservatives and additives used to enhance the flavor and shelf-life of products.  You’ll also find lots of sodium in the meals you order in restaurants and cafeterias.

If your diet is high in fresh fruits and vegetables and you stay away from highly processed foods, you probably are getting the right amount of sodium.  If you eat a lot of processed foods, dine frequently in restaurants or overdo the salty snacks, you may need to cut back.  So how tough will that be?

To be honest, avoiding sodium when you eat a lot of processed foods isn’t easy, but you can find low-sodium versions of many foods.  You can also switch from table salt to a salt substitute that contains potassium.  For cooking, you can play around with different herbs and spices that add flavor and no additional sodium.

The US FDA has set these guidelines for sodium claims on food labels:
Sodium-free: less than 5 mg per serving.
Very low sodium: 35 mg or less per serving.
Low-sodium: 140 mg or less per serving.
Light in sodium: at least 50 percent less sodium per serving than that brand’s regular product.
Reduced or less sodium: at least 25 percent less per serving than that brand’s regular product.

Simon Foster

Simon Foster

Interesting post. The USA sodium classification sounds confused.

Such ‘light’ or ‘reduced’ sodium for 50% or 25% less salt than usual.

What’s ‘usual’? Virtually meaningless and misleading.

My motto is ‘save money and save your health – use only unprocessed food.’

Yes, it takes a little more time to prepare. Might have to watch one less TV program.

Too much salt in proccessed foods

From: johnston.mync.com

Eating less sodium (salt) can help prevent, lower or even control blood pressure. Some experts recommend that all Americans should reduce their sodium intake, because the damage caused to arteries by too much sodium does not happen after someone turns 40, that the damage is caused by long term consumption of too much salt.

Most people consume about 4,000 mg of sodium per day, more than 75% of it comes from processed and restaurant food. If everyone reduced most of their high-sodium restaurant meals and high-sodium processed foods, they could easily consume 1500 mg of sodium or less per day.

When eating out at restaurants your best bets are the following: Salad with oil and vinegar, plain burger, baked fish with steamed veggies, baked potato with sour cream, plain rice and steamed veggies, pasta tossed with garlic and fresh tomatoes.

When eating out at restaurants avoid the following: Chicken dishes, sauces, cheese, bread, salad dressing, flavored pasta or rice, pizza, seasonings, blackened items, fried food, ketchup, mustard, pickles, Asian food.

Simon Foster

Simon Foster

If you just eat unprocessed foods then it you can easily remove all salt from your diet.

But don’t do it!

You need some salt to stay healthy.

I get the good salt complete with trace minerals and nutrients – not the usual table salt you can buy at the supermarket.

By the way: 4000 mg = 4 grams = 2 teaspoons of salt

From hindu.com:

Salt fact file

The average daily salt intake worldwide is approximately 9-12 gm in adults and 1-1.2 gm in children up to 3 years.

The World Health Organisation recommends not more than 5-6 gm of salt a day.

High Blood Pressure and the Elderly

From: www.fighting-techniques.com

Hypertension and the elderly

by Amanda Gamdana

If you have to deal with hypertension, the elderly are especially vulnerable to being under treated because surveys indicate that those with high blood pressure are only dealt with or have their medicine altered 38 percent of the time. Hypertension and the elderly are not taken as seriously by some doctors in relation to someone not as old who is showing a high blood pressure reading.

Although this disease is very serious for people of all ages, the elderly are in greater peril of heart attack, stroke and injury to primary organs as much as a more youthful individual. Possibly more so as they do not carry out daily exercise, due to inability to do so or eat the proper food stuffs because they live on their own.

In excess of fifty percent of people over the age of 65 have hypertension or high systolic blood pressure, which is the higher number when the blood pressure is studied. The lower number is usually low so they might have orthostatic hypotension, that makes the blood pressure to drop when they stand, that can cause faintness and dizziness, and is oftentimes responsible for the falls the aged take.

This is not to hint that hypertension in the elderly can’t be dealt with, because it can and with good consequences, it is just that numerous people do not seek treatment, and if they do, the selections they produce might not be the proper ones for their situation. Hypertension and the elderly do not justify as much reasoning about the proper therapies for this condition as more youthful individuals. They might not be aware of just what to ask about or could even be dubious of what the diagnosing really signifies.

When talking over high blood pressure with a senior citizen you should make them mindful of the causes for their situation. They must acknowledge what is reckoned a proper diet plan for their health as diets high in sodium can induce high blood pressure, so this ought to be regulated. Heredity is another reason as exhibited by studies concluding high blood pressure is more prevalent among African-Americans than any other group of individuals. Being overweight is another reason for hypertension which can be remedied by working and the proper eating habits can help.

Making sure there is not an artificial reading when obtaining blood pressure is another matter to look at. There are distinct foodstuffs and liquids that will heighten the blood pressure and caffeine is just one, whether from having a coke or a cupful of coffee. Enjoying a cigarette can raise blood pressure and allowing your arm dangle down rather than of at chest level as your blood pressure is observed can give a higher measurement.

It might be a good idea to keep company with an older parent or grandparent when they go for medical examinations, so when they have their blood pressure taken, if there is a high reading you may want to ask a few questions. Due to the high incidence of hypertension and the elderly there is definitely either a gross under treatment for this complaint or medicines are not being adjusted as they should. Remember too, that often a journey to the physician’s office will create a rise in blood pressure for no evident reason.

Simon Foster

Simon Foster

I’m one of those people who has a much higher reading at the doctors than at home – despite feeling perfectly calm at the doctor’s office.

It has taught me not to trust blood pressure reading willy nilly. Get your own monitor. Doesn’t cost over £15 ($30) for a good one (at least here in the UK).

Also, don’t be to fast to accept blood pressure lowering medications as studies have shown that those on these medications have a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes – despite lowering their blood pressure.

If you have consistently high blood pressure at home as well as at the doctors – lower it naturally and safely – as I have done.

And if I can do it it – anyone can!

To get a reasonably priced blood pressure monitor here in the UK check out www.amazon.co.uk/bloodpressuremonitors

For Lower Blood Pressure Natural Cures Reviews click here

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