Herbs,
foods and supplements for
LOWERING
BLOOD PRESSURE NATURALLY
presented
by
Debbie
markel, ch, cnhp
certified
herbalist, certified natural health professional
3430-D
Anderson highway
powhatan, va 23139
804-598-5352
Unique Blood pressure facts
A
study of more than 12,000 people aged 45 to 64 who did not have diabetes
published
The same study above also revealed that beta-blockers used
to treat high blood
A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine [2000;160:1449-1454] demonstrated that 30% of patients with mild to moderate elevated blood
pressure who received a placebo, had their BP lowered to below the set goal of a diastolic pressure of lower than 90 mm Hg. The researchers note that this
high response rate is close to those achieved with medication and may therefore be a valuable tool, especially considering the significant adverse effects that
can occur with drugs.
useful supplements
♥
Calcium, 1500-3000 mg. per day (calcium deficiency has been linked
to high blood pressure)
♥
Magnesium, 750-1000 mg. per day.
Also helps with calcium absorption
♥
L-Carnitine (amino acid), 500 mg. twice per day on an empty
stomach, aids in preventing heart disease.
♥
Selenium, 200 mcg. per day (deficiency has been linked to heart
disease)
♥
Coenzyme Q10, taken 100 mg. per day, improves heart function and lowers
blood
♥
Vitamin C, 1000 - 3000 mg. in divided doses per day, improves adrenal
function
♥
*Vitamin E, 100 IU, adding 100 IU each month to 400 IU, improves heart
function.
♥
**Kelp tablets, 5 tablets per day, is a good source of minerals and
natural iodine.
♥
Vitamin B complex, 100 mg. twice daily, is important to circulatory
function and for
♥ Potassium. Most people can safely absorb up to 18 g of potassium a day. In fact, potassium toxicity--a condition called hyperkalemia--is very unlikely to
occur unless you take potassium supplements inappropriately or your kidneys don't function properly. That's because the kidneys carefully monitor the
balance of potassium in the body and excrete any excess.
♥ Essential Fatty Acids (fish oils), 2 Tablespoons daily, helps circulation and blood pressure. Recently an article in the American Journal of Hypertension
suggested that omega-3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), directly modulates intracellular Ca2+ signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells, and that
this may contribute to the vasorelaxant effect and, at least in part, the blood pressure-lowering effect of fish oil. It also helps with a host of other health issues
like cell health, brain function and mood.
*
Should not be used with blood-thinning drugs like Coumadin or Warfarin
since they also affect clotting.
**
Do not use if you have thyroid issues unless directed by a healthcare
professional.
Herbal remedies
Arjuna
bark (Terminalia arjuna) -- Arjuna is a
deciduous tree found throughout India growing to a height of 60-90 feet. The
thick, white-to-pinkish-gray bark has been used in India's native Ayurvedic
medicine for over three centuries, primarily as a cardiac tonic.
There have been many studies on Arjuna's effects on various cardiac
disorders including congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and
hypertension. Arjuna's flavonoids
are a reason why it is effective against hypertension. It has been shown in many
studies that flavonoids have hypotensive activity.
European
Mistletoe (Viscum album) -- The usage of
European Mistletoe in medicine is becoming popular not only because of its
hypotensive activity but also because of its anti-cancer activity.
Mistletoe is known to possess narcotic, hypotensive, cardiotonic,
vasodilator, antispasmodic, tumor-inhibiting and thymus-stimulating activity.
The pharmacological actions such as diuretic action and hypotensive
action were studied on the methanol extract of the Japanese mistletoe and the
European mistletoe. Both extracts showed the hypotensive action when
administered intravenously and orally to cats.
Many studies cover a number of plants growing in Bulgaria such as
Mistletoe, that have a healing effect in hypertension, atherosclerosis and
ischemic heart disease according to the data of traditional medicine. In these
studies researchers found that Mistletoe among many other plants, has
hypotensive activity when given intravenously or orally to experimental animals.
American Mistletoe does NOT work the same way and in fact, can be
dangerous.
Garlic
(Allium sativum) - Garlic is one of the ancient home remedies that has
been used for many different purposes. Garlic is eaten in Asia and Middle East
almost on a daily basis in many different ways. Avicenna (9801036 AD)
categorizes garlic as a "potent medicine." Since the beginning of this
century garlic extract has been used for treatment of hypertension. Garlic as a
herbal remedy reduces a multitude of risk factors which play a decisive role in
the genesis and progression of arteriosclerosis: decrease in total and LDL-cholesterol,
increase in HDL-cholesterol, reduction of serum triglyceride and fibrinogen
concentration, lowering of arterial blood pressure and promotion of organ
perfusion, and, finally, enhancement in fibrinolysis, inhibition of platelet
aggregation, and diminution of plasma viscosity. The reduction of arterial blood
pressure is due to vasodilation resulting from garlic’s effect in the body. In
human coronary arteries, the increase in vascular diameter by 4% is closely
associated with an improvement of coronary perfusion by 18%. These pleiotropic
effects of garlic result in a reduction of relative cardiovascular risk for
infarction and stroke by more than 50%. A
popular garlic preparation containing 1.3% allicin at a large dose (2400 mg) was
evaluated in an open-label study in nine patients with rather severe
hypertension (diastolic blood pressure > or = 115 mm Hg). Sitting blood
pressure fell 7/16 mm Hg at peak effect approximately 5 hours after the dose,
with a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure from 5-14 hours after
the dose. No significant side effects were reported.
(Check with a healthcare professional if you take blood thinning
medications, however.) Take the
equivalent of 4000 mg of fresh garlic daily.
Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha and
monogyna) -- Hawthorn has been used traditionally for cardiovascular disorders
in different cultures for many years. Studies
have demonstrated that hawthorn extracts are effective in lowering blood
pressure and in improving heart function. It should be noted that hawthorn has a
mild effect and takes up to four weeks to be effective in lowering blood
pressure. Hawthorn is also believed to dilate coronary blood vessels.
In a very recent study, it was demonstrated that a mixture of flavonoids
and proanthocyanidins extracted from hawthorn relaxed vascular tone or increased
production of cyclic GMP.
Olive
leaf (Olea africana and europea) -- As the
name implies, this is derived from the leaves of the olive tree. The entire leaf
extract contains many phytochemicals, primarily oleuropein 20% (which enzymes
break down into elenolic acid), a complex structure of flavonoids, esters and
multiple iridoid glycosides which is a vasodilator and lowers blood pressure and
also helps prevent angina attacks. The
hypotensive action of olive leaf has been studied for over two decades.
One way that olive leaf reduces blood pressure is because of its
vasodilator activity which has been studied in detail. In one study the
decoction of olive leaf caused relaxation of isolated rat aorta endothelium.
Skullcap
(Scutellaria lateriflora L.) – This herb soothes nerves and revives the
central nervous system. It is
anti-convulsive and has long been used to treat petit-mal seizures.
Using skullcap calms the nerves and relaxes the muscles.
It is one of the most important nerviness in the herb world.
Since it potentiates the effects of sedative medications, it should only
be used under the guidance of a healthcare professional if using those.
Yarrow
(Achillea wilhelmsii, Achillea millefolium)
-- This plant is full of flavonoids and sesquiterpene lactones, which have been
shown to be effective in lowering blood lipids and hypertension. Very recent
research conducted a double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial to study the
antihyperlipidemic and antihypertensive effects of Achillea drops. They randomly
selected 120 men and women, aged 40-60 years, and divided them in two distinct
groups of moderate hyperlipidemic and primary hypertensive subjects. They were
treated either with hydroalcoholic extract or with placebo in the form of 15-20
drops twice daily for more than 6 months. Blood pressure and serum lipids (total
cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and
high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol) were measured in the groups for 3
periods of 2 months each. The results showed a significant decrease in
triglycerides after 2 months while decreases in total cholesterol and UDL-cholesterol
were significant after 4 months. Levels of HDL-cholesterol were significantly
increased after 6 months' treatment. A significant decrease was observed in
diastolic and systolic blood pressure after 2 and 6 months respectively.
Dietary recommendations
AVOID
Accent
flavor-enhancer
Anchovies
Animal fats
Any artificial
sweeteners (Nutrasweet, Splenda, Equal, etc.)
Bacon
Baking soda
Bouillons
Canned vegetables
Commercially
prepared/processed foods
Corned beef
Diet sodas
Gravies
Ham
Meat tenderizers
MSG
Preservatives
Salt
Salted foods
Sausage
Smoked or
processed meats
Softened water
Soy sauce
The above products can cause the cells to swell and
interfere with the effectiveness of diuretics used in the treatment of
hypertension. Many are high in
sodium content, nitrites, nitrates and preservatives, all of which raise blood
pressure.
EAT
Bananas (have 467
mg potassium in a medium-sized banana)
Brown rice
Buckwheat
Fermented milk
products (yogurt, kefir, buttermilk)
Fish
Fruits and
Vegetables
High fiber foods
Juices (beet,
carrot, celery, currant, cranberry, citrus, parsley, spinach, watermelon)
Millet
Oat bran
Oats
Skinless turkey or
chicken
Whole grains
OTHER TIPS
Avoid
antihistamines or products with pseudoephedrine unless under a
doctor's direction.
AVOID
EPSOM SALTS OR MINERAL SALTS BATHS.
The salt enters your body through your skin and has a similar effect to
ingesting salt.
EXERcise,
exercise, exercise!
Your regimen must include aerobic activity, like brisk walking, for
at least 20 minutes 5 times a week to be effective.
Blood pressure can be lowered with moderately intense physical activity,
and 30-45 minutes most days of the week. Regular aerobic physical activity can
reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Even sedentary
individuals with a normal blood pressure have a 20 to 50% increased risk of
developing hypertension.
Keep
your weight down. Regular moderate exercise is important to maintain
proper circulation. Do not overexert yourself in hot or humid weather. Avoid
excessive exercising and emotional stress.
Limit
alcohol intake to no more than 12 oz beer or 5 oz wine or 1 oz 100
proof whiskey per day. These amounts
of alcohol do not raise blood pressure and may even be associated with a lower
risk for coronary heart disease. However, there are many good health reasons to
consider avoiding alcohol altogether.
Lose
weight if overweight. Weight
reduction of as little as 10 pounds reduces blood pressure in a significant
number of individuals who are overweight with hypertension.
Reduce
caffeine. Caffeine may
raise blood pressure; however, no direct relationship between caffeine intake
and hypertension has been found in most diet surveys.
Reduce
intake of saturated fats in the diet and high cholesterol foods.
Although altering one's intake of fats does not seem to have much effect on
hypertension, abnormal cholesterol ratios are a major independent risk factor
for coronary artery disease.
Reduce
stress any way you can.
Relaxation therapies and biofeedback have been studied with mixed
results, some showing mild, others significant decreases in systolic and
diastolic blood pressure.
Stop
smoking. Cigarette
smoking is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Blood pressure
rises with every cigarette smoked. Risk of cardiovascular disease returns to
normal after having quit smoking for 2 years.
These Foods PLUS anti-depressants raise
b.p.
There are foods,
drinks, and medications you shouldn’t take with certain antidepressants.
Combining MAO inhibitors with these foods will raise blood pressure.
Aged cheese
Aged, over-ripe,
fermented foods
Beef and chicken
liver
Beer
Broad beans
Caffeinated drinks
Canned figs
Chocolate
Pickled herring
Preserved sausages
Sour cream
Soy sauce
Wine (especially
red)
Yeast products
Yogurt
References
1.
Balch, Phyllis, CNC and Balch, James F., M.D., Prescription
for Nutritional Healing, 3rd Edition, New York, NY, 2000, pp.
436 – 440.
2.
Hoffman, David, Medical
Herbalism, 1st Edition, Rochester, VT, 2003, pp. 523 – 524
& 582.
3.
Hudson, Tori, “High Blood Pressure — Lifestyle Factors, Dietary
Considerations, Selected Botanicals and Supplements,” Townsend
Letter for Doctors and Patients, June, 2001.
4.
Khosh, Dr. Farhang and Khosh, Dr. Mehdi, “Naturopathic Approach to
Hypertension,” Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, June, 2002.
5.
Starbuck, J. Jamison, “Let Your Food Be Your Medicine: 3 Herbs: Garlic,
Licorice & Olive Leaf,” Better
Nutrition, Sept, 1999.
6.
www.egregore.com, accessed May 22, 2004.