Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Eat Your Veggies – They’ll Give You Lower Blood Pressure!

Broccoli is a popular vegetable that is also high in a chemical that lowers blood pressure

I’ve been told that vegetables are good for me for so long I’ve got potatos growing out my ears. I know that vegetables offer valuable vitamins and minerals. And I know they also provide fibre and bulk.

But now I know something new: a chemical found in all vegetables has the ability to reduce blood pressure. Apparently, the more of this substance you consume, the lower your blood pressure.

The chemical is called glutamic acid. It’s a flavor-enhancing substance that produces the fifth taste sense known as “savoury”. As a matter of fact, savoury has become the latest taste sensation and is promoted as “umami”. Broccoli and cabbage are especially high in the stuff.

Vegetable protein has long been linked to a healthy heart but now it appears that glutamic acid may have an even greater role.

Does this mean that being vegetarian can prevent high blood pressure?

Not necessarily. Thousands of chemicals and nutrients from numerous food groups contribute to good health. And of course vegetarians are not immune to hypertension. Contrary to the beliefs of some special interests, meats also contain micro-nutrients that are important for a  healthy heart and good blood pressure.

But the  findings do mean that a balanced and varied diet including lots of vegetables is more important than ever.

 However, if you’re one of those who simply cannot tolerate vegetables you’ll be glad to know that other good sources of glutamic acid are beans and whole grains including rice, breads and cereals (whole grain versions) as well as soy products such as tofu and durum wheat, used to make pasta.

Do you know the trends of your blood pressure as it rises and falls over a 24 hour period?

Blood pressure is never static but rises and falls throughout the day in a regular rhythm

If not, you need to find out because your blood pressure cycle has serious implications for your potential health risks as well as your most effective treatment choices.

Chronotherapy, the timing of medical treatments to correspond with the body’s natural 24 hour circadian rhythm, is a new field of research with exciting implications for high blood pressure treatment. According to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, chronotherapy research has revealed that the time of day a person takes certain blood pressure medications can massively influence their effectiveness.

It reveals that ACE inhibitors, a common type of hypertension drug, are far more effective when taken at bedtime. In fact, when taken during waking hours they often have no effect at all. This is despite the fact that our normal 24 hour cardiovascular cycle results in our blood pressure being highest shortly after waking and then dipping during the night.

And if you’re one of the people who tend to have high blood pressure at night the timing of your medication is even more critical. That’s because night time hypertension is the most damaging type as the heart normally gets to rest and recover while we sleep.

Researchers gave a short-acting form of ACE inhibitor to mice at different times. Those being medicated at night showed significant improvements in their heart structure while the others showed no change at all. The experts say that in this case the findings are very applicable to humans.

The findings could even lead to greater benefits in hypertension drug treatment. Currently, some high blood pressure patients need to take a long-acting form of ACE inhibitor. But these can have serious side effects. With the benefits of correct timing it may be possible to replace long-acting drugs with safer, short-acting versions taken at night.

Taking high blood pressure medications is never an easy option but with chronotherapy pharmaceutical science is moving in a more positive direction than the old, double-barrel overmedicated approach.

And what are the implications of chronotherapy for natural approaches to lower blood pressure?

Actually, these findings could prove equally applicable to some natural methods for lower blood pressure. People often ask me, for example, at what time of the day is slow breathing most beneficial. Until now this has largely been a matter for speculation. But considering that slow breathing is also a fast-acting method I would now advise it at bedtime if you experience high blood pressure during the night.

How to determine your blood pressure cycle?

Everyone with blood pressure concerns owes it to themself to get an ambulatory blood pressure reading

I’ve written this elsewhere and it’s even more important now: the only way to get a truly accurate picture of your blood pressure is through ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. This is done by means of a blood pressure sensor attached to a small digital monitor that you wear throughout a 24 hour period. The ambulatory monitor will continuously plot your blood pressure, pinpointing its peaks and valleys throughout the day.

Literally everyone either suspecting or already being treated for high blood pressure owes it to themself to get an ambulatory reading. Sophisiticated and knowledgeable treatment is not possible without it. It may even reveal that you don’t have hypertension at all but simply “white coat syndrome”. It’s happened many times before.

Chronotherapy is an exciting new field that will surely open up new avenues not just in medicine but in natural health and even in lifestyle improvement.

“Lower Blood Pressure In 7 Days… Guaranteed!”

“The High Blood Pressure Miracle: 99% Effective!”

“The Hypertension Cure: Beat High Blood Pressure Quickly & Permanently!”

Some of the remedies and concoctions to "cure" high blood pressure border on "snakeoil".

 I paraphrase but the examples above are very similar to actual headlines for high blood pressure cures, treatments and remedies of all types. The one characterisitic they all share is that they are utterly impossible and therefore false advertising.

Why do I say this? Because medical/health results can never be guaranteed. You can only guarantee a customers money back.

Because there are no miracles (and certainly not for sale!). No treatment is 100% effective or even close.

And because there is no “cure” for hypertension. If the conditions that caused high blood pressure return your blood pressure will rise again. Hypertension is a condition you have to control and its state is never permanent.

Sadly, people suffering from a dangerous condition are often subject to temporary suspension of disbelief. And desperate people are easily parted with their money.

Hypertension can indeed be  controlled…

But let’s look at the reality of the situation and what a person with high blood pressure can reasonably expect:

First, modern medicine is by no means the cure-all we often imagine it to be. Most people are justifiably wary of the side effects and other health risks of hypertension drugs… but that’s not the half of it. They often think think that side effects – as bad as they are – are worth it to get control of their hypertension.

But the little-known fact is that blood pressure medications are not nearly as effective as even many doctors believe. According to a large survey by the Veteran’s Administration, the most effective blood pressure medication – diltiazem – has a response rate of just 63%!

No wonder most hypertension patients require multiple drugs to control their condition. Of course this compounds the side effects, which often require further medication to alleviate!

So even though pharmaceutical companies are naturally more careful than the natural remedy peddlers, in truth, they are equally guilty of false advertising.

It’s discouraging but there is some good news for your blood pressure too!

It’s easy to get discouraged with this news but there is one – just one - tool to lower blood pressure that has a success rate somewhere between 90 and 100%… it’s yourself!

Yes, you with your lifestyle stand a good 95% chance of controlling your blood pressure naturally. And there’s one single but powerful aspect of your lifestyle that’s been shown capable of affecting blood pressure in 82% of even resistant hypertensives*.

* According to the American Journal of Hypertension, June 2003.

It’s your breathing. Simple modifications in breathing taking just 15 minutes a day can often bring lasting reductions in blood pressure. And it tends to naturally ease people into further lifestyle improvements for even better health.

The method is called slow breathing. It’s not a miracle, it doesn’t work overnight and it’s not 99% effective. It’s just the closest thing to it.