Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Can red meat be part of a healthy diet for lower blood pressure?

Many people think they should avoid red meat for lower blood pressure. But the health myths of red meat have been thoroughly debunked.

You wouldn’t think so. Not if you listen to the usual bunch of self-appointed natural health promoters and “nutritionists” that flood the media with health myths and food hysteria…

Even the respected DASH plan (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension), promoted as a scientifically-sound and medically approved eating strategy to reduce blood pressure, falls prey to the anti-meat zealots. DASH guidelines contain stringent limits for meat consumption and recommend reduced consumption of red meats in favor of lean meats, fish and poultry.

But the DASH guidelines are actually rather modest. According to many health ”experts”, red meat is the devil’s spawn, responsible for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, cancer, bad skin and even bad body odors (not to mention those of body waste, a particular specialty of health guru, Gillian Keith).

Ms Keith goes so far as to boast that she would divorce her husband if he were to eat red meat. (NOTE: Use of the title “Ms” here instead of “Dr” is not an oversight; Ms Keith obtained her “doctorate” through correspondence courses with a non-accredited college. She has hence been banned from using the title “doctor”.)

It should come as no surprise that the “science” behind the demonization of red meat is as flimsy as Gillian Keith’s doctorate. Let’s look at some of these myths:

MYTH 1: Red meat contains unhealthy levels of saturated fat and “bad” cholesterol that clog arteries. leading to high blood pressure and heart disease…

Saturated fat in today's red meat has been reduced substantially. Moderate amounts of saturated fat in the diet provide important amino acids and other nutrients and red meat provides these.

The facts: Modern breeding and farming methods have substantially cut fat levels in red meat. Much of it now contains less fat than can be found in chicken. In fact, even cheese can contain up to ten times the amount of fat than red meat on a pound per pound basis.

Following the DASH diet has proved to reduce blood pressure and this success is often cited as proof that reducing or even eliminating red meat in your diet is healthy. But the DASH diet is a package deal and some of its details may easily be misguided. Since we’ve already seen that chicken (favored by the DASH diet) may be fattier than red meat it stands to reason that DASH dieters may achieve even lower blood pressure by replacing some of the chicken in their diets with red meat.

What’s more, red meat (more so than chicken) is an excellent source of protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals including iron, potassium, magnesium and selenium. Fatty acids found in red meat (often found only in red meat) – far from being harmful - are actually very beneficial for the heart.

And as a final word, it may even be that medical science has taken a very wrong turn in trying to establish the causes and mechanisms behind heart disease. It’s early days yet but a new theory placing the origins of heart disease in blood acidity, not fat and cholesterol consumption, is rapidly gaining credibility…

After all, isn’t it odd that after three decades of reduced meat consumption combined with a low-fat food obsession obesity has mushroomed out of control and hypertension and heart disease are still raging?

MYTH 2: Eating red meat increases the risk of getting certain cancers…

The truth: Exhaustive studies show there is NO LINK between the consumption of reasonable amounts of red meat and getting any type of cancer. Even attempts to prove a link between cancer and consumption of extreme amounts of read meat are far from conclusive.

The fact is that our consumption of red meat has already fallen substantially over the last 30 years. Currently in the United Kingdom men consume an average of 96 grams of red meat per day while women consume 57 grams a day on average. This is well below the limit of 140 grams per day recommended by many medical experts.

As far as cancer risks go, the way you cook your meat has a greater impact than the type of meat you eat with overdone or charred meat posing the greatest risk.

MYTH 3: Rearing of cattle for red meat and dairy is a major contributor to global warming…

(This topic may not seem directly health-related but in the big picture it sure is!)

The facts:  Whatever your stance on global warming (and eating meat), you can rest assured that grazing cows are NOT contributing to the destruction of our planet. Not only has the amount of methane gas they emit been wildly exaggerated, but there is now evidence that grazing cows actually help the environment by reducing levels of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide.

The amount of methane gas released into the atmosphere by cows, often quoted as 18% of total greenhouse gases, is wildly overstated. The true figure is around 2%. In exchange, they reduce levels of harmful nitrous oxide... a very fair trade!

If cattle destroy the climate how did the earth ever survive the many thousands of years when million-strong herds of bison and buffalo roamed over the vast plains of North America and Asia?

Of course, the same caveats apply to this issue as to the more direct aspects of health; there is no justification for going to the steak house every night for a 16 oz T-bone (if anybody still does this!). The current recommended limit of 140 grams of red meat per day (about 4.5 oz) is more than enough. These sensible amounts of red meat pose no risk to either your health or that of the planet’s.

You may reject red meat because you genuinely dislike eating it and vegetarians may reject it on ethical grounds. But after looking at all the evidence there is not a single valid reason to shun moderate amounts of red meat on account of health.

In fact, you can enjoy the occassional burger or steak (but don’t overcook it!) as part of a healthy diet free of guilt over raising your blood pressure and endangering your heart and environment. Chances are it may even help to reduce your blood pressure and protect your heart!

High blood pressure is often called the "silent killer". However, if you listen carefully you may be able to "hear" some of its symptoms.

High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because it has no obvious symptoms…

As a result, people sometimes have no idea of their hypertension until they keel over dead from a heart attack or stroke.

But, in reality, blood pressure elevated high enough to cause serious damage usually displays a number of tell-tale signs that can alert anyone prepared to listen and pay attention to their body.

Any of these symptoms can be evidence of extreme levels of hypertension and they cry the alarm: “Lower your blood pressure now!”

How to “spot” high blood pressure with the eyes…

The silent killer is often revealed by the eyes and vision. It’s not surprising; the eyes are full of a viscous solution which supports a network of fine blood vessels. Highly elevated blood pressure can actually swell and distort the shape of the eyeball resulting in disturbed vision.

This high internal pressure can also make the eye tender to the touch. Even more worryingly, high pressure can cause capillaries in the eyes to burst, resulting in bright red spots or bloodshot eyes. Any of these unmistakeable symptoms - disturbed vision, tender eyes and blood spots - are tell-tale signs of dangerously high blood pressure. Your eyes are literally crying out for lower blood pressure.

Hypertension is all in your head…

Your head is another container holding not only fluid but mostly brain. Of course your head and brain require a network of blood vessels far greater than that of the eyes and like any enclosed system it must be maintained at the right pressure to work properly and avoid injury. We know that one of the most severe consequences of high blood pressure is stroke, a burst blood vessel or clot that affects the blood supply to the brain.

High blood pressure can increase intercranial pressure, a dangerous condition. Because most of us are unable to grow bigger heads we need to lower blood pressure instead.

But before such a dramatic event occurs there is most often a series of micro-events affecting the brain in less obvious ways. That mysterious headache that comes and goes could be a sign of hypertension, especially if it tends to go on for hours or even days.

Other symptoms of high blood pressure affecting the head or brain include dizziness, a flushed face, tinnitus and nosebleeds.

Hardening of the arteries…

Many people may know that chronic hypertension causes atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Constant high pressure on the walls of blood vessels toughens them, making them hard and less flexible. A similar thing happens to the heart; like any overworked muscle, a heart working under high pressure becomes tough and grows in size. An enlarged heart, although extremely dangerous, responds well to lower blood pressure and is able to recover.

While it may be true that hardening of the arteries is hard to detect by an individual until the damage becomes advanced, there is one thing that’s nearly always a certain tip-off of the condition (most often as a consequence of hypertension). Ironically, this tell-tale sign is a softening (a most unwanted softening) of a different body part. Yes, you guessed it…

Erectile dysfunction is often a sign of atherosclerosis and high blood pressure…

Ancient physicians had a good understanding of at least one aspect of the human body when they declared that “circulation is the foundation of all health”. This clearly applies to sexual health as well for, like the brain, the sex organs depend on blood flow. In fact, the male organ won’t even function as designed without a strong and steady supply of blood.

Erectile dysfunction is often a sign of high blood pressure. Lower blood pressure is almost a sure way to turn it "on" again.

This is exactly how viagra and similar drugs work; they use various means to increase blood flow. In fact, they so it so well that some of these drugs are being used to reduce blood pressure, which further demonstrates the connection between blood pressure and erectile dysfunction.

It’s easy to imagine that high blood pressure would increase the ability to have an erection; just think of those long, tubular balloons and you’ll get the idea.

But this is a false analogy. What actually happens is that blood flow becomes restricted by tough, inflexible blood vessels caused by chronic high blood pressure. The only place where pressure is able to build is at the source – the heart.

Despite a popular belief among some women that a man’s blood flows to only one place (and it’s not the brain), high blood pressure and hardened arteries starve all organs of blood and nutrients (and it happens equally in women… but without such an obvious indicator).

Avoid high blood pressure: monitor your blood pressure regularly…

Of course, the most obvious and usually the most dependable sign of hypertension are the numbers on a blood pressure monitor. These days when  inexpensive and fairly accurate blood pressure monitors are available for the home and when you can get your blood pressure checked at many pharmacies there is no good excuse for walking around in ignorance of high blood pressure.

There’s no good reason to suffer a surprise heart attack, stroke or other dramatic consequence of chronic hypertension.

The visible signs of high blood pressure described here are intended more as a caution of the possible consequences of failing to monitor your blood pressure. All of the symptoms and conditions above are the result of chronic and seriously elevated blood pressure. You are very unlikely to experience tender eyes or ED as a result of temporary or moderate hypertension.

Having said this, it’s still a very good idea to know how to hear these tell-tales of the “silent killer”. Blood pressure monitors for the home can be faulty or inaccurate. Incorrect use of a monitor can cause serious deviations in readings. Even doctors and nurses who should know better often make serious errors measuring blood pressure. See my article “So You Think You Know Your Blood Pressure” for more details on this important topic.

And if you rely solely on medical checkups to track your blood pressure you should be aware that these are only infrequent moments in time. Blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day and in response to circumstances and a single reading every six months can be nearly meaningless.

So, even following good practice, it’s still possible to be caught out by the “silent killer”. If you’re ever baffled by sensitive or bloodshot eyes, blurred vision, unexplained headaches, tightness in the chest and flacidity where you don’t want it…

Play it safe; get to a doctor and start working on lower blood pressure now!

Are you one of the “worried well”? Do you need to get rid of that spare tire and lower your blood pressure?

The "Worried Well": Many people suffer anxiety over blood pressure levels that were once considered normal.

Of course, most people would love to be lean and fit. But which is worse for your health: carrying a few extra pounds or the worrying over high blood pressure and heart disease it provokes?

Many medical experts are beginning to see that the stress and anxiety many people are subjected to far outweigh the relatively low risk factors of being slightly to moderately overweight or borderline hypertensive. And to a large degree it’s doctors, the helping profession, along with the pharmaceutical industry, who are pushing the fear.

Now I’m not at all anti-medicine nor anti-drug. Even as a promoter of natural health methods I fully realize that not every health problem can be solved naturally. Stronger stuff is often called for. But in my own special interest of blood pressure control I’ve seen several medical developments that don’t just concern me; they worry and even scare me.

The first of these concerns has to do with the way increasing numbers of people are demonized with constant new “findings” about the health risks of certain conditions. The most obvious of these is obesity. Of course, any condition in the extreme can have health consequences. But the fact is that being extremely underweight is even more risky to your health than obesity… but which gets all the attention?

And it’s not just the exaggerated findings that pose a problem. The other side of the issue is the way increasing numbers of people are being squeezed into the definition of obesity. Men with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or above are now labeled overweight. BMI is said to be a better measure of obesity than earlier methods but it still leaves a lot to be desired. According to their BMI, many professional athletes we so admire are overweight or even obese.

According to BMI, many of these athletes are "obese", with all the corresponding health risks like high blood pressure

Then there was the endless publicity about the dangers of belly fat. A concentration of fat around the midsection (that notorious “spare tire”) was said to increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. But recently, the largest study in the field exposed the entire theory as nothing but a myth. Belly fat is, in fact, no better nor worse than any other type of fat.

Yet these important findings – findings that would relieve a lot of people - received almost no publicity, probably because it’s good news and good news just doesn’t sell! Search the Internet even today and you get back nothing but page after page on the (now disproved) dangers of belly fat.

So by changing standards of measure and constantly narrowing the scope of obesity to merely a few pounds of excess weight, medical authories have trapped millions of new people in the net of “high risk”. The damage done by the resulting stress and worry over these conditions (not to mention the countless unnecessary prescriptions for statins and drugs to reduce blood pressure) is incalculable.

In a similar but even more dramatic development, millions more “worried well” have been caught up in the hypertension trap. This was a relatively easy manoeuvre, achieved by simply moving the goal posts for “normal” blood pressure.

Over the course of many decades normal blood pressure was defined at up to 140 systolic over 90 diastolic. In most of the world these standards still apply. But in the United States doctors decided a few years ago to set the upper pressure limit at 130 over 80. In doing so they created tens of millions of new hypertension patients virtually overnight, most of them middle-aged or older as blood pressure naturally tends to rise somewhat as we age.

Some agressive doctors immediately prescribe medication to lower blood pressure at the new, lower threshold. Others have created a new syndrome by calling the region from 130/80 to 140/90 “prehypertension” and guess what? The drugs industry have created new medications specifically for the new condition of prehypertension!

There may indeed be genuine medical reasons for concern over prehypertension. But again, few if any would consider the condition high risk and in no case does it merit medications or undue fear and anxiety. It’s simply one more health “risk” to add to the burden of the worried well.

High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, premature death from any or all of the above…

Established health doctrine on obesity: lower blood pressure is just a few pounds away.

Are you terrorized by that spare tire around your gut?

Do you squirm upon hearing yet another ”news” report on the dire health consequences of your excess weight?

Just imagine the lower blood pressure, healthier heart and longer life you could achieve by just losing a few pounds… 

Aren’t you convinced that fat is the root of all disease?

If so, you’re not alone. The media constantly bombards us with half-baked health hypotheses and new “findings” from medical research into obesity. The evidence linking it to hypertension and heart disease seems undeniable. Yet, as with so many things, the truth is not that simple…

First of all, not all studies are equal. One good one is worth a hundred mediocre ones. And, of course, bad studies are worth nothing, yet these are the ones that are often behind many dramatic new “findings” we hear about in the media.

Blood pressure by computer model…

There are many factors that distinguish a good study from a bad one. Results from real, living people are obviously quality criteria. Even testing on animals (regardless of your position on this practice) can often produce good data. But researchers in all fields increasingly rely on computer models. They’re relatively cheap and fast: two very good reasons in a fast-food media world that demands constant satiation by press release, and damn the quality.

Computer models can be flawed when predicting the outcomes of complex systems like blood pressure.

We’ve seen how controversial computer modeling can be when applied to complex systems like the climate and global warming; do you imagine that blood pressure and other aspects of human physiology are any simpler?

People who were once overweight are sometimes puzzled and disappointed to find that their weight loss did not result in lower blood pressure. And people with high blood pressure but “normal” weight could be frustrated on hearing about the number of obese people with healthy blood pressure!

Would you trust a computer to project your blood pressure based on different weight levels…

(not to mention the countless other lifestyle, genetic and physiological factors that interplay in determining your blood pressure?)

Another problem in public health pronouncements is not about quality but emphasis…

In general, news that does not support the prevailing public health agenda is either minimized or – more commonly – ignored altogether. So a study showing no link between being overweight and a higher incidence of high blood pressure, heart disease and many other conditions allegedly linked to obesity gets very little attention in the press.

In fact, I recently wrote about exactly such a study in my article “Struggling To Lose Weight For Lower Blood Pressure?”. The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, looked at 20,000 real people (not computer models) and found no connection between weight and significant health problems based on medications prescribed.

Because medications to reduce blood pressure are among the top ten as well as the most readily of all drugs prescribed you would have to conclude that the obese would show a greater number of prescriptions for these drugs… assuming they experience a greater incidence of high blood pressure, that is.

Of course more study is needed because medications prescribed is not the only determinant of health problems and no single study is ever conclusive. However, most experts agree that this finding is very significant indeed and deserves widespread distribution and discussion; yet few people have even heard of it. We only hear the factoids that further the hysteria surrounding weight issues.

Health prejudices can easily become established medical doctrine that refuses to tolerate any contrary evidence. For example, there is a high-quality body of research casting doubt on the entire principle of heart disease as caused by saturated fat and “bad” cholesterol. Again, no single piece of evidence is conclusive but the public needs to be informed that there is a legitimate contrary view.

They should also know that the dispensors of public health doctrine are not working with absolute truth, regardless of how convinced they are of their facts.

There are probably very few people who actually enjoy being fat. Obesity certainly has social and practical disadvantages. And it may well be linked to certain health conditions after all… although these links are nowhere near as strong, pervasive and conclusive as relentless public health reports would have us believe.

The link between stress and hypertension, however, is indisputable. And some health experts are beginning to realize that the stress and anxiety of worrying over a few extra pounds or even a spare tire is doing greater damage to our health than any link – whether real or projected – between excess weight and high blood pressure.

In part II of “The Obesity Link to High Blood Pressure” I will reveal how the medical profession along with the drugs industry have widened their scope from the obviously obese to the millions more merely overweight or carrying that notorious “spare tire”.

And in the same way they’ve trapped millions more in the terror of high blood pressure by dropping the entry requirements, thus creating a colossal amount of new patients and a new drugs category (that of pre-hypertension) at the same time and virtually overnight.

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.

Viable alternatives or just New-Age mumbo-jumbo and wishful thinking?

Natural alternatives to high blood pressure medications run the gamut from DASH diets and superfoods to more esoteric methods like yoga, meditation and guided imagery. Of course, any natural method that can relieve hypertension is cause for cheer. Medications to lower blood pressure are particularly problematic and the public have long been hookwinked about both their safety and their effectiveness.

Not all alternative health methods are mumbo-jumbo. Some produce genuine physical effects that can be measured like reductions in blood pressure.

Of course, not all natural treatments are safe and effective either. While it’s easy to recognize connections between what we eat and what happens within our bodies, cause and effect between body and mind is more difficult to establish.

After all, aren’t many alternative health treatments “all in the mind” and their effects just a matter of wishful thinking?

Well, yes and no. “Wishful thinking”, actually, is a fairly accurate definition of a very powerful medical phenomena: the placebo effect. It’s the power of belief. The placebo effect has been shown to be so effective that some medical experts have called for its use as an approved medical treatment.

Naturally, the placebo effect also has the power to reduce high blood pressure. If you believe that meditating and picturing your blood pressure falling will result in lower readings an hour later - it probably will.

But there’s also a problem with the placebo effect: it almost invariably wears off, usually within a month. And it gets worse because once you experience (and lose) subsequent placebo effects you lose faith. And once belief is gone, so is the placebo effect.

In both mind and body…

But there’s another way to look at alternative health methods: many of their effects are not just “in the mind” but actually generate physical changes in the body. This is particularly relevant when it comes to high blood pressure. Essentially, anything that produces a state of deep relaxation will reduce blood pressure, at least temporarily.

Relaxation is actually a complex state of mind and body. Your brainwaves change when you’re relaxed. Stress hormones that have built up during the day dissipate. Your respiratory and heart rates slow and your blood pressure falls.

Relaxation, especially with music, has even been shown to stimulate production of nitric oxide, a gas in the blood that regulates blood pressure by signalling blood vessels to expand. Slow and smooth breathing when relaxed balances blood chemistry, reducing acidity and lowering blood pressure.

Because these effects are not just in the mind but rather complex physiological processes, the results can in some cases become long-lasting. A clinically-developed method of “slow breathing” that’s both similar to and different from the breathing styles of ancient practices like yoga has lead to significant and lasting drops in blood pressure using just 15 minutes a day.

I bet this guy's blood pressure is lower than his age!

It’s true that most of the effects of meditation, yoga and similar practices, at least when it comes to blood pressure, are only temporary. But so are the effects of pharmaceutical drugs; i.e. we have to keep taking them every day. And the effects of many alternative practices are life-enhancing, not life-threatening!

Science meets nature for lower blood pressure…

It’s also true that some alternative health practices can act as stepping stones to dramatic improvements in health like long-lasting lower blood pressure. The real breakthroughs – as with slow breathing - are often obtained by combining nature and tradition with science and innovation. It’s high time that science meets nature!

In fact, deep breathing can contribute to high blood pressure, anxiety and panic attack and numerous other unhealthy conditions.

Surprise! Deep breathing does not relieve anxiety and panic or deliver any of the many health benefits claimed for it

Breathing has been used over the millenia for all types of health purposes. Gurus and martial artists have achieved incredible feats, mostly through control of their breathing.

In recent years a clinically-developed method called “slow breathing” has proved a great way to lower blood pressure naturally. Even more recently, research at the University of California, Davis, has shown a very similar technique to also be very effective at controlling anxiety and panic attack.

But if the right type of breathing can be good for health it should be evident that the “wrong” way of breathing can have unhealthy consequences. Indeed, slow breathing research reveals that many people breathe rapidly, erratically and even hold their breath at times, especially when under stress. They call this “inhibitory breathing”.

The result of inhibitory breathing is an unhealthy balance of gases in the blood that destabilizes blood chemistry and makes it acidic, a condition that leads to hypertension. Just a few minutes of “slow breathing” can reverse the process and lower blood pressure.

Control your breathing and you take control of your blood pressure!

Anxiety disorders and panic attack can be relieved by the right type of breathing

Deep breathing is also commonly advised to control anxiety and panic attack. On the surface, this makes sense because hyperventilation is one of the most frequent and disturbing symptoms of anxiety disorders. Hyperventilation is almost identical in effect to inhibitory breathing. Rapid, uncontrolled breathing causes an excess of oxygen in the blood which can produce dizziness, nausea and shortness of breath, all of which lead to further panic and loss of control.

Breathing control, therefore, is the single most effective way to counter anxiety and panic attack.

But deep breathing, surprisingly, is not the answer. Indeed, it often worsens both the feelings and physical symptoms of anxiety!

This is because deep breathing, as commonly understood and practiced, actually results in hyperventilation! Watch people “deep breathing” and you will often see them huffing and puffing like the old steam engine that couldn’t. You’ll see them taking a massive, long and deep breath until they nearly turn blue and then let loose with an explosive blast of an exhale.

Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration but you get the picture.  People tend to misconceive deep breathing; even the word “deep” in this usage is misplaced and misleading. This may have come about because we’ve been told by natural health gurus that we need to practice deep breathing  because we’re deficient in oxygen.

That’s total nonsense. In fact, we are normally saturated with oxygen and the only thing deep breathing does is to flush carbon dioxide out of the system, which produces hyperventilation. Plus, the resulting excess acidity of our blood chemistry raises heart rate and blood pressure and perpetuates the ill feelings and desperation of panic attack. Some way to control anxiety!

A different type of breathing exercise, however, is extremely effective at lowering blood pressure, controlling anxiety disorders and much more. In the University of California study, anxiety sufferers wore devices that measured their carbon dioxide levels during breathing exercises. This allowed them to avoid over-breathing and hyperventilation:

The goal of these exercises is to reduce chronic and acute hyperventilation and associated physical symptoms. This is achieved by breathing slower but most importantly more shallowly. Contrary to lay belief, taking deep breaths actually worsens hyperventilation and symptoms.

Many people confuse deep breathing with heavy, strenuous breathing

Breathing slowly, smoothly and shallowly is the key to healthy breathing with lower blood pressure, relief of stress, better sleeping, control of anxiety and much more. Watch an experienced meditator and instead of the fluster and bluser of deep breathing you can barely notice the gentle ebb and flow of slow and healthy breathing.

This type of breathing – slow, controlled and shallow – is also called the Buteyko Method when applied to control of asthma. Buteyko breathing was developed by a doctor in Russia in response to the ineffective methods of treating asthma that were in use at that time.

Asthma attacks make sufferers feel as if they are not getting enough air. The result is usually frantic breathing and hyperventilation accompanied by feelings of panic. But Dr. Buteyko noticed that, far from not getting enough oxygen, asthma sufferers were making themselves CO2 deficient through overbreathing. He discovered that you could relieve asthma much more effectively by breathing less… by breathing more shallowly.

Control your breathing and you prevent asthma attacks!

Of course this is exactly the same as what happens during anxiety and panic and the solution is the same as well. The Buteyko method has since become a success for millions of asthma sufferers while slow breathing has helped to relieve countless cases of high blood pressure.

Learning slow breathing, in fact, can often be the complete and final remedy to anxiety disorders. It used to be thought that the condition arose from deep-seated psychological issues. Breathing control, so it was said, may help relieve the symptoms but only intensive cognitive therapy could uncover the deeper causes of anxiety.

But we now know that “talking therapies” often lead nowhere and are totally ineffectual at relieving the terrifying symptoms of panic attack. It may well be – just as with high blood pressure - that “inhibitory breathing” is the cause of the anxiety disorder, not some elusive psychological trauma.

As a matter of fact, medical experts at the University of California noted that anxiety patients showed abnormal responses to changes in blood acidity, a factor directly related to their manner of breathing.

So it’s not at all a stretch to say hyperventilation/inhibitory breathing is both cause and symptom of anxiety disorder.

Control your breathing and you control the panic attack!

A method of controlled breathing developed to lower high blood pressure may also hold the key to controlling anxiety and panic attacks…

"Slow breathing" offers hope as an alternative to dangerous drugs for those suffering from anxiety and panic disorder

Various breathing techniques have long been used for meditation and to relieve stress. And in the last decade medical researchers have developed a method called slow breathing that has been shown to reduce high blood pressure.

Meanwhile, the same method has been adapted for an extensive range of health purposes. We now know that the link between our breathing and other systems of the body, such as the circulatory system, is a powerful one.

The way it works is simple; because they are linked, slowing down and controlling your breathing “forces” your heart to also slow down. This allows major blood vessels around the heart to relax and thus lower your blood pressure. The connection goes further too; our breathing also influences the nervous system and even our brain waves.

Now a ”new” breathing therapy called Capnometry-Assisted Respiratory Training  (CART) is being hailed as a promising new approach to controlling anxiety and panic attacks. In fact, medical experts at the University of California, Davis, believe it may be more effective than traditional cognitive therapy approaches (essentially, talking about the problem and trying to resolve it through rational thinking).

Breathing also has the potential to be more effective than drug therapy. Over the last couple of decades expensive and time-consuming talking therapies have been relegated to the sidelines as pharmaceutical treatment has become doctors’ preferred option. Anxiety and panic disorders have become a major growth area for the drugs industry.

Sadly, these medications have nasty side effects which often result in a lower quality of life for anxiety sufferers. So the news that breathing therapy may control anxiety more effectively than medications is surely a blessing.

Specifically, CART relieves anxiety and panic attacks by reversing hyperventilation, one of the most frequent and frightening sympoms of these conditions. Hyperventilation often becomes a self-perpeuating syndrome. The more the sufferer tries to stop it the worse it gets, generating greater panic and increasingly desperate attempts to control it… it’s a viscious circle.

Anxiety is a natural response we all experience but medical researchers have discovered that abnormal levels of anxiety actually have some organic origins. In other words: it’s not “all in the mind”. People with anxiety disorders show an abnormal response to certain stimuli. Tension alters their breathing, which changes blood chemistry through the buildup of carbon dioxide. This is the mechanism that triggers hyperventilation.

Slow, controlled breathing, on the other hand, stabilizes blood chemistry by balancing oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. Contary to popular belief, it’s not deep breathing that is beneficial. Deep breathing actually increases hypertventilation and thus the sensation of anxiety. The correct way to breathe to counter anxiety is slowly and shallowly.

Despite the new name – CART – therr is nothing new about this method of breathing. It’s been used for decades by asthma sufferers in a form called Buteyko Breathing. And, as pointed out at the start, slow breathing has also become a recognized way to lower blood pressure.