High
blood pressure-also known as hypertension or “the silent
killer”-affects 1 in 3 adult Americans, or roughly 67 million people,
and that number only continues to grow. 90-95% of cases are known as
primary hypertension, which is hypertension with no underlying medical
cause. The small left-over percentage is caused by conditions such as
kidney disease. But what is this mysterious silent killer?Blood and its circulation are vital to sustain life. They supply crucial nutrients and oxygen to all the cells and organs in our body. They also remove waste and carbon dioxide. When the heart beats it creates pressure that pushes blood through your arteries and veins. This pressure, if you haven’t guessed, is our blood pressure. Two forces pump the blood through our bodies, the first being created by the heart pumping blood out into the arteries, and the second occurs when the heart rests between beats and blood is drawn back into the muscle. When your blood pressure rises, damage can occur that upsets this system.
If you have hypertension, your heart has to work extra hard to pump blood through the body. And while healthy arteries are made of semi-flexible muscle, the force of high blood pressure will lead to overstretching their walls. This overstretching can lead to tiny tears in blood vessels (known as vascular scarring) that leaves tissue that catch things such as cholesterol/plaque, and other blood cells. Building off of the latter, this leads to an increased risk of blood clots. The walls will also become weakened over time. Tissue damage from being oxygen depleted occurs in parts of the arteries on the other side of a blockage or build-up of plaque, depriving it of fresh oxygenated blood, and heart attacks and strokes are the result if the pressure becomes too high.
1. Cut the Salt
Salt is not the problem when it comes to high blood pressure, per
say, but rather its chemical component sodium. A little bit is fine, but
too much sodium disrupts the balance of fluid in the body. To “flush”
the excess salt from your system, water is drawn from surrounding
tissues. The higher volume of liquid results in the heart working harder
to pump the blood-hence, high blood pressure. Sure we use a lot of
table salt on our foods, but still, that amount isn’t enough to account
for the rise in blood pressure. Actually, only 6% of our salt
consumption comes from the table shaker. The vast amounts of salt we
consume daily (on average 1-2 generous teaspoons) couldn’t possibly be
caused by the salt we sprinkle on our food alone. No you have to dig a
little bit more to get to the source-processed foods. Such an
extraordinary quantity of excess salt is added into processed foods it’s
easy to stray over the healthy limit of sodium intake. A specific
example-a single microwave “roast turkey” meal can have salt in the
meat, the flavoring, the gravy, the stuffing, and the potatoes, to equal
a whopping 5,400 milligrams of sodium. The utmost maximum daily limited
is listed at 2,300 milligrams-even less for African Americans, men, and
anyone over the age of 51. If you fall into one of those categories,
you should only consume less than ½ teaspoon a day. Even foods that are
labeled low-fat or low in sugar can still contain a boatload of sodium.
Food companies do this to, logically, increase the value of their
products. We get hooked on the flavor. Of all the flavors (sweet, sour,
etc.,) it is the hardest to live without. How do you fight it to lower
your blood pressure?
You will need…
-the power of will
Directions
In short, slowly add less and less to your cooking. And of course,
read the labels on the food you buy carefully. Remember the number 2,300
for daily intake of sodium-any higher than that, and it’s a no-go.
You’ll find yourself turning to home cooked meals, where you can control
the amount of salt added, instead of processed foods. Stick with it,
and you will find if you go back to an excess amount of salt after
adjusting your taste buds to less, you will be close to repulsed at the
flavor.
Intensive research has shown that the more salt you eat, the more you need. If you eat less salt, you only need to add less to your food or have less in your food, to be satisfied with a smaller amount. We are not born liking salt. A baby will get joy from a droplet of sugar water, but there is no taste, no craving, for salt until 6 months of age. When studied children were fed salty foods, versus children who ate more fruits and vegetables, a craving was created in the former group where none existed before. These cravings can shape you’re eating habits for years. Soups, chips, crackers, pizza, sauces, fries, etc. etc., it’s easy for even the young generations to get hooked on salt at an early age. Keep your wits about you!
2. Sip Some Hibiscus
Cultures across the world have used hibiscus to naturally manage
blood pressure, but it wasn’t until the past decade that studies were
actually conducted that showed there was more to the remedy than just
folklore. First, hibiscus acts as a diuretic, which draws sodium from
the bloodstream, thus decreasing the pressure on the arterial walls.
Even more interesting is how it can mimic angiotensin converting enzyme
(ACE) inhibitors. ACE inhibitors are a common group of pharmaceutical
drugs used to treat high blood pressure. They work by hampering the
angiotensin-converting enzyme, which plays a crucial role in the
renin-angiotensin system- a hormone system that regulates blood pressure
and fluid balance. As a result of this inhibition, blood vessels relax
and blood volume is lowered, decreasing blood pressure. While certainly
not as potent as those ACE drugs prescribed, it can still be
surprisingly effective.
You will need…
-1-2 teaspoon of dried hibiscus-1 cup of fresh, piping hot water
-Honey, lemon, or 1-2 cinnamon sticks (optional)
Directions
Bring water to a boil and add the hibiscus and cinnamon sticks (if
using them) and allow it to steep for 5 minutes. Add honey or lemon to
taste, and drink 2-3 times daily. This also makes a lovely iced tea for
those sticky hot summer days.
3. Drink Coconut Water
Coconut water is found inside the shell of green, unripe coconuts
that retains its natural benefits in organic and raw form. It contains
potassium and magnesium, both of which relate to regular muscle
function, and of course, the heart is a big giant muscle. While there
have been some limited studies on the effect of coconut water on
hypertension, many people report anecdotally that it has helped lower
blood pressure. In studies, it seemed to particularly affect systolic blood pressure,
or the force that takes place when the heart pumps blood away from it.
If you don’t have a problem with coconut water, it may prove to be a
solid remedy for you.
You will need…
-8 ounces of fresh, organic coconut water
Directions
Drink 8 ounces 1-2 times daily. Morning is ideal if you drink it once
a day, while morning and night works well if you opt to drink it twice a
day.
4. Fabulous Fish Oil
Of course this is on here! You may roll your eyes because you’ve seen
it everywhere, but fish oil and its bountiful omega-3 fatty acids are a
beautiful thing when it comes to your heart. While studies have been
wishy-washy on whether or not it actually reduces the risk of heart
attacks or strokes, it has been viewed as successful when it comes to
lowering blood pressure, while also reducing triglycerides and
increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Heart transplant patients have been
given fish oil to reduce the risk of hypertension following a
transplant.
You will need…
-High quality fish oil
Directions
I prefer liquid fish oil taken in orange juice to the pills which can
have some…unpleasant side effects. Take the amount appropriate for you
as indicated on the back of the bottle.
5. Heart Healthy Hawthorn
Hawthorn is a staple herb when it comes to heart health as it is rich
in flavonoids, namely, oligomeric procyandins (OPC’s) and quercetin.
Flavonoids are touted as having many benefits, but one of the most
intensely studied conditions that it affects is various forms of heart
disease. This includes arrhythmia, palpitations, improve the function of
capillaries, regulate glucose metabolism
and, of course, reduce arterial blood pressure and the risk of
hypertension. There are several different mechanical actions that
flavonoids can take on the blood, but pertaining to hypertension the
most important may be the widening of the blood vessels, which
ultimately reduces the pressure of the blood. You can enjoy hawthorn in
the form of a tea or in the form of “balls”, which is what is given
below. The recipe also calls for cinnamon and ginger, which are great
for helping circulation flow smoothly. It was the herbalist Rosemary
Gladstar who taught me how to make these wonderful herbal balls, and
while I’ve tweaked the recipe some, I’ll forever be grateful to her for
tuning me into this wonderful way of enjoying herbal medicine!
You will need…
-4 tablespoons of powdered hawthorn berry-1/2-1 tablespoons of cinnamon powder
-Raw honey
-Water
-Cocoa or carob powder
Directions
Place the cinnamon and hawthorn powder in a bowl and mix the two
together. Add just enough honey and water to make a paste. Thicken the
mixture with cocoa powder or carob powder until it has formed a dough
that you can cleanly roll into small balls no bigger than your index
fingernail. Place them on a cookie sheet and dry in an oven at a very
low temperature (not more than 150 degrees Fahrenheit) until dry. Store
indefinitely in a glass jar out of direct sunlight and in a cool place.
6. Exercise
Along with diet, exercise should really be number one on this list.
Nothing can replace what exercise does for the body, and in a society
where we are becoming increasingly sedentary, it can take a bit more
effort to get out and get moving-but it’s worth it, especially if you
have high blood pressure. The heart is a muscle, and it will grow
stronger with exercise. It becomes easier to pump blood and takes less
effort, keeping your heart in better condition and lowering how much
force it exerts on your arteries, thus lowering blood pressure.
Exercise is, in many cases, all that you need to get your blood pressure
back on track. The top number in a blood pressure reading indicates
systolic blood pressure, which is created by the heart pumping blood
away from it. Exercise can lower this reading by an average of 4 to 9
millimeters of mercury (a unit of pressure), which is easily as much as
some prescription blood pressure medications. A pleasant side effect of
exercise is weight loss, which also does your heart and arteries a
great favor.
You will need…
-Willpower!
Directions
Try and get in at 30 minutes of exercise a day. You don’t have to run
marathon-even simple chores like scrubbing the floors are good.
Anything that gets your heart rate up and increases your rate of
respiration. Make this a habit. You only get the benefits of exercise as
long as you exercise.
7. Go For Garlic
Garlic is one of those home remedy staples. It is rich in beneficial
constituents that address a wide range of ailments, once of which
happens to be hypertension. There is just one little catch though.
Allicin, the organosulphur-sulfur containing- compound responsible for
several of garlic’s health benefits, doesn’t fare as well in the human
body when garlic is eaten raw. Allicin is relatively unstable, and is
typically deactivated when it comes in contact with a substance with a
pH lower than 3, such as our stomach acid. However, when taken in tablet
form, there is a guaranteed allicin yield that ensures you get the
proper amount to have solid results when it comes to lowering blood
pressure. Be sure when getting the tablets that there is a release of
allicin in a significant, standardized amount-in several studies
involved with blood pressure, 1.8 milligrams per dose lowered blood
pressure by 10% within 12 weeks.
You will need…
-Good quality garlic tablets
Directions
Take as directed on the back of the bottle.
8. Melon in the Morning
Every morning, be faithful to watermelon. Often times watermelon as
viewed as a strictly summer fruit, one for seed spitting contests and
barbecues, but it can also help lower blood pressure. An organic
compound called citrulline, an a-amino acid, was first isolated in 1914
from watermelon. Once ingested, the body can convert citrulline to the
amino acid L-arginine, which is a precursor to nitric oxide. To
translate, citrulline-found in watermelon- is converted into
arginine-essentially a chemical building block-which leads to the
production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide talks to various cells and
systems in your body that regulates, among other things, how hard your
blood gets pumped through your entire body-also known as vascular
systematic resistance. It will widen blood vessels, which lowers
vascular resistance, which ultimately lowers blood pressure. Imagine
trying to pump a certain volume of liquid through a small opening versus
a wider opening. The wider opening will allow it to flow smoothly and
easily-it’s the same with blood cells!
You will need…
-1-2 cups of fresh water melon
Directions
Every morning eat your melon on an empty stomach. If you have a home
blood pressure device, monitor yourself and observe the changes.
9. Ginger-Cardamom Tea
A study done in December of 2009 published in the Indian Journal of
Biochemistry & Biophysics gave a group of participants 1 teaspoon of
cardamom powder daily for several weeks. The results showed a
significant reduction in blood pressure. While further research is
needed to pinpoint exactly why it seems to help, it has still proven
itself a useful home remedy for high blood pressure. Combined with
ginger and cinnamon, both warming spices that improve circulation, you
can make a lovely tea to help your heart get healthy. Interestingly
enough, black tea seems to improve blood pressure in some instances.
This is most likely due to the heavy concentration of flavonoid, however
if you have blood pressure that leans towards the more severe side of
the scale; the caffeine may do more harm than good. This is particularly
delightful warm, spicy, tea to have on chilly winter days (and when
we’re tempted from eating healthier thanks to the holidays!)
You will need…
-1/2 cup of water-2-3 teaspoons of honey (or to taste)
-1 teaspoon of cardamom pods
-1/2 teaspoon ginger powder OR 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
-1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
-1 ½ tablespoons black tea or 1 teabag
-1/2 cup milk
-Mortar and pestle
Directions
Crush the cardamom pods to release the oil-there’s no need to grind
them finely. In a saucepan combine all the ingredients except for the
honey. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 6-9 minutes until you get a rich
caramel brown color. Stir in honey and then strain into a mug and
enjoy! Drink 1-2 times daily.
10. Cat’s Claw Decoction
Cat’s Claw (Uncaria tomentosa) is a woody climbing vine found in
South and Central America, with its most notable use being in the Amazon
rainforest. It is named after the thorns on the plant which are hooked,
much like cats claws. It has been used as a traditional remedy in its
native habitat for a long time, but test tube studies finally revealed
evidence for promising benefits, one amongst them being lowering blood
pressure. It does so by dilating the blood vessels (known as
vasodilation) and therefore lowering the pressure by allowing blood to
flow through more readily. It can also act as a mild diuretic, getting
rid of unneeded salt and water in the body, which can again reduce
hypertension. The tannins and flavonoid are most likely the main
constituents that account for the herbs healing actions. Here it is made into a flavorful decoction that will give you all of its benefits. A decoction is essentially a tea, but is simmered for much longer as it is made from the woody, tough, fibrous parts of the plant such as roots or (in this case) bark. There are two things to keep in mind when searching for your herb-first, make sure its scientific name matches the one above (there are several other plants known as cats claw) and secondly, make sure it is from an ecologically sustainable Cats Claw should be avoided by women who are pregnant.
You will need…
-1-2 tablespoons of dried herb-1 ½-2 cups of cold water
-Honey or lemon to taste
Directions
Place the herb and water in a small saucepan over low heat and bring
to a slow simmer. Cover, and let it simmer for 40-45 minutes. Add more
water (or less) depending on how concentrated you want the tea to be.
Strain, add honey or lemon if desired, and drink once daily.
11. Beautiful Blueberry Syrup
Syrups are, hands down, one of my most favorite ways of incorporating
the benefits of herbs and spices into daily life. While the word
“syrup” may make you think of something sickly sweet and heavy-the
opposite of what you want for heart health-that isn’t the case here. The
“syrup” that you see on grocery store shelves may not be the best, but
made at home it is a wonderful (delicious) way to give yourself a
natural boost. And if we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes choking
down bitter tea makes it hard to stay on track with a remedy.
Blueberries are rich in the flavonoid quercetin, the benefits of which
are explained in remedy number 5, as it is also found in hawthorn. You
can mix in elderberries for an extra heart healthy kick as
well-surprise, surprise they’re good for more than just warding off the
cold and flu!
You will need…
.-8 tablespoons of dried blueberries OR 4 tablespoons each of dried blueberries and elderberries.
-4 cups of water
-1 cup of honey
-A pot, strainer, and glass jar with an airtight lid
Directions
Add the dried berries to the water and bring to a simmer over low
heat. Continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Strain the
solids out, pressing on them to extract any extra juices, and pour the
liquid back into the pot. Stir in the honey, warming the mixture just to
ensure the two blend together thoroughly. Here there are two different
paths you can take. For thicker syrup, heat the honey and berry juice
over medium-high heat for 20 minutes. If you’d rather not cook the
syrup, and are ok with one that is slightly thinner, skip this step.
Once mixed, bottle and label and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4
weeks. Take 1 tablespoon twice daily.
Understanding Blood Pressure Reading
When the nurse wraps the cuff around your upper arm and then
announces two seemingly random numbers, what’s going on? Two forces pump
the blood through our bodies, the first being created by the heart
contracts and pumps blood out into the arteries, and the second occurs
when the heart rests between beats and the heart muscle is refilling
with blood. These two forces are known as systole and diastole
respectively, and are the numbers you see on a blood pressure reading.
The systolic pressure is the top number (or the first one read) and is
the higher number, and the second number is diastolic, and is the lower
number. So the next time you get your blood pressure read, remember the
first number is referring the force of blood being pumped away, and the
second number is the heart at rest refilling with blood. The systolic
number should be less than 120, while the diastolic number should be
less than 80. Anything higher and you enter pre-hypertension and
hypertension.
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