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Tag: Heart Health

Natural Approaches to Lowering Blood Pressure

Natural Approaches to Lowering Blood Pressure

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High blood pressure (hypertension) often has no visible symptoms, especially early on. The only way to determine your blood pressure is to have it measured. If you have high blood pressure, lowering it is vitally important to your long-term health and to reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Risk factors for high blood pressure include the following:

  • Being Overweight—If you are overweight, this will put extra pressure on your artery walls
  • Inactivity—If you don’t exercise, you increase your risk of high blood pressure
  • Stress—Increased and prolonged stress can raise blood pressure
  • Alcohol consumption—Overdoing the drinking of alcoholic beverages can increase the risk
  • Potassium—If your potassium level is too low, cells tend to compensate with more sodium, which places you at greater risk
  • Sodium—Too much sodium in your diet leads to fluid retention and higher blood pressure
  • Age—As you get older, your risk increases
  • Genetics—Some families have greater risk of high blood pressure than others
  • Sugar—Excessive sugar intake, especially refined sugar, can lead to diabetes, which is frequently associated with high blood pressure
  • Inflammation – inflammation can be blamed for a whole host of health complaints and should probably be the first issue addressed. All of the risk factors listed above can be related to or be affected by inflammation. Eating a diet which contains REAL foods and that includes lots of fruits and vegetables is key in helping to reduce inflammation in the body!

While you cannot influence some of these factors (such as genetic disposition and aging), it is possible to manage most of the items on this list.

Exercise is one very effective way to reduce high blood pressure. First of all, it increases your general level of activity. Second, it tends to lower your weight. And third, it helps to reduce stress because of the release of endorphins. Yoga and biofeedback have also been found to be beneficial in reducing stress.

When it comes to diet and blood pressure, bananas can be a useful addition. Bananas are a rich source of potassium and can help normalize the potassium-sodium balance in your cells. Limiting the sodium content of your food is also important. Eliminate refined sugar from your diet. Relying on fruit and natural 100% fruit juices to sweeten your diet can be one of the best things you can do.

Alcohol, like most everything else, should be taken in moderation. If you have too much stress in your life, realize that alcohol is a depressant and cannot help in the long run. Exercise is a much better stress reliever.

A few herbs are believed to contribute to high blood pressure risk:

  • Asian Ginseng
  • Licorice
  • Rosemary essential oil
  • Ephedra

Calcium and magnesium have been found to improve blood pressure. In particular, they’re associated with improving nerve action, calming nervous tension and reducing jitters.

These substances also help reducing high blood pressure or its risk:

  • Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
  • Garlic (may interfere with other medications, so check with your doctor)
  • Hawthorn (a natural herb with no known interactions with medications)
  • Fish oil
  • Folic acid
  • Cayenne pepper

If you have high blood pressure, be sure to consult with your doctor before following any of the above suggestions. But rest assured that there are natural ways for you to manage your blood pressure without resorting to drugs.

 

The Benefits of Magnesium

The Benefits of Magnesium

magnesium-crystals-200-300While it may not be as well-known as other mineral nutrients, Magnesium is involved in a variety of the human body’s processes, ranging from maintaining bone density to keeping our heart rhythm steady. Without the proper levels of magnesium, we’d suffer from fragile bones, high blood pressure, weak muscles and heart problems, among other health problems.

Most people know that calcium is important in maintaining strong bones. However, many are unaware that without adequate magnesium, the bones cannot absorb that calcium, making it worse than useless. If calcium supplements are taken without corresponding amounts of magnesium (in a proportion of 2 parts calcium to 1 part magnesium), the calcium will tend to build up in the soft tissues and the joints, contributing to osteoarthritis, while at the same time failing to protect against osteoporosis.

There are over 300 different enzymes in the body that require magnesium in order to work. Magnesium helps to lower blood pressure by keeping the muscles of the heart and blood vessels relaxed. It can reduce headaches (including migraines), alleviate symptoms of PMS, and reduce your risk of diabetes. It is also helpful in the treatment of kidney stones, constipation, muscle cramps, depression and anxiety, and reduces inflammation.

The NHANES study (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) of 1999-2000 found that 68% of Americans do not get their recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium. Adults who consume less than the RDA of magnesium are one and a half times more likely to have elevated markers for inflammation than those who get the recommended amount. Increased inflammatory markers indicate a higher risk of diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

The recommended daily intake of magnesium is as follows:

Children 1-3 years: 80 mg/day
Children 4-8 years: 130 mg/day
Children 9-13 years: 240 mg/day

Girls 14-18 years: 360 mg/day
Women 19-30 years: 310 mg/day
Women 31 years and over: 320 mg/day

Pregnant women under 19 years: 400 mg/day
Pregnant women 19 to 30 years: 350 mg/day
Pregnant Women 31 years and up: 360 mg/day

Breastfeeding Women under 19 years: 360 mg/day
Breastfeeding Women 19 to 30 years: 310 mg/day
Breastfeeding Women 31 years and up: 320 mg/day

Boys 14-18 years: 410 mg/day
Men 19-30 years: 400 mg/day
Men 31 years and up: 420 mg/day

Although magnesium is found in a number of common foods, it is easily depleted by cooking and processing. There are also certain conditions that put you at risk of magnesium deficiency, including intestinal viruses that cause vomiting and diarrhea, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, kidney disease, pancreatitis and taking diuretics.

Signs of magnesium deficiency include muscle spasms or weakness, abnormal blood pressure, heart arrhythmia, sleep disorders, nausea and vomiting, anxiety, irritability and restless leg syndrome.

Good food sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables (spinach, Swiss chard, kale, collard greens), seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, and flaxseed), nuts (almonds, cashews, and walnuts), baked potatoes and chocolate.