Lowering Blood Pressure
Q: Are there ways to lower high blood pressure without the use of pharmaceutical drugs?
A: High blood pressure, or hypertension, is defined by the American Heart Association as a blood pressure reading of 140mm Hg/90mm Hg or higher.
High blood pressure is also called the “silent killer” because it greatly increases your risk of coronary heart disease. This is the disease that causes heart attacks and strokes. Generally there are no symptoms of hypertension, thus no warning when these life-threatening attacks occur.
Whether you take pharmaceutical drugs or choose natural alternatives, it is imperative to get routine blood pressure checks to make sure your treatment is managing the condition.
If I have a patient who is newly diagnosed with hypertension, I will start her on a program that includes diet, lifestyle changes, and natural blood pressure lowering agents.
First it is important to lose weight, limit alcohol consumption, quit smoking, decrease sodium intake to less than 2300mg/day, manage stress, and exercise regularly.
I’ll also review prescription drugs, herbal remedies, and supplements, because some of these can cause high blood pressure.
Those are the basic steps. Changing your diet so that it is rich in fiber, potassium, and magnesium are also natural ways to lower blood pressure. You can find these foods in complex carbohydrates or whole grains such as millet, quinoa, buckwheat, and oats, and in vegetables and fruits such as leafy greens, broccoli, celery, squash, pomegranate, pineapple, nectarines, cherries, and watermelon.
I also encourage my patients to choose diets rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These include foods like fish, flax, nuts, seeds, and garlic.
Taking an essential fatty acid supplement can also help. Some choices include taurine, L’Carnitine, coenzyme Q10, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, crataegus, hawthorn, valerian, B vitamins (especially Folic acid), and mushrooms such as reishi, kudzu, and maitake.
As a naturopathic physician, I am always looking for the underlying cause of the condition: Is it hereditary, or is there another cause such as a thyroid condition, stress, diabetes, diet, or lifestyle? If I find an underlying cause, then that is where treatment begins.
If alternative treatment does not reduce the blood pressure to an acceptable range, then it is time to consider pharmaceutical treatment.
Hypertension is a silent killer, so if you are diagnosed with this condition, seek treatment immediately. Whether you choose to treat it naturally or with pharmaceuticals, you must have a physician monitoring your treatment.
— Lindsey Nelson
About Vitamin D
Q: How important is vitamin D and how much should I be taking?
A: Vitamin D is essential for bone health and muscle strength. Low vitamin D levels can lead to osteoporosis, making the bones more brittle and creating muscle weakness, increasing the risk for fall in older adults. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to an increase in cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, and Type I diabetes.
The level of vitamin D can be measured in the blood. The body can make vitamin D when exposed to sunlight (without the use of sunscreens) for five to 15 minutes per day in southern climates. Dietary sources include salmon, mackerel, cod, and fortified milk, but supplementing the diet with vitamin D tablets is the best way to correct a deficiency.
Currently the Institute of Medicine recommendation for vitamin D is 400IU for those under age 70, 600 IU for those over 70, and 800IU for those patients with osteoporosis. However, many patients on vitamin D therapy continue to show low blood levels of this essential vitamin. Newer studies are saying that 1000IU a day may be needed to meet the body’s requirements. A study in Finland showed that children who received 2000IU of vitamin D from age one to adulthood showed an 80% decreased risk of developing Type I diabetes.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which can cause toxicity when daily doses exceed 10,000IU. However, doses of 4000IU daily or 50,000IU weekly have been given without toxicity. A single dose of 100,000IU given every four months was shown to be safe and effective in decreasing the risk of osteoporotic fracture.
So how much is right for you? The answer depends on your diet, age, and status of your bone health. Those of us in northern climates should consider increasing our vitamin D intake in the wintertime. Have your vitamin D levels checked at your next annual physical, and discuss your vitamin D intake with your health care provider.
— Ariana Staruch
This Issue’s Experts
Lindsey Nelson, ND, is a naturopathic primary care physician and can be reached at 503-279-0205 or lindsey@clearh2o.org.
Arianna Staruch, ND, is a naturopathic physician focused on women’s health issues and can be reached at 503-279-0205 or arianna@clearh2o.org. |
