High Blood Pressure? Natural Alternatives Can Help!

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a dangerous condition that can lead= to stroke, enlarged heart, congestive heart failure, kidney and eye damage, atherosclerosis hardening of the arteries, and premature death.

According to a recent report released in The New England Journal of Medicine of 16,000 adults surveyed over the age of 24, nearly 30 percent had blood pressure of at least 140/90 and more than one-third of them were unaware of their condition.

Blood pressure refers to the force of the bloodstream against the walls of the arteries as they deliver blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Normal, healthy blood pressure ranges from about 110/80 to as high as 140/90. The higher number refers to systolic pressure, which is the hearts contractions. The second number, the diastolic pressure, measures the rests between heartbeats. Here are the categories to consider when evaluating blood pressure:

  • Normal - Less than 140/90
  • Borderline - 141/91 to 159/94
  • High - 160/95 or more

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

Although there are still questions about the roots of essential hypertension, many researchers name two culprits: The typical American diet and lifestyle factors. Following are 9 major factors that can contribute to this potentially deadly condition:

1. High-fat, high-sodium diet . . . Interestingly, vegetarians who normally eat a low-fat, low-sodium diet have a profoundly lower incidence of hypertension than non-vegetarians.

2. Fat imbalance . . . Too much saturated fat in the diet. We need more essential fatty acids to help clear the system of fat solids.

3. Nutritional deficiencies . . . People whose diets are low in potassium, magnesium, calcium and vitamin C are at greater risk of hypertension.

4. Obesity . . . High blood pressure is almost six times more common among overweight people ages 20 to 44, and twice as common in those 45 to 74

5. Smoking . . . Chronic smoking decreases blood flow to the brain, increasing the risk of stroke.

6. Alcohol . . . Heavy drinking is another indicator of high blood pressure.

7. Stress . . . In many instances, stress can be the major factor causing high blood pressure.

8. Atherosclerosis . . . A buildup of fatty deposits can narrow the blood vessels, leading to a rise in blood pressure. The increased resistance means the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the body, placing it under strain.

9. High sugar intake . . . People who had more sugar in their diet had markedly increased blood pressure.

Anti-Hypertensive Diet Guidelines

The following recommendations can help you keep your blood pressure at healthier levels:

  • Follow a low-fat diet.
  • Increase your intake of potassium, magnesium and calcium.
  • Reduce your intake of salt.
  • Restrict your consumption of refined sugars.
  • Exercise more often. Since excess body fat is a primary risk factor in hypertension, it is critical to maintain a healthy weight. The importance of regular exercise cannot be over-emphasized.

Essential Nutrient Intake
What you eat has a powerful influence on your blood pressure as well as almost every other aspect of your health.

For most people, the sodium/potassium ratio is more significant than sodium alone. We should be consuming about five times more potassium than sodium (5:1), but the typical American diet includes half as much potassiumas sodium (1:2).

By eating more POTASSIUM-rich foods, you can reverse the ratio and promote healthy blood pressure. Foods such as bananas, oranges, tangerines, beans, dried peas, and potatoes provide a wealth of natural potassium.

MAGNESIUM is another vital nutrient for blood pressure. It is believed that magnesium activates the bodys cellular membrane pump, which pumps sodium out and potassium into the cells. Some clinical trials have shown that magnesium supplementation reduces blood pressure. Magnesium- rich foods include nuts (especially almonds, cashews, and pecans), rice, bananas, potatoes, wheat germ, kidney and lima beans, peas, soy products, molasses, oat, bran, and fish.

CALCIUM is important. People with high blood pressure are advised to increase Calcium intake and to eat more calcium-rich foods such as nuts, salmon, sardines, low-fat dairy foods, watercress, kale, broccoli, turnip greens, collard greens, and mustard greens.

Here is a list of other nutritional supplements that can help prevent high blood pressure:

  • HAWTHORNE is an herb that has been shown to widen blood vessels, especially the coronary arteries.
  • CAYENNE reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, which can lead to hypertension.
  • VALERIAN has sedative activity, which has a beneficial effect on blood pressure.
  • VITAMIN C supplementation has exerted a valuable blood-pressure-lowering effect in people by promoting the excretion of lead, which is linked to hypertension.
  • COQ10 shows promise for hypertensives. Coenzyme Q10 is a nutrient that naturally occurs in our bodies and can be supplemented to assure adequate daily intake.
  • GARLIC helps reduce cholesterol as well as blood pressure.

Summary . . . The consequences of untreated high blood pressure are too serious to go untreated. By making smart choices about the foods you eat, the intake of beneficial nutritional factors and your exercise regimen, you can help control your own blood pressure.

Roger Jirves an authorized dealer of the Vitamin Power line of Quality Nutritional Supplements and personal care products.

apartment cleaning near Glenview ..
In The News:

Sora 2, OpenAI's new video-generation app, can create AI-generated videos based on a singular prompt. The results are both mind-blowing and terrifying.
iPhone and Android users can reduce Wi-Fi calling battery drainage through settings adjustments, background app limits and stronger Wi-Fi connections.
Work email scams are becoming harder to detect as criminals use AI and spoofed addresses to trick employees into opening malicious attachments and links.
From her Arizona living room, Christina Chapman ran a covert hub that helped North Korean operatives infiltrate U.S. firms, netting $17 million in stolen salaries.
UC Santa Barbara researchers developed a soft robotic intubation system that achieved 100% success rates for experts and 96% for paramedics with minimal training.
Scammers exploit probate filings to target grieving families with fake fees and debts, Kurt "Cyberguy" Knutsson reports.
Automotive giant Stellantis becomes latest victim of widespread Salesforce breaches affecting companies like Google, Cisco and Adidas this year.
A woman from Washington reunited with her missing Maine Coon cat Louie after 11 days using Love Lost, a free AI-powered pet recovery platform.
Expert cybersecurity tips help Mac owners remove malware infections and strengthen defenses with antivirus software, password managers and system updates.
Meta's AI chatbot training rules bans sexual roleplay with minors and block access to child abuse material as regulators scrutinize its safety measures.
Online banking users face a new threat: web injection scams that overlay fake pop-ups to steal logins. Here’s how to spot them and protect your accounts.
Meta introduced Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger while launching a School Partnership Program for U.S. educators to report bullying within 48 hours.
Executive order signed by President Donald Trump tasks Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA Commission with using AI to find new cures for childhood cancers.
New FileFix attack tricks Facebook and Instagram users into running malicious PowerShell commands disguised as Meta account maintenance to deploy StealC infostealer.
Step-by-step instructions help users migrate to Windows 11 while preserving emails, contacts, documents, and software licenses during the transition.
Chrome faces its sixth zero-day attack in 2025 as Google patches critical V8 engine flaw CVE-2025-10585 discovered by Threat Analysis Group.
The Hypershell X Ultra exoskeleton features 12 terrain modes and carbon fiber construction to enhance hiking, cycling and outdoor adventures.
Personal data from public records and data brokers helps scammers create tailored scam stories, making their calls and emails more believable to potential victims.
Uber Eats partners with drone delivery startup Flytrex to test autonomous food delivery services in U.S. markets, marking the company's first investment in drone technology.
OpenAI announces 120-day plan to strengthen ChatGPT safeguards for teens, including parental controls and expert council on AI wellbeing.
Spam emails can help improve security — if reported correctly. Learn how to report spam across major email services and get key tips to protect your inbox and personal data.
Harvard researcher Avi Loeb says comet 3I/ATLAS weighs 33 billion tons and spans 3.1 miles, making it far larger than previous interstellar visitors.
The Glassboro Public School District in New Jersey has partnered with ZeroEyes and InformaCast to detect visible firearms and alert staff and law enforcement within seconds.
Hackers use fake Google search results to trick users into downloading lookalike apps laced with malware that have been pushed to the top.
Generative A.I. has lowered barriers for sophisticated cyberattacks as hackers exploit ChatGPT and other tools to forge documents and identities.

10 Flaxseed Facts to Improve Your Nutrition

Flaxseeds may be the smallest seeds you will find in... Read More

Male Infertility and Glutathione

Are You Half The Man Your Father Was?It is a... Read More

Fruitceuticals - The Evolution of Fruit

Since the beginning of time, everyday fruits have been known... Read More

Healthy Food Tastes Better!

How is it that we can't seem to think that... Read More

Food for Healthy Nails

Nails are a protective horn at the end of our... Read More

Policosinol and Cholesterol Reduction

The word cholesterol has become synonymous with poor health. Indeed,... Read More

Eating to Health? Think Again!

So, what is new about this that you already don't... Read More

The Truth About Omega 3

Since Dr Basant Puri, a consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer... Read More

Compulsive Eating Alternative: Learning to Eat With Pleasure

Do you allow pleasure from food? Are your senses throughly... Read More

Glycemic Index of Foods

All carbohydrates are not the same. Generally it is assumed... Read More

Fluoride Damages Childrens Bones, Study Says

White-spotted or yellow splotched teeth may reveal more than needed... Read More

Starbucks and Children Health Risks

Do you know the risks to daily intakes of Starbucks... Read More

Eating Instinctively

I start from the premise that eating instinctively means eating... Read More

REAL Summer Foods

Fire ElementAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are five... Read More

Immunity and the Immune System

Since the 1930's the western diet has dramatically changed. This... Read More

Protein: Common or Missing Link?

Most of us equate the word diet with calorie reduction.... Read More

From Cell to Super Cell - with Glutathione

Imagine you're a cell.Inside your body runs the machinery that... Read More

Gift of Health

People want to get the very best they can when... Read More

Children Get Constipated, Too

Do you notice your child putting off going to the... Read More

Free List of Fat Burning Foods

This free list of fat burning foods will help you... Read More

What Would You Think if I said that You could Overdose on Water?

You would probably think that I was writing a lot... Read More

Eat and Lose Weight - Its All in those MCTs

Can You Lose Weight Through Eating?You get fat when you... Read More

Tips for Effective Muscle Building Diets

One of the biggest mistakes many new bodybuilders make is... Read More

A Heart Healthy Diet Makeover

Heart Disease remains the number one cause of death in... Read More

The Worse Mistakes People Make with Food

There are a number of common food mistakes that costs... Read More

residential cleaning services Morton Grove ..