What is the best natural cure for high blood pressure?

[dsentell]

I know this sounds weird, and possibly anal. But I track and trend things like blood pressure, cholesterol and other stats.

What a neat idea! If you are weird, so is my mother (and my dad was as well).

I do see her most every day, so this would be no problem.

She has one of those home blood pressure things and I haven't seen anything, but would bet that she has a list of blood pressure readings.

This would be a great way to monitor changes.

SEE, I KNEW YOU GUYS WERE GENIUSES!

 

[Mckarnin]

One more thing. Since she may have been nervous about her own health due to your father's recent death she could have had a little white coat high BP going on. Most Drs can give you a BP monitor that you wear for 24 hours or so that monitors your BP constantly and gives you a better idea of the reading rather than one in office reading.

 

[tmosley]

~Reduce vegetable oils (soy, canola, corn) and replace with organic butter, palm oil, coconut oil, natural lard (olive and sesame oil are good in low heat or no heat applications).

Saturated fat lowers blood pressure? I always thought that those types of foods INCREASED your chances of developing heart disease.

 

[tod evans]

Saturated fat lowers blood pressure? I always thought that those types of foods INCREASED your chances of developing heart disease.

i`m one of the folks who believe that if a "fat" occurs naturally then the human body is more likely to be able to process it.
i`d much rather put lard or suet in my body than a partially hydrogenated anything....same goes for butter vs "spreads" that have a chemical make-up i can`t pronounce....

 

[Mckarnin]

Saturated fat lowers blood pressure? I always thought that those types of foods INCREASED your chances of developing heart disease.

According to my health methodology/what humans have eaten for thousands of years....


Trans Fat=Terrible

Monounsaturated fats like Corn, Soy, Olive, Canola, etc... get oxidized and bad for you as soon as you heat them more than a little and many of them put even more Omega-6 in our diets when what most American's diets are desperate for is Omega-3's.

Saturated fats like butter, lard (not the processed stuff), coconut oil, etc...are good for cooking and fine for health.



A lot of studies done in the last 40 years or so have grouped trans fats with saturated fats in testing so saturated fats are sharing the bad rap with trans fats when, in reality trans fats, saturated fats and monounsaturated fats should be tested separately and it should be specified whether they are heated or not and if so how hot.




I know it goes against the status quo but that's my opinion...for more resources:

http://www.westonaprice.org/
www.mercola.com

 

[tmosley]

Saturated fat is saturated fat, no matter what the source. If you are eating lard then you might as well pig out on bacon. The only difference with reference to heart disease will be cholesterol content.

If you agree with that statement, then ok. If not, watch out because you may be more likely to get heart disease than you think.

That said, I LOVE coconut oil. It's the best for making curries, I don't care how bad it is for me.

Also, as to the original question of the thread, you can also have them try alfalfa sprouts, which act as a natural diuretic (like a water pill). Diuretics are the best treatment for high blood pressure because they don't have any side effects (except that you urinate more), where the more powerful MAOIs and such have rather nasty side effects.

 

[Mckarnin]

I eat lard from healthy pigs raised without hormones or antibiotics and I pig out on natural, uncured bacon from pigs raised the same way. We'll see how my heart is doing in 30 years....my weight is great as is my muscle tone and immune system.

Katharine

Saturated fat is saturated fat, no matter what the source. If you are eating lard then you might as well pig out on bacon. The only difference with reference to heart disease will be cholesterol content.

If you agree with that statement, then ok. If not, watch out because you may be more likely to get heart disease than you think.

That said, I LOVE coconut oil. It's the best for making curries, I don't care how bad it is for me.

Also, as to the original question of the thread, you can also have them try alfalfa sprouts, which act as a natural diuretic (like a water pill). Diuretics are the best treatment for high blood pressure because they don't have any side effects (except that you urinate more), where the more powerful MAOIs and such have rather nasty side effects.

 

[amy31416]

For high-temp cooking, such as stir fries and sautees, use ghee or peanut oil. Olive oil for medium temp cooking. I use sesame oil, walnut oil and some other various oils in salads, for finishing a soup after it's done cooking or on sandwiches, things like that.

Always keep oils, especially the more delicate ones in the refrigerator, they last longer and it takes longer for them to break down. The only exception to this for me is extra-virgin olive oil, I use it fast enough that it doesn't go bad when in the cabinet--plus it solidifies in the refrigerator, which is annoying.

Here's a good source on different oils, their different purposes and properties: http://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/oils.html

 

[sratiug]

Also, as to the original question of the thread, you can also have them try alfalfa sprouts, which act as a natural diuretic (like a water pill). Diuretics are the best treatment for high blood pressure because they don't have any side effects (except that you urinate more), where the more powerful MAOIs and such have rather nasty side effects.

Except that dehydration is a main cause of high blood pressure. If you have enough cellular potassium your body's cells will be hydrated, allowing normal blood pressure. Lack of cellular potassium causes cell dehydration and build up of acids, forcing the body to increase extra-cellular pressure to cope, and your blood pressure goes up. Blood potassium levels are easy to check but cellular potassium is what's important and usually not tested.

One type of blood pressure medication is just a potassium compound, and I think the American Heart Association says eating a high potassium diet is the most effective treatment for high blood pressure, along with exercise.

All the electrolytes are inter-related. Calcium speeds the heart, mgnesium slows it down. Calcium supplements can deplete your magnesium levels, causing cramps, racing heart beat and suicidal depression.

Potassium is needed at a 4 to 1 or more ratio to sodium, which is about 20 times less prevalent in natural foods. So the body hoards sodium naturally and depletes potassium when too much sodium is present. Salt 300 years or so ago was potassium salt. Now it is sodium, but you can buy Morton Lite salt that is a mixture of potassium chloride and sodium chloride. They have another version that has no sodium. If you mix the two you can get about a 4 to 1 ratio.

SOLO sea salt from England has reduced sodium levels (natural sea salt is mostly all sodium chloride) and added magnesium and potassium salts for what they say is an ideal balance. They say there is not enough magnesium and potassium in food because of depleted soils. Here is their link. http://www.soloseasalt.com/what-is-solo.asp

Remember, one high sodium can of soup, tv dinner, or whatever can give you close to 1000 milligrams of sodium meaning you'd have to eat 4 grams of potassium to compensate. That's about 15 baked potatoes, or 5 bananas worth.

Potassium deficiency is also considered by many to be the major cause of arthritis, by causing dehydration of the tissues.

 

[american.swan]

I would suggest a couple of things.

1. less meat, not no meat.
2. more vegetables and fruits, not only vegetables and fruits
2a don't forget nuts
3. Water! Try finding a book called "The Body's many cries for water"
4. Water will also help asthma and even help with mood.
5. A lot of water will flush out salts and minerals so a pinch of sea salt is needed to replace the stuff washed out.

 

[tmosley]

Except that dehydration is a main cause of high blood pressure.

Of course you still have to drink a lot of water, it just stops you from retaining water, which puts pressure on your blood vessels.

Diuretics were the only and best drug used against blood pressure from the early 20's through the late 70's (I think that timeline is right), when MAOI inhibitors came out.

 

[thuja]

change doctors right away

no one has suggested a change of doctors. it s very unfortunate that she sees a doctor who prescribes chemicals when she probably can avoid those.
it is wonderful that you are keeping her company once in awhile, and that you care so much. love is wonderful medicine.
it's not unusual while she is greivig to have a little health change, so its urgent for her to eat a diet high in alkaline vegetables.

find an excellent and compassionate naturopathic type of doctor for her that she will like.

 

[thuja]

Of course you still have to drink a lot of water, it just stops you from retaining water, which puts pressure on your blood vessels.

Diuretics were the only and best drug used against blood pressure from the early 20's through the late 70's (I think that timeline is right), when MAOI inhibitors came out.

here are TWO dangerous drugs already.
vegetables will do the same things, but to a degree that agrees with the body without disaterous results causing more dangerous drugs to follow, and so on.
diuretics, by the way, deplete the body of more than water, it takes along valuable minerals, which are important for mental function, as well as every other thing.
the sea salt suggestion is excellent, and ordinary chemical salt should be avoided.
if mao inhibitors are suggested, run like hell.

 

[amy31416]

no one has suggested a change of doctors. it s very unfortunate that she sees a doctor who prescribes chemicals when she probably can avoid those.
it is wonderful that you are keeping her company once in awhile, and that you care so much. love is wonderful medicine.
it's not unusual while she is greivig to have a little health change, so its urgent for her to eat a diet high in alkaline vegetables.

find an excellent and compassionate naturopathic type of doctor for her that she will like.

I know you mean well, but could you post some links to some studies that show that alkaline vegetables would help with high blood pressure?

Perhaps she should change doctors because of his love for pharmaceuticals, but I would never recommend that she completely shun Western medicine, especially at her age. That would simply be irresponsible.

 

[thuja]

I know you mean well, but could you post some links to some studies that show that alkaline vegetables would help with high blood pressure?

Perhaps she should change doctors because of his love for pharmaceuticals, but I would never recommend that she completely shun Western medicine, especially at her age. That would simply be irresponsible.

no, i cannot. ha ha ha ha ha. but i could look for some and get back to you. ha ha ha ha ha
sorry, just trying to act like a doctor.
since she is reported to have had good health until her loss, it would be irresponsible and unkind to just start dosing her with chemicals. tests are one of the valuable things conventional medicine can provide, however, the analysis of the results, if always resulting in prescriptions for chemical medicines, are suspect

i did not suggest eastern medicine, but now that it is alluded to, it's often useful, since looking at and listening to the patient carefully is one of it's salient features, and can result in some very simple and effective solutions. a good book on that subject is titled "the web that has no weaver", and was suggested to me by a western medicine doctor who had taken the time to study everything he could find. there ARE some great doctors, but they are a miracle to find.

naturopaths and wholistic medicine doctors are western medicine doctors, and we better be careful to protect our rights to have alternative medicine available to us, as the drug companies are busy paying politicians to inhibit or remove those rights.

 

[thuja]

even mainstream medicine, including good old harvard, seem to think vegetables have a very beneficial effect on blood pressure:

oh fooey! i cant get the link right, but at the harvard school of public healthwebsite is a page devoted to eating vegetables for better health

 

[tmosley]

thuja: if you read my earlier posts, you will see that I was suggesting alfalfa sprouts as a natural diuretic. They are quite healthy. Loss of minerals is EASILY remedied with a supplement, which, unlike vitamins, are absorbed from a pill the same as from foods (as minerals are basically dirt).

 

[thuja]

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/review/review_winter_02/rsdash.html

 

[thuja]

thuja: if you read my earlier posts, you will see that I was suggesting alfalfa sprouts as a natural diuretic. They are quite healthy. Loss of minerals is EASILY remedied with a supplement, which, unlike vitamins, are absorbed from a pill the same as from foods (as minerals are basically dirt).

i don't understand. supplements and vitamins have the same meaning i think.

 

[thuja]

Saturated fat is saturated fat, no matter what the source. If you are eating lard then you might as well pig out on bacon. The only difference with reference to heart disease will be cholesterol content.

If you agree with that statement, then ok. If not, watch out because you may be more likely to get heart disease than you think.

That said, I LOVE coconut oil. It's the best for making curries, I don't care how bad it is for me.

Also, as to the original question of the thread, you can also have them try alfalfa sprouts, which act as a natural diuretic (like a water pill). Diuretics are the best treatment for high blood pressure because they don't have any side effects (except that you urinate more), where the more powerful MAOIs and such have rather nasty side effects.

i wanted earlier to say that coconut oil is one of the very healthiest things you could eat, so keep doing that. it is geat for cooking with, and is a natural antifungal, plus it tastes great.
sprouts are also terrific.
i cannot get enthusiastic about diuretics and mao inhibitors, however, although diuretics may be needed n an emergency situation.