Health

The Natural Way to Lower Blood Pressure

Many of my hypertensive customers have found that supplementing with high-quality Omega-3 oils has helped reduce their blood pressure “spikes,” brought their pressure readings back to normal, and provided other cardiovascular advantages.

One of the most important indicators of overall health, blood pressure, is described as “the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels” (Wikipedia). This is what we mean when we say hypertension is high blood pressure. As blood flows from the heart to smaller and smaller blood vessels (arterioles, capillaries, and veins), the blood pressure in those vessels falls, so the word “blood pressure” typically refers to arterial pressure or the pressure in the more prominent arteries.

2.6 million hits came up when I searched “stress and hypertension” on Google. Therefore, the theory may also be valid.

“Stress can cause hypertension by repeatedly raising blood pressure and stimulating the nervous system to produce large amounts of vasoconstricting hormones that increase blood pressure,” write researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, USA.

This mental-physical link has been established. Humans are becoming increasingly sedentary as a species, but we must still adjust to a fast-paced, stimulating cerebral environment. Beginning a regular yoga practice is my number one suggestion for strengthening the mind-body connection.

When I was younger, I got plenty of exercise in my daily job of splitting firewood, so it seems silly that I now need to go to the gym several times a week to push on machines and “simulate” working my muscles. However, my brain is doing most of my daily work now, except my fingers, which do a lot of keyboarding (boy, do my wrists hurt), and the occasional occasions when I lift boxes of product.

The cardiac muscle and the circulatory system benefit significantly from high-quality Omega-3 fish oil extracts. When the heart and lungs are healthy, the body performs better. Omega-3 fish oil extracts of the highest quality benefit cardiovascular health because they improve blood flow to the heart and maintain the elasticity of the heart’s arteries.

Product claims that involve medical intervention, such as those for high blood pressure, are off the table when discussing natural products. Clinical research on natural components has been published in medical publications, and we advise everyone to study and educate themselves on the topic.

Here are some abstracts from studies published in the medical journal Hypertension that back up the claims that premium Omega-3 fish oil extracts are an effective supplement because of their active ingredients and that these extracts can help improve heart health. These study summaries are something your doctor may find helpful.

The effect of fish oil on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized studies.
Journal of Hypertension, 2002, vol.20, no.8, pp.1493-1499. The authors (a,b) are Johanna M. Geleijnse, Erik J. Giltay, Diederick E. Grobbee, Adrianus R. T. Donders, and Frans J. Kok.

We aimed to use meta-analysis to quantify fish oil’s antihypertensive efficacy in randomized studies. Age, gender, BP, and BMI were investigated as modifiable factors in the influence of BP.

Methods: MEDLINE (1966-March 2001) was used to locate 90 randomized fish oil and BP trials. Co-interventions, specific patient groups, controls other than placebo, and studies with less than two weeks were all disqualified.

Twenty-two of the included trials’ designs were double-blind out of 36 (50 strata). Sample sizes, study designs, durations, fish oil doses, BP changes, and baseline characteristics of trial populations were collected from original studies.

Meta-regression analysis was used to derive weighted pooled BP estimations based on trial sample sizes. Population characteristics were used to inform the stratified analysis.

Most studies reported high fish oil consumption levels (median dose: 3.7 g/day). Fish oil was associated with a 2.1 mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure (95% CI, 1.0–3.2; P 0.01) and a 1.6 mmHg drop in diastolic blood pressure (95% CI, 1.0–2.2; P 0.01). Reducing blood pressure by 1.5 mmHg (95% CI: 0.6, 2.3) and 1.7 mmHg (95% CI: 0.3, 3.1) when only double-blind trials were considered.

Populations older than 45 and hypertensive populations (BP greater than= 140/90 mmHg) showed more substantial BP effects.

Those with higher BP, such as the elderly and those with hypertension, may benefit from increasing their consumption of fish oil. However, it is yet to be determined whether or whether doses of fish oil below 0.5 g/day are effective against hypertension.

Elderly blood pressure is reduced by eating a low-sodium diet supplemented with fish oil, according to a study conducted by the Hypertension Research Program at the CSIRO Division of Human Nutrition in Adelaide, South Australia.

The goal of this study was to determine whether or not combining a fish oil supplement with a salt-restriction diet had any effect on blood pressure in the elderly. METHODS: Blood pressure was measured before and after a 4-week double-blind dietary intervention in which volunteers consumed fish oil and low sodium, fish oil and normal sodium, sunflower oil and low sodium, or sunflower oil and normal sodium.

CONTEXT: Participants monitored their diets and blood pressure at home and came to our nutrition research clinic every two weeks.

Participants were adults aged 60–80 who responded to a call for health volunteers. One hundred fourteen male and female participants were enrolled across two cohorts, with an initial mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 132/77 mmHg. All subjects switched to a low-sodium diet and ingested either slow-release sodium chloride tablets or placebos, in addition to capsules containing fish or sunflower oil, in a double-blind fashion. MAIN

The primary outcome measure was the change in blood pressure from baseline to week 4 of intervention within each dietary treatment group. RESULTS: People on low-sodium diets had lower sodium and potassium levels in their urine. The group who took the low-sodium sunflower oil saw decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP), but the reduction in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was only temporary.

There was no statistically significant difference when blood pressure was measured before and after supplementation with fish oil and normal sodium levels. However, when fish oil was paired with low sodium, SBP, and DBP were drastically lowered, with the latter being reduced by a wider margin than in any other treatment groups.

BOTTOM LINE: Fish oil in the diet and cutting back on salt work together to reduce DBP in the elderly.

Taking Omega-3 fish oil extracts of the highest quality would do wonders for your heart’s health.

Fish oil supplements are becoming increasingly popular. Not all fish oil is created equal. I’ll tell you why I’m making that statement. The oil must be rich in EPA and DHA, two crucial fish oil metabolites the body can’t function without.

Fish oil should undergo a molecular distillation process to remove potentially hazardous byproducts while keeping the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids intact.

Our human nature prevents us from enduring pain. Thus, the fish oil supplement must be palatable. The aftertaste and monotony of low-density fish oils sold in stores turn off most consumers.

The omega-3 you purchase should be high quality and have passed rigorous industry safety tests.

Always with your doctor before using any supplement, and follow your prescribed hypertension treatment plan.

Author Garey Simmons discusses his heart health struggles in a new book. Garey spent two years learning about the natural methods for reversing heart disease after being diagnosed with a high risk of heart disease, an elevated triglyceride count, and a suspect family history. Take advantage of our free e-course, “Four Golden Guides to Heart Health.”

linda