This nutritional advice comes courtesy of a research team from the Department of Nutrition at the University of California. The researchers noted that vegetable consumption in the United States has declined over the past decade and, consequently, the gap between dietary recommendations and vegetable intake is widening. They devised a study to determine if drinking vegetable juice is a practical way to help meet daily dietary recommendations for veggie intake. They also wanted to investigate the effect of a vegetable juice on measures of cardiovascular health.

The clinical trial was a 12-week study consisting of three groups of healthy volunteers. All the volunteers received education on the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and 0, eight or 16 fluid ounces of vegetable juice daily. Assessments were completed of daily vegetable servings before and after the addition of vegetable juice. Cardiovascular health parameters were measured, including blood pressure.

The researchers found some revealing results: without the juice, vegetable intake in all groups was lower than the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and DASH diet recommendations. However, the consumption of the vegetable juice helped participants reach recommended intake.

RECOMMENDED: The DASH Plan for Your Good Health

The researchers also discovered that volunteers who were pre-hypertensive at the start of the study showed a significant decrease in blood pressure during the 12-week intervention period. They concluded that including one to two cups of vegetable juice daily was an effective and acceptable way for healthy adults to close the dietary vegetable gap.

It used to be that you could only find tomato juice at the grocery store, but that has all changed in recent years. Most food stores now have a selection of vegetable juices, including carrot, beet, celery, and other delicious combinations. Take one with you in the morning to drink at lunch or grab one on the go from your favorite smoothie/juice counter.

It is extremely important to treat high blood pressure as soon as possible, because it can have drastic consequences over time. Kidney disease, stroke, and heart disease can all result from hypertension. What causes high blood pressure? There are many factors that can influence your blood pressure to rise beyond safe limits. There is no one particular cause, nor is there one complete cure for high blood pressure. If you have any questions about your own blood pressure, consult your doctor. This is one condition that you should not ignore or put off until later. Some common causes of hypertension include obesity, stress, family history, lack of exercise, high intake of salt, alcohol abuse and certain diseases such as diabetes.

Reducing high blood pressure will likely mean addressing a number of the common risk factors. Monitoring your blood pressure is also a very important piece of the puzzle when it comes to protecting your heart. Knowing that your blood pressure is high (or low) gives you the opportunity to take immediate action. It can also help to determine your triggers — those particular things that cause a change in your blood pressure. With this in mind, you might be interested to know that an online blood-pressure monitoring program can significantly help in the battle against hypertension. According to researchers, online blood-pressure monitoring made a major difference in health management for patients with uncontrolled hypertension.

A U.S. research team studied more than 350 patients, aged 18 to 85, who had uncontrolled high blood pressure. The study participants were randomly assigned to two groups: one that received ordinary treatment and one that took part in a monitoring program in conjunction with the American Heart Association’s www.Heart360.org web site. This web site helps people manage their heart health at no cost.

Study participants who took part in the online program transmitted blood pressure readings via a home computer to their physicians. After six months, the research team found that 58% of those in the program had lowered their blood pressure to healthy levels, compared to just 38% of those in the other group.

Talk to your health-care provider if you want to learn more about online blood-pressure monitoring.

A new study has found that 1,000 milligrams (mg) of olive-leaf extract can lower both cholesterol and blood pressure in certain patients. The extract was one called “EFLA®943.” It worked in people who had mild “hypertension.” This is high blood pressure, a condition that’s common throughout the Western world. Previous studies on rats indicated that olive leaf could be yet another herbal medicine that influences our blood pressure.

So Swiss and German scientists tested the idea in humans — specifically, in 20 identical twins who had high blood pressure. They were given placebo or either 500 mg or 1,000 mg of olive-leaf extract. After two months, they measured blood pressure and discovered that those who were taking the herb had significant reductions in blood pressure. More studies, as usual, are needed.

Cancer Patients Turning to Alternative Medicine

A new American Cancer Society study shows that many cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicines to improve their quality of life. The most common include prayer, relaxation, supplements, meditation and massage. Other methods, though, such as acupuncture, biofeedback, homeopathy and acupressure, are not so common.

It shows that cancer patients use similar methods as others with chronic diseases. About half of all cancer patients are believed to use supplements and relaxation therapies, but there is a gap here, as the least-used alternative treatments were hypnosis, biofeedback and acupuncture or acupressure. This was surprising, as these methods have been found to be successful in providing relief for cancer-related symptoms such as pain. All cancer patients should know that many complementary therapies could provide help in coping with the disease — and with the side effects of chemotherapy, as well.²¹

Probiotics Useful for IBS: Studies

Two new studies in the journal Nutrition in Clinical Practice illustrate that probiotics are effective in managing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). They both find that one probiotic bacterium in particular is effective: Bifantis. This is a form that is found in supplements marketed as “Align.” The probiotic fights inflammation and can get the gut to function healthily again.

One study compared Lactobacillus to Bifantis, as well as placebo. After two months, patients taking Bifantis had the greatest reduction in IBS symptoms. The second study found that Bifantis was significantly superior to placebo in improving stomach pain, bloating, bowel dysfunction, straining and gas at the end of the four weeks. The great effects on inflammation suggest that Bifantis could be used to treat other inflammatory conditions — such as arthritis — but that, for now, we will have to wait and see.

Treat High Blood Pressure and Save Yourself

High blood pressure often goes untreated. It doesn’t really cause any symptoms until something serious happens. High blood pressure can lead to a stroke, heart disease, and heart failure.

Getting your blood pressure checked regularly is something you can and should do for yourself. You can book an appointment with your doctor, or you can monitor your blood pressure at self-serve stations located in most pharmacies. Your blood pressure reading should fall between the normal range listed — usually at or below 120/80 (systolic/diastolic).

If you are over the age of 35, or if you or your family have a history of high blood pressure or heart or kidney problems, you should monitor your blood pressure.

Anyone can develop high blood pressure. There are many things that can raise your blood pressure. Just being over the age of 55 increases your risk for this condition. Men are more likely to develop high blood pressure, as are African Americans. Smoking increases your risk, as does an inactive lifestyle with little or no exercise. Being overweight can lead to blood pressure readings that are higher than normal.

There is also a number of dietary risk factors that lead to high blood pressure levels, such as salt intake. Certain drugs and medications can increase your blood pressure.

And finally, medical conditions that affect your kidneys, such as diabetes, can raise blood pressure levels. This is because the kidneys are regulators of long-term blood pressure.

If you find that you do have high blood pressure, make sure you take the diagnosis seriously. A recent study suggests that, for those who are over the age of 80, treating high blood pressure means directly reducing the chance for having a stroke or heart failure, and/or dying from cardiovascular disease.

A team of researchers treated 3,845 people with high blood pressure with either a diuretic or a placebo. After two years of therapy, blood pressure among the patients taking the diuretic was significantly lower than among those receiving the placebo.

The rate of stroke was reduced 30% in the diuretic group compared to the placebo group. There was also a whopping 64% drop in the rate of heart failure among patients receiving the diuretic.

Make sure you visit your doctor if you haven’t had your blood pressure checked recently. It’s a painless test and could save you from suffering through some pretty serious complications.

This story is all about doctors’ advice. The target is high blood pressure and the subject is whether alternative health methods can work for you. Here is what an array of cardiologists — heart experts — believes on the subject.

There is no question that patients are inquiring more and more about how natural medicine could help lower their blood pressure. There is a shift away from drugs happening. With this in mind, researchers conducted a review of evidence for a wide range of natural hypertension solutions.

Overall, there is not enough proof to recommend any alternative medicine on a regular basis. But, on a person-by-person basis, they believe that natural medicine could be very useful. Every person is different, and every person may react to a medicine in different ways.

Here are the top alternative remedies — some natural, some not –researchers have identified:

1. Lifestyle : They emphasize that all patients with hypertension should adhere to the low-salt DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which is high in fiber and low in fats and incorporates lots of fruits and vegetables. Another lifestyle measure is to follow an exercise regimen for shedding pounds.

2. Acupuncture/Meditation : Research on both practices is mixed — the types of patients included, the methods used, and the results vary from study to study. While there is no conclusive evidence that either lowers blood pressure, researchers found that acupuncture reduces blood pressure compared to placebo in patients also taking anti-hypertensive medications, while in a meta-analysis,
transcendental meditation appeared to lower blood pressure. Other techniques that may provide some benefit include Zen Buddhist meditation and “Qigong” (the basis of tai chi).

3. Supplements : The remedy with the best evidence is coenzyme Q10, an enzyme involved in energy production that also acts as an antioxidant. Patients with hypertension tend to have lower levels of the enzyme, and studies found that coenzyme Q10 supplements significantly reduced blood pressure. The researchers think it could have a profound effect. As well, potassium helps lower blood pressure, and there is evidence that increasing the amount of potassium we get through the foods we eat could carry some of the same mild benefits as taking supplements.

4. Herbs : Researchers identified mistletoe extract, used in Chinese medicine, as a herbal remedy potentially useful for hypertension. Also, hawthorn, a type of tree, is also used, but provides only a slight reduction in blood pressure. Some remedies they found to possible increase blood pressure include St. John’s wort, ephedra/ma huang, yohimbine, and licorice. Consult with your doctor before taking any of these herbs.

5. Devices : A few devices may help. Two that can be used at home are the “RESPeRATE” breathing device and the “Zona Plus” handheld device.

The RESPERATE system uses a breath sensor and gives patients feedback through headphones to help them slow their breathing, which research suggests benefits blood pressure. If used 15 minutes a day, studies show that RESPERATE leads to a modest decrease in hypertension.

The Zona Plus is a device that patients grip in either hand and use to perform multiple sets of squeezing at different levels in response to electronic cues. Researchers say there is no good explanation as to why this works, but studies found the device decreased hypertension in patients using it three days a week for at least eight weeks.

Truth About Alcohol and High Blood Pressure

Certain types of alcohol, high in flavonoids, exert a benefit on your heart. They can protect this vital muscle from the conditions that trigger disease. One of them is high blood pressure. But the news isn’t all good around this link. Can alcohol help reduce hypertension? Does it help trigger it? A look at the medical literature suggests both.

One study found that, compared to the non-drinkers, those who drank every day or apart from food were at a greater risk of high blood pressure. Having one drink or more a day — typically hard liquor — led to systolic (the upper number) and diastolic (the lower number) blood pressure levels rising 2.7 and 1.4 mm Hg, respectively. For those who had more than two drinks a day, blood pressure levels rose by 5.0 mm Hg. The risk of having high blood pressure increased only in those who claimed that they drank without food.

Drinking alcohol outside of food is associated with a higher risk of death from all causes, including heart attacks.

Alcohol-related high blood pressure seems unrelated to the type of alcohol ingested, be it beer, wine or hard liquor.

Results from two of the largest U.S. population studies show that the risk of hypertension differs between men and women. In women, light-to-moderate alcohol ingestion lowered the hypertension risk; whereas heavy drinking (four or more drinks a day) significantly increased the risk of hypertension. However, in men, not only were there no health benefits with light-to-moderate alcohol ingestion, but also a definite increased risk of hypertension was observed with just five drinks per week.

In the large Physicians Health Study (14,125 men), those who reported monthly, weekly, or daily ingestion of alcohol experienced reduced total and cardiovascular death regardless of whether they had hypertension or not, as compared to those who rarely or never drank.

One drink every month reduced the overall heart risk by 18%.

Based on a meta-analysis of 15 randomized placebo-controlled studies with 2,234 subjects, reduction in alcohol intake led to lowering of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by-3.31 and -2.04 mmHg, respectively. This degree of a blood-pressure-lowering effect is comparable to sodium restriction. It is known that a 2.0-mmHg reduction of the diastolic blood pressure leads to a 17% decrease in the prevalence of hypertension, a six-percent drop in the risk of coronary heart disease, and a 15% reduction in the risk of stroke.

Only ever drink in moderation, always drink with food, and, if you have questions, speak to your doctor about the risks and benefits of alcohol.

High Blood Pressure & Your Kidneys

The complications of high blood pressure can be quite serious. You know that high blood pressure can lead to a stroke or heart attack, but did you know that it could also cause kidney damage?

If you already have kidney disease, maintaining healthy control of your blood pressure is essential when it comes to protecting your kidneys. Find out from your doctor what your “target” blood pressure is. Monitor your blood pressure regularly, as recommended by your doctor. Many pharmacies have self-serve blood-pressure monitors or sell blood-pressure cuffs that you can use easily at home.

If you find that your blood pressure is higher than it should be, speak to your doctor. You can also try these strategies to help lower your blood pressure.

• Exercise regularly

• Follow a low-fat, low-salt diet (such as the “DASH” diet)

• Keep a healthy body weight

• Reduce the amount of alcohol that you drink

• Try to quit smoking

• Ward off kidney stones

High blood pressure, also known as “hypertension,” puts your heart and circulatory system at risk. Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of your arteries as it passes through. When it’s high, it means that things are not as healthy as they should be.

Blood pressure is recorded as “something over something,” as you might know if you watch hospital dramas on television. The “systolic” pressure is the first “something” (as the heart beats) and “diastolic” the second (relaxing between beats). Here are the numbers, with “pre-hypertension” a new term for those at risk of getting high blood pressure.

• Normal: 120 over 80

• Prehypertension: 120 to 139 over 80 to 89

• Stage 1 hypertension: 140 to 159 or 90 to 99

• Stage 2 hypertension: anything above stage one

Hypertension is called the “silent killer” because it raises your risk of heart disease without you even knowing it. In fact, three in 10 people who have it don’t know it. The majority of patients are over 65, and 80% are overweight. It’s too bad that only half of them try to control hypertension, because it is something that can be controlled.

Before we get to the homeopathic remedies that you can use, let’s cover the basics. If you have pre-hypertension or hypertension, actively try to reverse the problem. First off, cut down on your intake of salt — this is very important. Along with that, increase your intake of potassium through supplements or foods. (High sources of the mineral include bananas, dried fruit, all leafy green vegetables, potatoes with skin, squash, avocados, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, papayas, cantaloupes and all legumes.)

Other ways to help yourself are to exercise at least 30 minutes a day (even simple walking), keep your weight normal, drink alcohol only in moderation, avoid smoking and eat more fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

Belladonna

While it’s good for throbbing and violent conditions that start suddenly, it can be useful for high blood pressure, as well. It’s one of the main remedies in a hypertensive crisis, with flushes of heat, pounding headache and impending stroke.

Glonoinum

This is nitroglycerine and is somewhat similar to the above. It’s helpful for high blood pressure that may be accompanied by a pulsating, congestive headache that worsens in the sun. Your face is blushed. Along with hypertension, you may have angina that causes a hot sensation in the chest.

Nux Vomica

The candidates for Nux are easily angered or upset and compulsive workaholics. They are chilly in body temperature and tend to complain of gastrointestinal upsets (diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, nausea, etc.). They crave stimulants, such as drugs, caffeine or alcohol. This character profile paves the way toward high blood pressure.

Natrum Mur

A salty remedy that helps symptoms caused by grief. High blood pressure can return following an emotional event, like the death of a spouse. These people tend not to like sympathy and are emotionally closed off.

Baryta Carbonica

Used for hypertension in people who are very shy and have difficulty concentrating. Symptoms are worse when lying on the left side. They can include strong stomach pain that recedes when lying on the stomach.

Aurum

A common recommendation for people with hypertension triggered by stress endured over the long term. It’s like it’s burning inside them, often linked to their jobs.

Lachesis

Good for high blood pressure where one’s face is flushed, behavior is overactive and overall appears primed to explode one day.

OTHER NATURAL REMEDIES

Since high blood pressure is so common, many natural remedies have been investigated over time. Here is a quick rundown of the rest of what the “alternative” world has to offer.

Fish Oil

Positive benefits have been seen in older adults taking fish oil supplements each day. May lower systolic pressure by 3.7 and diastolic by 2.1.

Stevia

This natural chemical used as a sweetener has proven “antihypertensive” effects. Blood-pressure levels have fallen substantially, even by 10% after three months.

Garlic

The potent herb may be able to lower blood pressure. Don’t bother with supplements; instead, eat lots of garlicky dishes.

Soy

Taking soybean-protein supplements for a few months could lower blood pressure significantly. Studies used a high dose, around 40 grams (g).

Coenzyme Q10

Many studies have found positive effects about this now-popular supplement. Aim for about 60 milligrams (mg) a day, and follow package directions.

Tea

People who drink several cups of tea a day have been found to be at a reduced risk of getting high blood pressure.

Other

It’s possible that several other items could lower blood pressure. They include vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, green-bean coffee extract, dark chocolate, melatonin (for nighttime pressure) and vitamin D (to prevent hypertension).

We are a health publishing division of Lombardi Publishing Corporation, and a part of doctorshealthpress.com website. We provide health advice on blood pressure, types of blood pressure, its causes and the natural remedies for different types of blood pressure.

Dr. Victor Marchione, MD is a leading champion of a new form of medicine. he’s using natural remedies in a brilliant new ways. A world-renowned expert in nutritional healing, Dr. Marchione is especially qualified to guide patients in this revolutionary approach combining modern science with nature’s herb, vitamins and nutrients:

• A Broad- Certified Medical Doctor (Internal and Pulmonary Medicine).
• Healing Patients for More than 28 years.
• Seen on Major TV Networks, including ABC NEWS, CBS Evening News and NBC’s TODAY Show.
• Author and Lead Researcher in Clinical Research in Clinical Research Studies.

Dr. Marchione is editor of THE FOOD DOCTOR, a leading newsletter on using natural remedies in place of drugs. Tens of thousand of readers around the world rely on Dr. Marchione for the latest information on using foods and supplements to heal.

The Doctors Health Press publishes monthly health newsletters for a wide array of alternative and natural health topics like healing foods, homeopathic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, hidden cures for common illnesses, and natural self-healing. The Doctors Health Press also publishes books and reports that provide timely health breakthroughs, always focusing on natural and alternative health. Topics include omega health, prostate health, natural weight loss, natural diabetes cures, heart health, stroke prevention, secret herbal cures, vision health, anti-aging, sexual health, joint pain relief and alternatives to prescription drugs.

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