Hypertension, or high blood pressure is a condition that comes in 2 varieties. HBP is measured using two numbers: Systolic pressure, or during a beat, and Diastolic pressure, or between beats. The cutoff value defining HBP would be 140 systolic over 90 diastolic, measured in the units of mm of mercury. Primary hypertension (which is the most common kind) exists independently of other conditions such as chronic renal disease or thyroid pathologies. These conditions are what cause the other type known as secondary hypertension. The factors that contribute to primary hypertension include stress, obesity, smoking, excess sodium, carbohydrate, caffeine and alcohol consumption, as well as exposure to toxic metals such as cadmium and lead.
It goes without saying that lowering stress, stopping smoking, lowering caffeine and alcohol consumption and weight-loss are obviously main interventions that all practitioners recommend. However, what about the 2 minute interventions? In order of importance, they are:
Coenzyme Q10 100-200mg/day
Balanced Electrolyte Salting your food (covered in episode 45)
Vitamin D 1-4000IU/day
Vitamin C 1-3000mg/day in divided doses
B Complex Vitamin
Tune in next week when we’ll talk about dietary fiber.
Be Well and Be Zen
References:
Gaby., Hypertension., Nutritional Medicine (2011)., Ch. 84., ps.323-35, ISBN13: 978-0-9828850-0-0. Fritz Perlberg Publishing, Concord, NH.