Hypertension Supplements – Support for Cardiovascular Health
Do we really need hypertension supplements? Be aware that our nutritional requirements to maintain a measure of health are no longer dependent just on good food alone. Nutritionists and researchers have known for many years that the soil is deficient of nutrients and the artificial additives that farmers use are not adequate to sustain our bodies need for minerals.
In 1935, Nobel Prize winner and biologist Dr.Alexis Carrel, stated: “Man is literally made from the dust of the earth….The staple foods may not contain the same nutritive substances as in former times.”
If that was the situation 76 years ago then what of today? To help support cardiovascular health through nutrition ProHealth nutritionals provide a range of the basics.
To begin with, the following are the more popular nutritional supplements that help us get the nutrients we need for good health. They are –
It makes sense, to seek out a recommended herbalist who can advise you on herbal preparations.
Omega-3 fish oils – a natural treatment for hypertension.
Most people have heard now about essential fatty acids being part of a healthy diet. US TODAY 1/2/2007 wrote an article on Omega 3. They said that The American Heart Association and the Food and Drug Administration give omega-3 a thumbs-up.
Not all nutritionists, however, encourage consuming it as a supplement. They prefer it to be eaten in foods such as salmon, where it is found naturally. “It isn’t good nutrition to cram a lot of ingredients into a single food,” says registered dietician Robyn Flipse. The article also added that Food marketers’ primary target is the 79 million baby boomers, because omega-3 has been shown to cut risks of heart disease and maybe other diseases, including Alzheimer’s. Four in 10 adults are seeking more omega-3s in their diets, according to HealthFocus USA Trend Survey. Sadly, our diets don`t contain enough of what we need most of the time hence the lean on hypertension supplements.
Add Enzymes to Your Hypertension Supplements
Coenzyme Q10 is an organic compound which plays a major role in manufacturing energy from food. It is also a powerful anti-oxidant which may reduce your high blood pressure significantly in a short period of a few months of use. It is a vital and necessary component in every cell of the body, which the body produces in abundance but in later years its ability to do so is greatly reduced.
A note of caution: CO Q10 shares a common biosynthetic pathway as cholesterol so if you are taking beta blockers for lowering your high blood pressure, or Statins a cholesterol lowering drug, they will interfere with the function of this important coenzyme. This information should be considered before making the choice to take Statins.
Proteolytic Enzymes
I have the deepest respect for these amazing enzymes. It has been demonstrated that Nattokinase can clean up the arteries and break up fibrin that forms blood clots. Just think what that can do for your blood pressure? Not only that, they are fantastic little soldiers that attack and destroy “alien” protein that viruses wrap themselves in to survive in your body. When the enzymes dissolve the protein the viruses die! Great when flu scares are circulating. Nattokinase should not be taken with warfarin, aspirin, or any blood thinning medication.
Vitamins should be on our list of hypertension supplements. Everyone is aware of the important role vitamins play in maintaining healthy bodily organs and systems.
When we have a cold we are encouraged to take plenty vitamin c and zinc to help us recover. Now we are encouraged to take plenty as the Journal of Hypertension published in an article that…”a high intake of vitamin C from food confers protection against raised blood pressure and strokes.” See antioxidants below
What are vitamins; why are they so important and how do they work?
The trend today is to go natural. Buy fresh fruit and vegetables that contain vitamins that we particularly need, in addition, a visit to the health shop for vitamin supplements to try and boost our immune system. The question is, can vitamins serve as an alternative high blood pressure treatment?
Well this is a thumbs up for Vitamin C. What about vitamin D? Researchers have discovered that people with higher levels of vitamin D are less likely to have high blood pressure than those will lower levels.
If you are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs you may need to supplement with vitamin D, but consult with your doctor or healthcare practitioner first. Although it can be manufactured by absorbing sunlight through the skin, don’t think you will be doing yourself some good by overexposure, that will not produce enough.
Vitamin D3 is the best source.
Herbal Hypertension Supplements
I have mentioned many herbs on this site that are very useful for lowering blood pressure. The majority act in similar ways to prescribed pharmaceuticals by acting on the smooth muscle of arteries which relax and open them allowing blood to flow more easily. Some of the most powerful are hawthorn, celery, beetroot, and olive leaf extract.
Herbs can be very powerful so you need to be cautious. Some can interact with medications and cause them to act stronger, and some are poisonous if too much is taken. Never exceed the dosage directions of any product.
Antioxidants Reduce Inflammation
Presuming you have heard of antioxidants, vitamin C is known as such, although today more powerful antioxidants that have been discovered, such as Grape Seed extract, White & Maritime Pine Bark extracts, documented as boosting the effects of vitamin C, and Turmeric extract. What do antioxidants do? They mop up or make stable free radicals, known also as oxidants in our systems.
A great way to see antioxidants at work is to look at an apple half after cutting it and you will see this damaging process in action. It starts to turn brown. This is evidence of cells being destroyed by free radicals. If you rub the other half of the apple with juice from a lemon, containing vitamin C, it won’t turn brown quickly because the antioxidants stabilize the free radicals. As an natural treatment for hypertension, vitamin C has the ability to act as a free radical scavenger in the arteries and heart muscle which has been shown to reduce blood pressure.
Add Minerals To Your Hypertension Supplements
Minerals, unlike vitamins are not widely considered by the public in the quest for good health, yet they are just as important if not more than vitamins. So learning about how the body uses them will help you to know why they add the natural treatment of hypertension.
Potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium are major minerals that work in conjunction to regulate blood pressure.
Potassium for instance is needed to control blood pressure. If the diuretics prescribed for you are not potassium-sparing then supplementation is a must if you don`t have renal disease. Diuretics rob the body of potassium which is vital for every cell. Potassium is classed as a macro mineral. Although it is only 0.3 percent of the essential minerals the body needs, in comparison, its percentage is more than minerals such as iron and copper. Because the body does not store potassium, it is important that potassium rich foods are incorporated daily into the diet.
When there is low amounts of potassium in the cell, it changes it’s pH balance causing a toxic environment (See my page on Body pH Balance), that can cause death in serious cases. Potassium’s main source is from fruit such as bananas, oranges, peaches and prunes. It is also found in some meats and codfish.
Taking an ionic mineral solution will guarantee that you get all the minerals you need in a balanced formula. Even better if they are absorbed along with nascent (negatively charged) oxygen. Cellfood concentrate provides this benefit.