How To Unlock High Blood Pressure And Control It Naturally

High blood pressure (hypertension) is often treated as a disease, however it is actually the body’s correct response for blood vessels affected by inflammation, oxidative stress and insulin resistance. So as ever we must look at the drivers and causes to treat effectively!

Inflammation is your body’s response to stress – whether from your diet, lifestyle or environment. Think of what happens when you catch a cold. You may experience inflammation in the form of a fever as your body heats up to eradicate the effects of the invading virus. This kind of inflammation is good, but the modern epidemic of chronic, low-grade inflammation destroys the balance in your body. When your body’s systems experience a constant inflammatory response, you become more susceptible to aging and disease.

Oxidative stress is essentially an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to counteract or detoxify their harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants. Fantastic sources of antioxidants in the diet are leeks, garlic, onions, berries, green tea and grapes.

Insulin resistance Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas and used to digest carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are found in plant-based foods including bread, rice, breakfast cereal, pasta, fruits and sugars. When carbohydrate-rich foods are consumed, insulin is secreted by the pancreas to take glucose from the food to the muscles for energy. For a number of reasons, over time insulin may fail to work as well as it should. Weight gain, where fat clogs the cells, is one reason, as is a lack of physical activity. Genes can also predispose a person to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The highly processed nature of our daily carbohydrate food choices, including breads, breakfast cereal and snack foods, which require much higher amounts of insulin than less processed, low-GI carbohydrates, is also thought to be a significant contributing factor to the increased incidence of insulin resistance. Resistance to insulin builds up over time, with the body gradually producing more and more insulin in an attempt to get it to work better at taking glucose to the body’s cells for energy, this is known as insulin resistance and is a precursor to diabetes.

Persistent hypertension is the result of chronic entrenched endothelial dysfunction – in other words a lack of the blood vessels to adequately dilate due to low nitric oxide levels, coupled with structural changes and stiffening of the blood vessels from prolonged vascular inflammation.

Hypertension, in turn, is linked to serious cardiovascular risks. It has been estimated that 66% of strokes and 50% of heart disease cases are attributable to hypertension. Other common effects of hypertension include:

• Impaired renal health: Over time hypertension can narrow and thicken the blood vessels of the kidneys causing reduced filtration and a build-up of metabolic wastes in the blood. Renal failure may also occur.

• Impaired vision: High blood pressure can cause blood vessels in the eyes to burst or bleed causing blurred or impaired vision and/or blindness.

The World Health Organisation suggests optimal systolic BP is <115mmHg, with 62% of strokes and 76% of myocardial infarctions attributable to systolic BP above this. However, overt hypertension is defined as an average or sustained systolic blood pressure (SBP) over 140 mmHg and/or a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) over 90 mmHg. Persons with hypertension are four times more likely than normotensive individuals to experience a major cardiovascular event (e.g., heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure).

It is vital therefore that high blood pressure is managed and dealt with effectively to lower the risk of a cardiovascular illness or incident. This can be done naturally or with medication under the care of the GP and whichever way the patient chooses to manage their hypertension I always urge my patients to consult regularly with their GP. I also advise that patient’s buy their own blood pressure monitor to take their own blood pressure three times daily, to see exactly where they are at, whether they are on medication or naturally managing their condition.

How to Take Your Blood Pressure Readings Accurately

• Avoid caffeine or alcohol consumption 1 hour before test.
• Sit in a chair with a supportive back for 5 minutes prior.
• Remove any clothing that covers cuff placement, and ensure you select the appropriate cuff size to fit the arm.
• Place cuff with lower end 2-3 cm above elbow pit.
• Support arm so it is resting level with heart (e.g. books, pillow).
• You should relax (this is a great time to practice your meditation skills!)
• Take 2 readings at least 1 minute apart. If more than 5mmHg difference between the first and second readings, a third reading should be taken and the average used.
• Readings should be taken in both arms on the first assessment. A difference in readings between arms greater than 10-14 mmHg has been associated with the presence of atherosclerotic plaques, which is very important to know.