Last week we talked in depth about natural diuretics. For me, the combination of celery juice, melons and other diuretic foods, and especially the supplements of Dandelion Leaf, Parsley, and Juniper Berry (all capsules) were nature’s gifts that allowed me to replace a drug formula (harmful side effects) with a natural formula (healthy benefits). Utilizing natural diuretics was not enough to get my blood pressure back under 140/90 however, so I had to find other natural, healthy therapies that would be in addition to my natural diuretic regimen.
I am wondering, for those who have already tried this regimen, how much did your blood pressure come down on natural diuretics? I was happy with reducing my systolic pressure 10 to 15 points on natural diuretics.
This was about the equivalent of what the hydrochlorothiazide could do, and I thought that pushing too much of one therapy was probably not the way to go. So, my next step was to find other therapies that would help reduce my blood pressure further.
My mission then focused on the ace inhibitor that I was taking, fosinopril. That cough every night was telling me that the drug was doing something to my body that just wasn’t good for it. If you wantto have some fun with your doctor, ask him or her to explain exactly what causes that cough from your ace inhibitor. In addition, even though the drugs had lowered my blood pressure, I just didn’t feel good. I looked up the negative side effects that patients had reported on ace inhibitors and found more of the same bad news that I had read about diuretic drugs. I wanted that drug out of my system if at all possible!
Having found natural diuretics to help lower my blood pressure, I wondered if there weren’t also natural alternatives to the other drugs that I had been prescribed. In my case those additional drugs were an ace inhibitor (fosinopril) as mentioned, and a beta blocker (atenolol). My research to find a natural ace inhibitor paid off when I discovered pomegranate! The first time I tried pomegranate juice I was surprised at its powerful ace inhibitor effect. I bought a 32 fluid ounce bottle of R. W. Knudsen’s “just pomegranate” juice and drank some before going to bed that night. I drank 8 ounces of the juice and found about an hour later that I had drank too much! My blood pressure dropped about 20 points and my heart rate slowed considerably over what it had been before taking the pomegranate juice. It actually made me a little nervous at the time because I had no idea how low my blood pressure and heart rate would go, so after that, I drank only about 4 ounces each evening. I also added some stevia and water after first tasting it because it had a bit of a bitter taste. I didn’t realize before I tried it how effective this would be for me, but the news was very good!
There are lots of pomegranate supplements on the market. I tried capsules from a few different manufactures that I could take when I traveled, but I have to say that these did not have the power of just drinking some Knudsen’s pomegranate juice. For me, the juice was a much more effective ace inhibitor. And just as with the cranberry juice, I am talking about pure, 100% pomegranate juice, and not the sugary “drink” alternatives that don’t get it done and are not all that healthy.
I also want to mention a pure concentrated pomegranate juice that Jarrow Formulas makes. Their pomegranate juice is so concentrated that it pours out of the bottle like a syrup, and you just add water to make a juice out of it. Jarrow actually includes a caution on the bottle that if you are on blood pressure medications (drugs!), you need to be careful about how much Jarrow Pomegranate juice you drink, the risk being that your blood pressure may get too low. That said, of the two, I still slightly preferred the effects of the Knudsen “just pomegranate” juice although the Jarrow formula tastes really good!
I mentioned last time that I really like the Eclectic Institute freeze dried dandelion leaf as a diuretic supplement. Eclectic Institute now also makes a freeze dried pomegranate powder. If I had to use a dry supplement for pomegranate at times, I definitely would try this one based on how well their freeze dried dandelion leaf worked for me as a diuretic when combined with the parsley and juniper berries capsules.
There is also reference in the literature to bonito fish peptides as ace inhibitors, so I of course read all about it. And then I tried them, but I did not notice any difference in my blood pressure on the peptide supplements. For me, these didn’t add anything to my overall formula.
Whey protein is also noted for its properties as an ace inhibitor. Our diet is not largely whey protein, although we do drink smoothies two or three times each week, so whey protein was not a major factor in my use of natural ace inhibitors to reduce my blood pressure either.
The essence of all this for me is that pomegranate juice was my most effective natural ace inhibitor. In addition, pomegranate is a powerful anti-oxidant so it also addresses the underlying inflammatory process while at the same time lowering blood pressure. Addressing the underlying inflammatory condition in blood vessels is something toxic ace inhibitor drugs simply couldn’t do for me, and that was an important part of my longer term plan.
Finally, while we are on the subject of the inflammatory process and the condition of blood vessels, the root solution to many circulatory problems is to improve the condition, or the environment if you will, within our blood vessels. Diet, which we will continue to talk about at much length, is one of the keys to doing that. For now, suffice that one of the best defenses against oxidation and inflammation within our blood vessels is an anti-inflammatory diet – a robust diet of phytonutrient-rich vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and clean protein sources. Non-starchy vegetables, herbs, teas, juices, and supplements are great sources of anti-oxidants with low carbohydrate content. The right healthy supplements play a major role in the “anti-oxidant” category. Healthy fats include coconut products, avocados, olive oil, fish oil, flax oil, primrose oil, and nuts and seeds. Wild caught fish, grass fed red meat (in moderation), and organic, free-range chicken and turkeys, nuts, beans, quinoa, tempeh, and whey, make up some of the healthy proteins.
The point is that while we are modifying our lifestyles in terms of diet, exercise, and healthy supplements, natural diuretics and now natural ace inhibitors can help us ease and quicken that transition to better health including healthier blood pressure. The good news for me when I personally reached this point was that I finally and realistically had both healthy diuretics and a healthy ace inhibitor to help lower my blood pressure while I worked on the longer-term task of modifying the underlying problems in my circulatory environment (heart and blood vessels). Life started looking up!
We will talk about much more in coming weeks! In the meantime, healthy diuretics and healthy ace inhibitors are now on board!
As always…………..all the best………….naturally!
(38 votes, average: 4.45 out of 5)
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thanks, meaning that pure pomegranate is good for ace inhibitors, can we combine all these these together . i mean combine all natural duretics [dandelion, parsely etc , with the pomegranate juice pls all today . then what can be use to try aniexty pls
Hi Karen, and yes. I added the pomegranate to my natural diuretics as my second step in finding natural treatments that matched up with my medications (drugs!) in a healthier way. There is a lot to talk about for step 3 which deals with beta blockers, anxiety, adrenaline, etc., and this will be the subject of my next post on monday of next week. There is so much to talk about there that it might take two more posts.
All the best!
hello
this ahmad salman from egypt .first i would like to thank u very much for sharing ur good and deep experiance on how to lower blood preassure to normal or close acceptable reading .as l noticed that drugs is not the only way to control hypertention i started learning and knowing more and by try and error i found it is true hypertention can be controled naturally .i can say i am still in the midway to catch the whole truth . when i reed ur articles (i read both of them)it sound that i found exactly what i like to read in hypertention fighting .yes this is the same way i walke and looking for to discover more every step along that way .again thanks to d.carestia for sharing and i hope to be able to follow your incoming articles
Thank you, ahmad! I am hopeful that there will be many alternative, natural therapies that can help better manage hypertension.
All the best!!
Mr. Carestia,
You have been very helpful. I like reading from you. You are gooood with extra double O’s.
How can we thank you for your research and the effort you put in to come up with this.?
I am also on HCTZ 25 mg and Enalapril 10 mg . I am aware of the side effects but has not started to bother me yet.. I am pretty sure that long term use of anything could some day hurt you one way or the other. Reading all these natural formulas makes me very happy that at least we can do a lot to take care of ourselves rather than be at the mercy of drug manufactures. .
Any idea which food stores carry this supplements you mentioned in your article ? I am looking forward to your suggestion and recommendation .
Thank you again for your humanity
Hi Larry, thank you, and are welcome! There are many health food stores and supplement stores who will likely carry the items I am referring to. Whole Foods and Sprouts come to mind in my area, and there are many local supplement stores that are not big chain stores that you can check with also.
All the best!
I found an excellant diuretic for both my Lymphedema nad high blood pressure. Standard Process A-C Carbamide.
Thank you lynette! A-C Carbamide can indeed be an effective diuretic. It can reduce water retention and flush a lot of fluid into the urine.
My caution to you with this supplement would be that it doesn’t offer any replacement electrolytes in the process. One thing I like about the food-source and food-juice natural diuretics is that they help flush fuids out of the body while at the same time replenishing important minerals/electrolytes like organic sodium, magnesium, and potassium which are very important to good health. In addition to the A-C Carbamide, I hope that you are replenishing these important electrolytes with bioavailable minerals.
All the best!
As we spoke before; my problem is a little different. Most of ACE inhibitors prescribed (lisinopril, Lotrel= ACE+CCB)do not help my HBP. Only Calcium Channel Blocker (CCB)does. However even I have had HBP, not a single moment I did experience any chest pain. Last 2 years of taking CCB, from time to time I started experiencing unsual chest breathing. From start, years ago, I was able to free myself from beta-blocker (toprol, taking me 2 years to free from the rebounding effect). Now I am working on freeing myself from this CCB.
I am 60 with rigourous excercise 5-6 days/week (1hr/day), sweat like crazy. My BP is still high now.But when it was high, I felt good, strong and had a lot of energy to do things, when the BP is low from taking CCB, I felt weak, lazy, not wanting to do things much.I also noticed when I laid in bed and practiced my breathing slowly for 5-10mn, my systolic BP dropped 10-20. Resperate did not really help after using for 1 month. Any idea to replace that CCB naturally? thanks
Hi Mak!
It is interesting to me that through breathing you can drop your systolic pressure, but with resperate you cannot, yet? I purchased a resperate machine also, and I had to use it twice each day for 20 minutes each setting for just over a month before I had what I would consider to be a notable and lasting reduction in my blood pressure.
I think I would be trying the natural diuretics, as well. Just because I wasn’t on a diuretic before does not mean that natural diuretics wouldn’t drop my blood pressure for me. I see no reason why they still wouldn’t.
I think I would also add the pomegranate juice to my regimen. Dropping my blood pressure through natural means would be what I am after.
Regarding the calcium channel blocker, one word comes to mind – magnesium, magnesium, magnesium! As reported by Dr. Lloyd T. Iseri and Dr. James H. French in an editorial in the American Heart Journal, magnesium acts as a natural calcium antagonist, preventing negative effects of calcium excess, but unlike synthetic calcium blockers, magnesium enhances the activity of calcium.
Magnesium is considered to be a healthy, natural calcium channel blocker, then, the kind that I like! You can of course take magnesium supplements until they begin to affect your stools start to get too soft. My favorite is “Natural Calm” created by Peter Gilham which is a magnesium citrate.
I have taken high doses of magnesium by IV and these don’t interfere with your stools at all as they do not go through the intestines but rather go directly into the blood stream. Is there a naturapathic physician in your area whom you could consult about magnesium IV?
There are also dietary changes that I would make if I had this problem. I would look for foods high in magnesium. The natural food form of magnesium will not have a signficant softening of stools effect like the supplement. Foods high in magnesium include: artichokes, black beans, navy beans, white beans, squash, broccoli, spinach, raw barley, raw oat bran, raw wheat bran (but I personally do not like the gluten), buckwheat, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, brazil nuts, pine nuts, cashews, bananas, guava, kiwis, and raspberries.
Stay tuned for many more alternative therapies for lowering blood pressure. If I could get off of a CCB, I wouldn’t care if it was with a natural diuretic, a natural ace inhibitor, or any other method that could consistently lower my blood pressure. But I certainly would be adding magnesium as a supplement and in my diet, and I would not overlook the potential of high magnesium IV’s. I have had these myself at Whitaker Wellness Center and at my local naturapath’s office. Also, when I do my edta chelation, I always have him add 8000 of magnesium.
All the best!
Hi Dominik,
Thank you for your reply.
2 years ago, I took Magnesium Oxide supplement 500mg for 3 months and noticed not much change in BP. I also made Magnesium using a method of diluting Milk of Magnesia+ club soda to obtain a better absorption.Perhaps I need to increase gradually my Magnesium dosage and use it a little longer.
Everyday, I observe my self the way I eat, do things so I could measure my bp before going to bed. One day I ate grilled fish with veggies and dipped in a sauce and the bp came down right 122/70 then it went back up the next day. A week later I repeated my regimen again with fish, no result. Something else or a glitch in my bp is coincided with my regimen.
Last week, one day I took Vitamin C supplement (1000mg), magnesium (500mg), had pomergranate (Jarrow 1 tablespoon+ 8 ounce of water), practiced breathing about 5 mn on bed and later took my bp, it was 123/74 and the next day, the bp went back up again.
From all my studies, something is still missing in order to control my BP regularly. I am still working on it.
Dandelion tea just keep sending me to the restroom more frequent.
A diuretic prescribed by my physician years ago just sent me to the emergency on the first pill I took; I hardly breath that time. I am kind of scared of any diuretic prescribed.
I am using Japanese green tea now. Any additional suggestions will be appreciated.
Hi Mak……the things that help you after you take them, may not have long-lasting effects. Many times a daily regimen is necessary until you can find the root cause of your hypertension and deal with that.
Regarding magnesium oxide, this is about the least bioavailable magnesium that I tried. I strongly prefer the “natural calm” magnesium citrate. I also take high doses of magnesium by IV whenever I do my chelation therapy. This high dose of magnesium goes directly into my blood stream.
I really couldn’t help but notice your comment about pomegrantate juice and the breathing technique, etc.: “Last week, one day I took Vitamin C supplement (1000mg), magnesium (500mg), had pomergranate (Jarrow 1 tablespoon+ 8 ounce of water), practiced breathing about 5 mn on bed and later took my bp, it was 123/74 and the next day, the bp went back up again.”
So what if the bp went back up again the next day? What is wrong with doing that on daily basis to naturally keep your blood pressure down every day while you continue to search for the long-term cure? That is exactly the kind of thing I did.
You are doing much better than you think you are.
All the best!
Mr. Cartesia,
I had the same feeling that you commented on your last paragraph. I was thinking may be the effect is not there yet, just takes time. Even a prescribed drug, the doctor recommends to take about 3-5 weeks until the body is getting used to it. For this natural stuff, it is not a silver bullet, but it may be a golden bullet that can regenerate my new health. Thanks a million!!!
Mark, I do not know where you live, but I would STRONGLY suggest you contact a practitioner in your area who practices Nutrition Response Testing. Please Google this for specific information. Nutrition Response Testing is an alternative technology utilizing muscle response. It is non-invasive and can tell you a great deal more than a blood test or some of the other means that MDs have for diagnosing problems.
I suspect that you may have a nutritional deficiency that cannot be picked up with a blood test or other standard medical diagnotic techniques and that is why, despite medication, your blood pressure remains high.
I, myself, experienced an increase in my blood pressure for no apparent reason. My cardiologist immediately recommended that I go back on blood pressure medication. (I had weaned myself off all meds approximately 5 years ago, under my cardiologist’s supervision and I did NOT want to go back on them, but that was her recommendation)
Instead of going back on meds, (Lisinopril, Metoprolil, etc) I chose to visit my nutritionist, a chiropractor who utilizes Nutrition Response Testing. By his testing, my body was deficient in the thyroid area. My nutritionist placed me on a WHOLE FOOD supplement–not neutriceutical, not synthetic, not drug, but WHOLE FOOD supplement–natural and organic, and within one week, my blood pressure had regulated from an average of 160/93 to an average of 125/78. The only change I made that accomplished this is the whole food thyroid supplement.
Ultimately, I also made some changes in my diet as I learned about the bad effects of sugar and how much sugar is in the average (read: mine) diet.
Sugar does all sorts of bad things like increasing inflammation and causing insulin resistance which raises blood pressure and does other nasty stuff to our bodies. And sugar comes from pasta, bread, potatoes, anything with white flour, as well as the obvious candy, cookies, cakes, etc.
So keeping my B/P down became a bit more than just taking whole food supplements, but that was the key that started me on true health, using REAL foods, not processed stuff like mixes and pre-made meals like Hamburger Helper.
And it was the Nutrition Response Testing that discovered the deficiency and also continued use of which keeps me on the healthy course I am on. My blood pressure (tracked for over a year now) is consistently in the 120=130 over 75-85 range.
Thank you for your comment, Jeannette, and good on ya!
Thyroid function is an often overlooked part of the puzzle. And thank you also for the idea on nutrition response testing.
One of my future posts will be on hormones, and this certainly includes the thyroid. I also agree that diet is one fo the real keys to overall good health long term, including the health of our circulatory system.
And, I cannot agree more on sugar! Refined sugar, HFCS, and the “whites” (flour, potatoes) are just sugar in disguise.
Sugar, and insulin, kills. I am glad that you have factored this into your desire to live healthy off of drugs!
Thanks again, and all the best!
Hello Jeannette,
Thank you for your suggestions. I will google the practitioner in my area and have my body tested it properly.
My daily regimen: brown rice, fish, veggies. Red meat (once or twice a week.). I love all fruits
Now, I am concerning about how much my kidney and my liver can stand clearing and detoxifying my body when using supplements and herbs.
One thing that I noticed that most of prescribed medicines caused me to go urinating uncomfortably. When stopping them, I am doing great. But I need to find alternative methods to bring down my BP.
With D. Cartesia combining with your suggestions, this may help me on the right path to control my bp. Again Thank you.
I think it’s about time you produced a diet book.lol.
Hi Keith……We will write a book here before we are done……. 🙂
All the best!
I am so excited to find this information! My goal is to wean myself off of hctz 25 mg./day.I have been on it for about 3 years.My Mom had a serious stroke at age 75.She did not take her hbp meds regularly,so I am very cautious.However,this information is so encouraging. Thank you.
Lynn, I think you have some good news for you. With some diligent effort, you can wean yourself off the HCTZ. My mom had a TIA “mini-stroke” last year at age 77. She does have HBP but also has elevated cholesterol. It’s important to clarify the facts about stroke. There are two forms: hemmorrhagic and ischemic. The vast majority (over 92%) are ischemic and less than 8% hemmorrhagic. Ischemic strokes have the same origin as coronary artery disease. They are caused by plaque and cholesterol which cause a clot in the artery to the brain. Hemmorrhagic strokes result from an artery in the brain rupturing due to HBP or a genetic aneurism. Last October I was placed on 20mg Lisinopril and 5mg Amlodipine for HBP. They did a good job of controlling my BP but as D. Carestia indicates in his articles, the side effects were unbearable for me. I NEEDED an alternative as my quality of life had been dramatically effected. I embarked on a plant based nutrition program right away after consulting with an naturopathic doctor. I wanted to make sure I was not consuming a single item know to promote atherosclerosis, so I eliminated animal protein, dairy and oils. Well, within 2 months I was weaned off the medication and placed on Fish Oil, CoQ10 and Magnesium. My BP was 113/60. What actually happened? From a scientific perspective, The plant based nutrition restored the nitric oxide production of the endothelial cells that line the arteries. Nitric oxide is the strongest vasodilator in the body. Unfortunately, the western diet damages the endothelium and diminished nitric oxide production. I also exercise every day, about 4-5 miles of aerobic (running, walking biking) and 30 minutes of strength training 3X per week. My recent blood test showed more of the same great results, total cholesterol of 104 and fasting glucose of 88. When you consume plant based nutrition you eat to save your heart an you save yourself from heart disease, you save yourself from diabetes and you save yourself from having a stroke. The studies indicate this is not a genetic disease but a food borne illness caused by the Western diet. We are not “pre-ordained” to get heart disease.
Thank you, Lynn!
I was able to eliminate drug diuretics with the juices and supplements I talked about – Eclectic Institute’s freeze dried dandelion leaf, parsley, and juniper berries. I felt much better on natural diuretics than the drug.
I did not just stop taking the diuretic. I added natural diuretics and as they proved to me that they worked, I gradually increased them and reduced the drug until I didn’t need it anymore to accomplish at least the same drop in blood pressure.
I also agree with much of what Jason says. My diet consists of lots of complex carbohydrates – vegetables. I stay away from corn (high glycemic index), high glycemic index fruits (like pineapple), and I stay away from glutinous grains, preferring to go with spelt breads and flour for the pasta and other baked goods that we make. I like clean proteins in my diet as well, and I like healthy oils for the benefits of fatty acids. This never includes “vegetable oils” that are so common in our diets. I also like dark cocao and even the beans themselves. So, for me it boils down to pretty much fruits, vegetables, clean proteins, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains with healthy oils – fish oil, flax oil, olive oil, and evening primrose oil, coconut oil, and sometimes grape seed oil for cooking. I do not put any other oils in my body, even though many of them are “hyped” to be healthy oils.
I could not agree more with Jason on fish oil, CoQ10 (ubiquinol, not ubiquinone, for anyone over 45), and magnesium.
All the best!
All the best!
Hi D,
Might I try pomegranate juice 2x/day at 2oz. each serving? I would mix it in sodium free sparkling water, which I drink anyway – the carbonation allows me to take my 10-12 supplements each morn & eve and swallow the really big ones effortlessly. The bubbles carry them to the back of the throat and down they go!
The reason I ask is that because of diabetes, I need to be extra careful about carb intake. On most days, the only carb outside of complex carb ie veg and certain fruits is my morning 1/2 portion of par-cooked old fashioned toasted organic oatmeal.
P.S. I’m going to add a new munchie to breakfast routine: a couple of juicy crisp organic celery sticks. Sounds like a delicious way to add something ice cold and refreshing to my warm cereal, especially on our 100+° hot summer days!
I’m half Finn & this heat knocks me out .
Hi K! When I first started trying to lower my blood pressure with natural diuretics, I would eat 3 celery sticks at breakfast every morning. Then, we started juicing our celery with beet, carrot, and spinach. We enjoyed our morning juice and still drink it several days each week.
The pomegranate has quite a bit of fruit sugar in it. Hopefully you will tolerate it ok? For me the juices were more effective than any powders, but powders might be a better way to go for diabetics because of that sugar issue. Eclectic Institute makes a freeze dried pomegranate that will eliminate a lot of the sugar, and I have found the freeze dried dandelion leaf to be awesome!
All the best!
My naturopath has recommended Pomegranate juice also. I drink about 4oz every so often and notice a slight drop in BP, maybe 5 points or so. I’ve noticed better results with cocoa, 75% cacoa or higher. Cocoa as many know, is a vasodilator as well.
Thanks Jason………….cocoa is also a natural ace inhibitor. I have actually taken the beans themselves, but they are very bitter and I had a hard time getting enough on board to notice a big difference in my blood pressure. Even dark chocolate has sugar in it, and I want to completely avoid sugar.
In addition to its properties as an ace inhibitor, and a vaso-dilator, cocoa also reduces platelet adhesion. My concern has always been that it takes pretty insane amounts of dark chocolate to make a significant impact, and the sugar, as I mentioned. I am curious. For those who may want to try dark chocolate to lower their blood pressure, how much dark chocolate do you have to eat to lower your blood pressure 5 points or so?
Thanks!
I mostly use pure 100% cacao powder (Dagoba brand) and mix it with soy milk then add a bit of stevia so no sugar. I see a good 10 point drop with just one cup. This is just a temporary fix to shave off a few points, but it was continous exercise and a plant based diet that trumped everything else for me.
Good on ya. I like that idea much better than the 70% dark chocolate. But how much cacao powder do you take in the cup of soy milk?
For those interested, I would suggest almond milk which you can also make from your own sprouted almonds in your VitaMix blender.
All the best!
About 2 Tbsp cacoa powder per 8 oz cup of soy (or other dairy alternative) milk. Dairy is prohibited in my diet so I either use soy, almond, or rice milk typically. None of these are animal based. I also use protein powders in my soy milk for an added protein boost, but be careful as some contain casein which is animal based and can injure the endothelium. As always read the labels. Trader Joes makes a great powder that contains no sugar, casein or oil.
Two tablespoons is a lot of cocoa. That’s what I was thinking. It takes a pretty good dose. But, it is all relative. It works, and it is good for you!
Thanks, Jason, and all the best!
Thanks Carestia,your postings are helpful,I have been used to watermelon,are you sure that the seemingly diuretic effect of watermelon is not as a result of it’s large water contents?
Hi, Innocent!
Actually, drinking the appropriate amount of water each day does create an important diuretic response. Most people do not drink nearly the amount of water that is needed each day. I make sure to drink at least 8, 8 ounce glasses of water each day.
Now, how do I make certain that I do that? I fill my water jug with 64 ounces of water in the morning, sit it on my desk, and by evening, I make sure it is all gone. To just try to remember throughout the day, and go get a glass of water, is a formula for failure.
While watermelon is just over 90% water, it also brings alkalinizing and mineralizing properties to the body, as well as lycopene and beta-carotene, and watermelon is rich in B vitamins as well as minerals including very heart healthy magnesium and potassium. It is one of nature’s cleansing fruits/vegetables.
Although watermelon’s high water content certainly helps with its diuretic properties, it is theorized that it is both its alkaline cleansing properties as well as the amino accid citrulline that render it more diuretic than just water. Citrulline plays an imporant roll in the urea cycle.
All the best!
My naturopath recently suggested 1/3 of of my body weight in water intake per day, so that equates to about 60oz for me. I like your idea of filling the jug to keep close tabs on it. I don’t think hydration is a problem for me as I’m very conscious of my fluid intake after residing at high altitude.
Thanks Jason, but I have to give credit where credit is due. My doctor at Whitaker Wellness gave me the full jug in the morning idea.
All the best!
Just a quick note regarding HBP and high altitude. I have resided at high altitude for the past few years and can attest to the fact that altitude can strain even a healthy cardiovascular system. For newcomers from sea level, the body has to acclimitize to the lower atmospheric pressure and oxygen levels. This process requires building red blood cells and can also involve dehydration and altitude sickness. It’s very important to drink twice as much water as you would at sea level. Folks with HBP should also not venture to high altitude unless their BP is well controlled as it may become dangerously high otherwise. I previously did not need medication at sea level but developed HBP at altitude. When arriving at high altitude one should monitor BP closely. Heart rate will also typically increase as the the heart works harder to compensate for lower oxygen levels. It’s best to ascend slowly to 1/2 or 3/4 of final altitude to avoid altitude sickness. Ascending too high too fast can result in altitude sickness that can potentially become life-threatening. You have to be very careful when visiting the high country if unacclimatized.
Hi Scott!
I agree 100%. I have lived at about 5600 feet most of my life. At sea level I am a monster! LOL After being at sea level for a while, I have to be careful to acclimatize before I exercise as hard back in Montana. The higher the altitude, the tougher it is on hypertension and heart disease.
All the best!
I have been following diligently these stories about reducing high blood pressure. I myself noted that when I started to take one drop of Iosol (liquid Iodine) I felt a lot better and reduced my 100 g Atenol to 25 mg Metoprolol. I am saving all these hints by D.Carestia. Thanks a bunch and keep on writing.
Hi Viola, and thanks!
Try some of the natural diuretics and natural ace inhibitors too! Don’t just “save” them…. 🙂
All the best!!
I have read your articles with great interest I am on the brink of going down the medication road for high bp just had a blood test yesterday to check performance of kidneys as this was up slightly in February then my GP will decide on meds for me. My bp is around 150/95 on average, so I am going to buy the pomegranate juice today start on that see what happens then try the others! I already take daily suppliments of Omegas 3,6,7 &9 , Q10 and a multi vitamin am hoping I can make a difference quickly before I got back to my doctor! 🙂
Hi Jude……..the natural diuretics and Knudsen’s pomegranate juice will work fastest……dandelion leaf, juniper berries, and parsley….and if you can, the Eclectic Institute’s freeze dried dandelion leaf is the one to go with. If you can’t put all that together quickly, you might want to try Natrol’s “water pill” for a short term, quick supplement. The other combination, in my exprerience, is better longer term, but the water pill will tell you pretty quickly how much your bp can be reduced with natural diuretics.
Diet, exercise, relaxation, supplements, and other things are the healthy answer……..we just need time to transition, which is what the natural alternatives help with.
I am hopeful that you will find many things here which point the way to long-term, drug free good blood pressure and good health.
All the best!
Hi D
I am very grateful for all this information you are giving us. I am totally against taking any form of medicine to lower BP and truly believe it can be lowered with diet alone. I do take some of those suppliments you mentioned.
Plamil make a chocolate bar that has no dairy, no soya and no sugar, It is sweetened with Xylitol and is delicious, there is also a bar with mint. I melt these down for cooking and hot chocolate too. Hope this is helpful.
Thank you for all your information, it is of enormous help.
Thank you, June! And thanks for mentioning xylitol. We use three sweeteners regularly – Volcanic Agave (this is the BEST, natural agave nectar with a laboratory verified 26 glycemic index. The store brands have a lot more “sugars” and glycemic index near 50. Volcanic can only be bought directly on the internet. It tastes better, is more natural, and is better for us, so we stick only with that brand). We also use stevia which has a wonderful glycemic index of zero! Some people can’t quite get used to a bit of aftertaste with stevia. We don’t mind it at all, but for those who do, just mix a little stevia in with the agave and you won’t be able to tell it at all. The third sweetener we occasionally use for the granulated fun of sugar crystals is xylitol.
Finally, despite it’s high glycemic index we occasionally use raw, uncooked honey for its super health benefits, although lately we are also using bee pollen for that, so we don’t use as much pure, raw honey.
We use unsweetened cocoa mixed with these sweeteners and chocolate beans and nibs for healthy almond flour chocolate and chocolate “chip” cookies, etc.
Thanks for your great chocolate/mint and other yummy chocolate ideas!
All the best!
I’ll need to try Volcanic Agave given it’s low GI rating. Currently use a tad of honey now and then but very sparingly. The whole sugar/insulin hypertension connection is very strong according to the literature.
Sugar kills…..insulin kills. The hypertension connection is very strong, and I have been saying that for a while. I was really interested to see the relationship start to come out in the literature.
Volcanic Agave is just the best!
And all the best to you!
Thank you for reiterating this to folks. I would also like to add the words moderation kills too. It applies to hypertension, high cholesterol and heart disease. Think of your condition as a burning fire. What happens when you say moderation is that you essentially pour gasoline on the fire once ot twice a week. We don’t want that when we are trying to tightly manage these conditions. The bad guys are animal protein, sugar, dairy and oil. They immediately unleash a deadly assault on the endothelial cells that line the arteries.
Thanks Jason. I am with you on much of what you offer. I like the clean proteins and healthy oils. I love to include wild caught northern waters salmon, organic chicken and turkey, and occasionally wild elk and organic beef and buffalo as well as eggs.
I am also a big believer in the health benefits of healthy oils. Essential fatty acids are so important to our health in so many ways, not just to our circulatory health.
If people eliminated sugar, hfcs, sodium chloride, white flour and other glutens, corn, most dairy products, and hydrogenated and other “vegetable oils” from their diets, they would make overwhelming improvements in their health.
Lastly, I am not at all concerned about healthy cholesterol in my body. It has tremendous health benefits if not radicalized.
All the best!
Hello, I am so delighted with your articles and peoples’ responses – a great dialogue. I have been diagnosed twice with episodes of high blood pressure due to stress. I also suffer white coat syndrome after being told by two different Drs during each episode that I would probably have to take medication for life. I resisted that intervention and have looked for natural methods hoping that I was on the right track. Unfortunately since my high blood pressure is stress related taking my own blood pressure has become a bit of an issue – some readings are in the 150/85 while others are 123/80 arena – but are inconsistent. They rocket in the Drs office and I have decided not to put myself through the stress of that. I think now others are coming forward with their experiences and results I am feeling very optimistic and less anxious about taking my blood pressure as I can see that there are so many different tried and tested options – so thanks for this. My naturopathic Dr told me to put my readings in the bin and just concentrate on getting my adrenals sorted out. My GP also said that my HBP episodes were adrenal related but he prescribed betablockers which I took for a couple of months but found the effects really horrible so stopped. I am really looking forward to your next article. I currently take true food Q10 from Higher Nature (UK), fish oil, Vit C, cardio heart nutrients (also from Higher Nature) and just added in some arginine, and magnesium (also true food), a drop of iodine, and a good quality multivit. I eat pretty much in the way your describe and have done so for years – but may be a bit light on protein – and am about to buy a juicer based on your advise. I use the resperate almost every evening to relax. A couple of questions – I also drink cocoa with some organic milk but read that may interfere with the antioxidant absorption – anyone know if this is the case? Also does organic milk have a place in your programme? And a little wine or shot of good whisky on special occasions? I have a very small glass of red wine a couple of times a week – takes a week to drink a quarter bottle – any advice please?
Hi Marie! Adrenaline was a big part of the cause of my hypertension, as well, and I tried about everything under the sun. I hated the beta blocker I was on, so I was very motivated.
I am glad that you are finding improvement with natural methods. Regarding organic milk, I have not drank milk for many years. I avoid most dairy products. I prefer almond milk which can be purchased, or you can make it yourself in a good blender. I like to sprout our own almonds and use those for nut butter as well as almond milk.
Resveratrol is a very healthy supplement. I don’t drink much wine because I like to avoid the alcohol. I do take what I believe is the best resveratrol supplement on the market today. The resveratrol I take is Longevinex Advantage+.
We will talk beta blockers at length. I am hopeful that many will find help in the natural alternative treatments we will discuss.
All the best!
… and forgot to add … I also take garlic capsules … any thoughts on the value or not of this supplement?
Thanks.
Hi again, Marie. I took garlic supplements for quite a while, but I did not find that they helped me. That is not to say that they don’t help other people.
What we often do is take supplements that are “recommended”, but we don’t measure their effect. If I take a supplement for blood pressure, I want to get a measured response. If my blood pressure does not go down over a reasonable period of time with consistent use, I am not getting the response I wanted. In order to measure what effect we are getting, we need to have our blood pressure cuff handy every day and take our blood pressure every day. When I was searching, I would take my blood pressure morning, afternoon, and evening at the same time every day to see what was happening. That also means I did not take several new supplements at the same time. I tried to use a disciplined, scientific approach to finding what would really help me.
I also take some supplements for just improving general health. If I take something primarily for its effect on bp however, and I don’t get the desired effect, then I stop taking it.
I no longer take garlic supplements based on my own experience and lack of measurable results.
All the best!
Thank you so much for all the info and for the sharing and most of all, for the support. Most MDs and even friends, do not understand why I don’t want to take medication for HBP. I am a yoga teacher but have intermittent HBP even the same! I understand that part of it is genetic and part stress related. Like Marie, my BP sky rockets at a doctor’s office but is often normal other times. I have found that hawthorne extract is an excellent herb to utilize for bp.
Good on ya, Janet. I am going to have to remind myself to talk about things that didn’t work for me also. I wanted to start off emphasizing those things that did work, and that work for most people.
I also tried hawthorne. My first product was a hawthorne type of syrup. I also tried hawthoren capsules. I did not observe a lot of benefit from either, but as you say, you have and others may benefit also.
One key in determining what works for each individual is to try it consistently for at least a month and document blood pressure every day to see what is actually happening. Is it lowering based on this supplement, and if so, how much?
I don’t think doctors really understand the reported side effects of these “medications” (drugs!). The manufacturers list the “known side effects” which are nowhere near, either in severity or number, the side effects actually reported by patients! Why is that? (Don’t get me started!) Doctors know the manufacturer’s “listed side effects”. I guess they trust those people. I don’t! Matter of fact, I don’t trust the doctors either. There are exceptions, but that is my general rule – sorry, but life has proven it warranted! It’s that money thing….
There are many things here that people like you can incorporate into their healthy, daily lives that help lower blood pressure, and we will discuss much more. I am hopeful that you will find some things here that can help you maintain your goal of living drug free and healthy. As a yoga instructor, good health is an important part of your life, and more power to you!
All the best!
I too, suffer from the classic white coat syndrome with otherwise normal BP at home. I unfortunately was too dumb to realize I even had it until I started monitoring BP at home. I fell for the doctors lecture and took the medication prescribed. That is when the misery started–side effects so bad that I thought I could perhaps pass out or even die. That is when I fired the first doctor. Went to the 2nd and still had bad results–fired the second doctor. I went to the third and told him I fire every third doctor, the second one just left! Just curious if you have found a way to block the spikes at the doctor appointments. These doctors are all too quick to jump to conclusions. We are all different and our BP responds differently. There is no one size fits all approach and this is somehting the doctors still don’t seem to understand.
I’m guessing some type of Beta Blocker will solve the problem. Perhaps you can take one prior to the appt. These are designed to block adrenaline surges that cause BP to rise. Maybe we’ll also find out more about “natural” Beta Blockers in future postings from D. Carestia.
Here’s what I do…
I tell the doctor, “as you know, you can’t take my blood pressure without spiking it up. I would prefer that you didn’t take it at all.” Of course, they will tell you they have to take it.
So then I say, I guess if you have to, you have to, but I don’t appreciate the risk to my health that you will give me by spiking my blood pressure up like that. Then I get out my own blood pressure monitor, and I say, but before you do that, let’s look at my blood pressure readings taken at home over the last 30 days. And I go through them until he tires of the process, showing that all are within normal limits on no drugs.
Then they take my blood pressure, and it is high. And then I say, “See, I told you so”.
At least this way I don’t get a lecture about getting back on my blood pressure “medications” (drugs!).
My doctor knows I am not going to take the drugs, so he just leaves me alone about it anymore. Besides, I have the home monitor proof.
I don’t know how you get over white coat hypertension. My doctor actually made mine worse with a long chewing out the first time he took mine and it was high.
I don’t see that doctor much anymore. I strongly prefer seeing my doctor at Whitaker Wellness Clinic once a year.
Sorry I don’t have a cure for this one…other than, if you have the proof with you, perhaps you will relax about it.
All the best!
I’m wondering why you still let the doctor take your blood pressure!When I stopped BP meds 18 months ago, I told my doctor I no longer wanted her to take my blood pressure.I use my own BP monitor at home.I think the whole system of taking and assessing blood pressure by a doctor needs careful scrutiny.They are keen to use drugs.Also, who has set the table of readings? How do we know what is a “normal” reading? We are all individuals, there is no one size fits all.
I am feeling amazingly well 18 months after stopping the meds.I was sleepwalking through life,suffering awful, horrible side effects. How can doctors stand by and watch their patients suffer, they must know that the side effects can be dreadful, even life threatening?
Olive Leaf Extract and Reishi,Shiitake, Miatake Mushroom Extract, both in capsule form , manufactured by Solgar, have given me back my life.
Hi Anna!
My internal medicine doctor told me he had to take my blood pressure or I couldn’t go forward with the office visit. So, I let them take my blood pressure after doing the things that I mentioned.
Then, I found a new doctor.
Thank you also for mentioning the Solgar supplement that has helped you. I tried olive leaf extract and the mushrooms, but did not get a noticeable positive change. I was already taking most of the things that helped me lower my blood pressure naturally at that time, so it may be that there just wasn’t much room left for improvement.
What I find most interesting is that there are a variety of natural therapies that work for many people. Some that work for one person, may not work for another………..that said, if we try a few of the most beneficial alternatives that many other people have found helpful, it is highly likely that something we tryis going to work for us, too…….and start us on the right track!
Good on ya, and all the best to you!
I’ve been into nutrition and alternative health (once professionally) for years, and this is the best “straight-on” and “spot-on” information (conveniently from one source) that I’ve come across in decades. The information and advice is actually “do-able” for the average bear. Thank you D. Carestia and everybody who’s contributing to this blog!
Gee, cc……..you just made my day! Maybe even my week!! Thanks soooo much! 🙂
All the best!
I am eager to try the pomegrante juice as a natural way to lower BP. Did notice that the Knudsen juice, althugh stating that it is “Just Pompgrante” has some other concentrates in it as well, i.e apple juice, etc. I guess since it worked for you that is not a probem? I do like Knudsen juices. Thank you for this information. Medication does not work for me at all, have tried 3 different kinds, all did not work, made the BP go up and the beta blocker sent me to the ER.
Fredericka
HOLD THE FORT, FREDERICKA!
Knudsen does make a drink juice that includes apple juice, etc., but that is NOT the juice I am talking about for a natural ace inhibitor.
I use R.W. Knudsen “Just Pomegranate”, “100% premium pomegranate juice from concentrate”. There is nothing in it but filtered water and pomegranate juice concentrate – no apple juice or anything else.
Find that one if you want to try pomegranate juice as an ace inhibitor.
Jarrow Formulas also makes a concentrated pomegranate juice that is only pomegranate juice.
Those are the only two juices that worked as natural ace inhibitors for me.
Please let me know that you got this!
Hi D
I wasn’t trying to advertise the chocolate, just to use as alternative to cocoa.
Thanks June, and no worries. I talk about brands and products all the time, only because they are the ones that worked for me.
I do want to point out that cocoa itself has ace inhibitor and vasodilation properties, so it would help lower blood pressure also. I am not familiar with the plamil product, so I don’t know if it has any of those properties. Raw, unsweetened cocoa is a great anti-oxidant, as well, and it makes platelets less sticky, so can help prevent clots.
In other words, I would use cocoa because it is such a great food for hypertension and our circulatory system health!
Your yummy ideas are great! I would just use the cocoa for the reasons discussed above.
All the best!
Hi DC, the pomegranate juice I have found here in the UK is pure organic and not from concentrate – I note that you recommended 4 oz but I guess you are speaking about the concentrate. Any idea of how much I would need to consume of the non-concentrate. Also what do you think of mixing the cranberry with the pomegranate? The pomegranate makes the cranberry sweet enough. Stevia has only just been licensed here in the UK very recently and still not so easily available in a pure form. I tend not to be a big juice drinker as I had bad candida for years (antibiotics) which I treated naturally and recovered from. I really limit sugar from all sources as I can get flare ups if I am not careful. Thanks for your comments and to others contributing to the dialogue – I feel far more confident to pursue a natural method knowing that others are walking this path – in the absence of dialogue sometimes I have wondered if I am being fool hardy not surrendering to taking the drugs. All the best to you.
Hi Marie. I don’t know which pomegranate juice you are talking about, and maybe it is a UK brand, so I wouldn’t recognize it anyway. The Jarrow Formulas juice is a concentrate. The Knudsen is just 100% pomegrante juice made from concentrate. It works well, but I don’t really think it is itself a true concentrate, so I drank 8 ounce that first night and really got a big effect and changed to 4 ounces once per day. If you are going to try pomegranate juice yourself, you might want to start small and work up from there, and just see how it affects you. Everyone is different.
I don’t know if you have naturopathic physicians over there, but it has been beneficial to have the input from my naturopath on anything I am going to try. I always recommend proceeding with a naturopathic physician or a doctor well versed in natural therapies to help along the way.
All the best!
why not eat the pom fruit, rather than drink the juice?
Or buy a pomegranite and put it through the juicer?
Hi David!
I have never tried that. If you juice a pomegranate, let me know how much juice you get out of one pomegranate. I would be interested to see if it is at all an efficient proces. Live and raw is always better, I am just not sure it will yield much.
All the best!
Hi satchit! I suppose you could eat pomegranate fruit also. I have done that and enjoy pomegrante, but at the same time, I am wondering how many pomegranates I would have to eat to get the equivalent of 4 ounces of 100% pomegrante juice on board?!?
One of the great benefits of juicing is that I can get the benefits of large amounts of vegetable vitamins, minerals, and other phytonutrients taken in without eating massive doses of the fruit or vegetable itself.
I am thinking I really can’t eat enough pomegranate to get the effect I am looking for, but to be honest, I have never tried. I just know there isn’t much juice in one of those little pomegrante kernels.
All the best!
Hi D and satchit!
I agree, you’d have to process a bushel full of pome to get a substantial amount of juice.
But if you want to taste something delicious use your pom seeds like this:
Make a salad with greens like baby spinach, arugula, young kale leaves or whatever dark greens you prefer. Slice in some red onion, mushrooms, segments from one large seedless orange, 15-20 black olives and a handful of walnut halves. Make a basic dressing with EVOO the best is from Crete, a
tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and juice from half an orange. Split a fresh pom in half and hold each half over your salad bowl open side down. Smack it firmly with the back of a wooden spoon and watch the seeds fall out. Add your dressing and a little crumbled blue cheese if you like. Enjoy!
Sounds yummy! Thanks!!
hi, peeps is Jarrow Formulas Pomegranate Juice Concentrate, also good because i cant see any Knudsen Pomegranate Concentrate in uk, or does anyone have the idea of where to get it pls , am in london , i searched online too, not available in uk , watermelon also work well tnx to mr Carestia, pls let keep this blog moving , thank u all for sharing your ideas , God bless!!!
Hi Karen, and yes. I have also used Jarrow Formula’s concentrated pomegranate juice to good effect.
All the best!
also waiting for the beta block thumb up , well done
Thank you, Karen.
All the best!
Dear D.C., I see frequent mention in your blog of something called ‘stevia’. What is this? How is it made? And, where does one get it from?
Hi Philip!
Stevia is an herb that has been used as a sweetener for centuries in South America. It has zero calories, zero carbs, and zero glycemic index. It comes in liquid and crystal forms. We have tried several brands and our favorite is NOW Foods Certified Organic Better Stevia. We buy the 1 pound size. This is way sweeter than sugar and lasts forever.
It can be purchased online at iherb or SuperSupplements, and at health food stores locally. If you want to learn more about stevia, check out the history, etc., on this link:
http://www.stevia.net/
All the best!
Hi D, I think your advice and knowledge are superb. You have a way of putting things over that makes them easily accessible. I’m about to get the Juniper, Dandelion Leaf and Parsley capsules.Thank you.
Thank you, Anna. Natural diuretics were a key for me and many other people in getting back to normal blood pressure.
All the best!
I use a natural herbal diuretic capsule manufactured by Solgar, “Herbal Diuretic” in the US. It contains Buchu, Uva Ursi, Juniper, Parsley and Barberry extracts.
Thanks Jenna! There are several formulas available that combine supplements known to be diuretics. Buchu and Uva Ursi, along with juniper berries and parsley are quite common. I was unfamiliar with Buchu and what I read on Uva Ursi made me a bit uncomfortable, because at that time my liver was also very sick, so I just put my own combination together with the freeze dried dandelion leaf, juniper berries, and parsley……along with the fresh morning juice including celery and beet.
Thank you for confirming that this diuretic is working for you! The more people confirm that natural diuretics are working for them, the more people who are seeking alternatives will be motivated to try a more healthy approach!
All the best!
Hello,
Thanks D.C. I am really enjoying the blog. This is fun. I have spend a small fortune in the past 10 years trying to control my BP. The best that has ever worked for me consistantly is eating a ton of veggies, small amount of fruit and beans and a small amount of nuts. I got this idea from Dr Joel Ferhman’s books. Within a week and a half my blood pressure was normal. I also tried Dr Whittaker’s advice to quickly lower using brown rice, fruit and veggies, this worked in 9 days for me. He of course recommends if you have HBP to be a vegetarian. I travel for my job and can’t buy or cook my own food so when I am working I have to eat what I am served. I bought a bottle of herbs form a Chinese doctor which really worked beautifully however he can no longer bring them into this country.
I am getting ready to go back to work for 3 months so I will not be able to try the pome juice or the other suggestions you give until I am off work again.
I bought a RESPeRATE and have been using it twice a day for 3 months now and have seen no decrease in BP. Any suggestions here anyone? I really want this to work for me.
Keep the good info coming.
Hi Amelia,
Thanks for reading LowerPressure.com and for purchasing RESPeRATE.
In regards to seeing results with RESPeRATE, may I suggest keeping a daily log of your blood pressure and tracking your results in a spreadsheet. This will allow you to determine the overall trend of your blood pressure and will remove daily fluctuations.
We got this idea from one of our customers who has volunteered to answer your questions about using RESPeRATE.
This is our volunteers reply to another RESPeRATE who was asking a similiar question to you about seeing results with RESPeRATE.
“I probably would have been discouraged at my progress (or seemingly lack thereof) because it was hard to see any progress due to variations on a daily basis. I tried to do my RESPeRATE around the same time to keep the variations to a minimum and usually took my BP 3 times.
What kept me from giving up was that I kept a log of my BP, then created a chart in Excel. One of the features of Excel is that it can analyze the numbers to generate a ‘trending’ line which definitely showed an improvement. Here’s my chart of my first six months on RESPeRATE. As you can see, some major ups and downs but the overall trend is DOWN. My suggestion would be to just keep at it and try not to get anxious about individual readings.”
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us in NYC about your progress with RESPeRATE at 1-877-988-9388.
Sincerely,
Tom Kirwan.
Director Consumer Marketing
InterCure
Hi Amelia, and yes, I am very pleased by, and look forward to, the great participation my blog is generating among those who are into, or who would like to try, more healthy methods of accomplishing better health including healthy blood pressure!
A vegetable base is a very important part of a healthy diet. At the same time, I know Dr. Whitaker personally as the Whitaker Wellness Center is my clinic, and he is not an advocate of being a strict vegetarian. He especially recommends healthy fish in the diet for natural fish oil and omega 3’s. We will talk about diet in future blogs, but again, fruits and vegetables, especially raw, are very important to good circulatory health.
I did not get benefit from my resperate until I changed the time for my sessions from 15 to 20 minutes, twice each day, both morning and evening. After 30 days on that regimen, I began to get regular and meaningful drops in my blood pressure.
Thank you for your input, and all the best!
The biggest difference in my BP readings came when I stopped gluten. Life Extension published a huge article on the inflammation response in the body to gluten and modified cornstarch. In 2 weeks my diastolic dropped 20 or more points. When I added Olive Leaf Extract and Magnesium Citrate it got so low I was able to lower my Benicar from 40mg to 20. My goal is to stop using it altogether. I will do the pomegranate juice and dandelion extract to rid myself of the amlodapene I have to take for systolic…thanks for the info…
Hi Chic! And good on ya! Gluten is just another form of sugar that triggers insulin and damages our hearts, blood vessels, and other organs, and increases blood pressure. So, elimination of refined sugar, HFCS, and the “whites” and other glutens would make a tremendous difference in the health of most people who are addicted to these “sugars” in their various forms. This is not judgmental……I was one of the persons!
I am glad that natural therapies have worked for you. I am hopeful that the many additional natural therapies discussed here will be of further benefit!
All the best!
Please can I be added to your email list so I can access the information you provide. I have tried water melon and it works well as a diuretic.
Thanks and God bless.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for visiting LowerPressure.com and for your interest in joining
our email list.
You can join our list by submitting
your email in the Newsletter sign up form. (it is on the left hand
column of every page on LowerPressure.com).
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LowerPressure.com Team
this discussion is great! thank you.
i am 67, 2 yrs past breast cancer, [and doing well] and so i appreciate that inflammation, hbp and elevated bg work w/ hormones in negative ways, so i am doing a lot of stuff to balance it all. My bp is definitely white coat, and so far they have let me alone. to their credit, they recognize the side effects, and respect my home readings which i have brought in. The wght i had lost has returned some. i know that is a factor [ as well lesswght is so helpful for my elderly osteo knees!], so i’m in the middle of a 12 week cognitive behavioral therapy wght loss program. Beans and veggies have been my save in past, and now also.
as well exercise, meditation, yoga, nutrition, and supplements etc etc. i’m a retired DC, so collect these ideas in general, and do many of them, and your reminders are great. i also have started taking grape seed extract; do you have an opinion on that one? The first week, my bp was definitely responsive. Seems to have eased off a bit. i got arginine, and am now trying that; take that mornng and evening, but about a fifth of what they recommend.
i do try to see what effect each product has, and slowly introduce them also. Garlic and onions we eat almost daily, i juice often tho not daily, and probably need to ramp my program up a notch. My bp was ‘normal’ at an onc doc visit several months ago; the oncolgy dept offers free 15 min massages, and i had one just before. She was also a good listener;-)) i really think it helps if they/the docs would support some of these helps, like a script for the gym, or a weight loss program, or at least a gold star and some interest [ like ask how??] when i got a great bp reading! what a difference that would make, at least for me. i’d feel she/my prmary care doc, were really on my side. also use resperate, and tho it hasnt made all the difference i need, i see a definite help from it. will try pomegranite juice.
i mentioend how my docs respect the “side effects” , i meant of the drugs they could prescribe for my bp.
Hi Susan, good on ya, and all the best with difficult health problems. I did try grape seed extract and I was not able to measure any benefit from it in my blood pressure readings. There is literature to support this supplement for natural lowering of hypertension, but I could not find where it acted as a natural diuretic, ace inhibitor, or any of the other hypertension drug alternatives. It is primarily a strong antioxidant and that in itself can help with blood vessel health and hypertension over time. When I tried grape seed extract I was already taking an enviable amount and variety of antioxidants, so this may in part explain why I did not see a lowering of my blood pressure. I discontinued the use of this supplement after a while, but if you are experiencing benefit, by all means don’t stop lowering your blood pressure just because I didn’t.
I like the amino acid, L-Arginine. This is helpful in the production of nitric oxide, a gas molecule that signals blood vessels to relax and dilate. This, in turn, increases blood flow and reduces blood pressure in the body. I use a time-release formula of L-Arginine manufactured by Thorne Research called “Perfusia SR). I take this twice a day and it provides L-Arginine on a time release basis through the entire day.
We will discuss many natural treatments for hypertension, and I am confident that many will be of assistance to those seeking alternatives to toxic drugs!
All the best!
I am so happy to read there are alternatives to taking medication for HBP. I never hear about these on TV or read about then in publications. I will definitely give these a try and see what happens. I have been on diuretics for 7 years and was recently prescribed more meds for HBP. The side effects are terrible. I can’t function normally like I used to and I’m determined to get off these meds and go the natural route. I lowered my cholesterol a few years ago with Red Yeast Rice, cleared up sinus infections on my own, so I know natural products will work. I do have to be careful about taking products that thin the blood as I have had hemorrhaging in my left eye, so I will check these out carefully. I was recently diagnosed with low thyroid and now have low electrolyte problems. I’m not sure which caused this, the thyroid or the diuretic, or even the new meds but hope to get this corrected soon. I’m excited about trying all the things you mentioned and look forward to reading more from you. Thanks!
Hi Mary Ann! One of the major downsides to drug diuretics is that they deplete electrolytes. I chose the natural alternatives like dandelion and celery because they help replenish important electrolytes.
All the best!
Some of the things you say sound good at first, but on thinking about them they sound like complete nonsense. Here’s one example – you drank 8 oz. of pomegranate juice and subsequently identified it as the source of a 10 point drop in your BP, which seems somewhat arbitrary right from the get go, as in, how did you know it was the juice that caused the drop, how did you know the drop was lasting, etc., but then it gets worse, because you then seemed to think that 10 points was too many so you reduced the amount of pomegranate juice to a daily 4 oz. This seems like pure nonsense to me. It would have been a better idea to drink 16 oz and hope for a 20 point drop, wouldn’t it? The bottom line is that this is all ‘anecdotal’, with a sample size of one, and hence totally unreliable as an indicator of anything at all.
Will Flannery…..If it weren’t for the other readers of this blog, I would not even bother to answer your “questions”. Of course, you don’t want information at all when you ask these questions; you’re questions are for effect rather than for information. That’s fine. Your of your problems is that you appear to be almost completely ignorant on the subjects, in contrast I have studied them in depth for the last 6 years, and I have cured my hypertension with them, as many others have, as well. Not only haven’t you read much on the issues, you haven’t even read the comments of other posters on this very blog regarding their own positive results using natural therapies.
Despite that, I will answer your “questions” for the many here who are truly interested in treating hypertension with natural remedies. I am going to answer the questions because I don’t want those other readers mislead in any way by your very special brand of ignorance.
First, I know it was the pomegranate juice that quickly and significantly dropped my blood pressure because I took in no other inputs that evening that had any chance whatsoever of dropping my blood pressure. This was not the first thing that I tried, and I measured systematically each and every time I took a natural treatment of any kind until the effects of that treatment were known. Second, I know that the pomegranate juice was the causal factor in the lowering of my blood pressure so quickly that I indeed was somewhat concerned about how far this might go that night, because over the many, many following days I was able to measure a similar drop in blood pressure after drinking the pomegranate juice. In other words the effect was replicated many more times under a variety of different cirumcstances and conditions. Certainly, if my result were to have occurred on only one isolated occasion, and then could not be reproduced again, you would have a point. Your apparently assuming that I could not identify the causal factor for the drop as being the pomegranate juice, however, suggests that you really don’t think things through very well before reaching an invalid conclusion. Again, that you wrongly jump to conclusions would not bother me except that you might actually influence someone here to their detriment with your invalid arguments. That would be unacceptable.
Now, regarding the “lasting” effect that you mention, when you take your drugs from the good AMA doctor, you know, the one who gets you all those good, expensive Big Pharma drug prescriptions, you also do not have a lasting drop in blood pressure. What you do have, is a lasting toxic condition that worsens over time. If you didn’t take that drug, your blood pressure would go back up. The same is true of natural diuretics and natural ace inhibitors. If you don’t take them regularly, your blood pressure will go back up.
That said, the benefit to natural therapies is that you don’t increasingly poison your body daily like you do on toxic hypertension drugs. Moreover, my purpose in taking natural diuretics and natural ace inhibitors was NOT to have a daily fix for life by virtue of taking these supplements. Even if that were the case, the result would be far superior to taking toxic drugs every day for the rest of my life. Rather, my purpose was to buy the time nessary to improve diet, exercise regimen, weight, and many other aspects of general health that would actually give me the “long-term” effect that you mention and indeed that I was seeking, i.e. health and lower blood pressure as a natural result of lifestyle changes without continuing to have to be on a daily regimen of any other kind.
I cannot help you if you think my quick drop in blood pressure of 10 points on the systolic measurement seems “arbitrary”. It was what it was. It was precipitous, and it scared the heck out of me as my pulse also lowered quickly and I was concerned where this might go. So, indeed, I did lower the amount I took daily and to good effect without any anxiety whatsoever after a few days with pomegranate juice added to my daily regimen.
Now, regarding your suggestion that I should drink twice as much to effect a double reduction, I was not after one overdose therapy that would be my one-fell-swoop answer. I was and am constantly in search of balance in my life. With a meaningful reduction of blood pressure with natural diuretics, my next reasonable step was to find natural ace inhibitors to bring down my blood pressure in comfortable fashion.
Your flawed logic would suggest huge doses of natural diuretics, as well, to drop that blood pressure even further. Excuse me if I don’t agree that never having to leave the bathroom for more than 15 minutes is a good idea just to drop my blood pressure another 10 or 20 points. Again, I was not looking for anything in excess. I was in the process of weaning off each of the three drugs that I was on, and based on my outcome (blood pressure in the 120′s over 70′s now), I believe I accomplished my goals with reasonable balance between natural diuretics, natural ace inhibitors, and natural beta blockers, while I was on the road to longer-term lifestyle changes that would in time pretty much take care of blood pressure concerns as a matter of course. How did I ever accomplish it without you?!?
So, the answer to your specific question is no, indeed, it would not have been a better idea to drink 16 ounces of pure pomegranate juice to get a 20 point drop. You obviously have no experience in this area because you apparently believe that doubling the amount of juice taken would result in a doubling of the drop in blood pressure. That in essence would be a perfectly linear function, and in the case of blood pressure treatment is the height of naivete’ at best. May I suggest, despite the purported “brilliance” that you attempt to dazzle us all with here, that you familiarize yourself a bit with the law of diminishing returns. The goal is “optimal” use of the supplement, not maximum use. Even doctors add addditional drugs rather than just doubling and doubling again the dosage of one drug simply because the effect of each input becomes less and less. The fact is that I was able to accomplish nearly the same drop in blood pressure on the 4 ounces rather than the 8 ounces, without the concerning drop in heart rate and potential of harm that I sensed the first time I tried pomegranate juice. The lowest “effective dose” is what I was looking for. I found my answer at 4 ounces, but of course, that’s just my “anecdotal” information.
So, let’s talk a little about “anecdotal” information. Your intimation that “anectotal” information is somehow “substandard”, is something else that I am not going to let you get away with regarding its potential harmful influence on other readers. The fact is that almost all information on natural therapies is “anecdotal”. Your ignorance on the subject of natural therapies again comes through loud and clear because it is obvious that you have not done any research to determine the weight of that anecdotal information that is readily available. And just so everyone is clear, “anecdotal information”, is just information in the form of “this is what I experienced when I did that”. The fact is that there is LOTS of “anecdotal” information available on the internet and elswhere confirming the diuretic properties of some foods and supplements, and the ace inhibitor effects of other foods, as well. If you had any knowledge on this issue, or had done even cursory research before spewing forth your own nonsense, you would know that the sample size on therapies that I am talking about is monumentally greater than “one”. When anecdotal information becomes legion, only a fool can overlook it. Come to think of it, that appears to be right up your alley!
There will never be double blind studies and bought-and-paid-for results of studies of the kind that Big Pharma uses to justify the “good” done by their toxic drugs. There is no “massaging of statistics” until some lab can find some good correlation as for a toxic drug. In contrast, there is just a lot of weighty “anecdotal” information from patients on natural therapies. Money doesn’t influence what people report out of the goodness of their hearts for free.
The reason there will never be any in-depth studies on natural therpaies, is that Big Pharma can’t patent them and make billions passing them off on consumers at exorbitant prices. If the Big Money isn’t there, Big Pharma is never going to fund studies to prove the benefits of natural therapies. Moreover, that proof would sharply curtail their manufacturing of toxic drugs as well as their mega profits. Now, wouldn’t that be a blessing to mankind!
Finally, it is not my intention to ever have to aggressively dispatch arguments or viewpoints. Yours, Will, are so ridiculous, however, that they deserve it. Given your special brand of misleading nonsense, I regret that I am simply constrained to do it.
To the many readers here who are truly seeking help, I apologize for my response if it seems a bit brutal to you. Will’s nonsense, however, needed to be definitively and decisively put to rest.
Perhaps, Will, you are happy taking your beta blocker, calcium channel blocker, ace inhibitor, and/or diuretic drugs to try to reduce your hypertension. After all, it is true that some people don’t actually experience significant, harmful symptoms from the toxic drugs they take…….yet.
All the best……..naturally!
Wow, what an overheated response full of false assumptions and name calling, as in I’m “ignorant”, “ridiculous”, “spewing forth nonsense”, a “fool”, etc. That ain’t science D., that’s pretty vile invective. No wonder you have HBP ! (LOL). You should have more respect for your readers.
First, excuse me, but you referred to my post as “complete nonsense”. I have to think you know that was not respectful or complimentary, but rather insulting. And now you complain that I am the disrespectful one? I had been nothing but respectful to you demonstrated your true nature.
I don’t have HBP. You do.
Respect is a mutual concept with me.
You were put in your rightful place, and so was your ignorance and utterl lack of logic or knowledge.
All the best!
Name calling is never appropriate. I said your statements were nonsense, which they were given any amount of careful thought. I didn’t say anything at all about you or your character, I didn’t call you ignorant or a fool. Don’t you see the difference? You simply don’t understand that anecdotal evidence is worthless unless substantiated by double blind experiments. Nothing I can do to help you there.
That’s an awfully fine, and very convenient distinction now, isn’t it Will. I guess when you tell me what I have to say is “complete nonsense”, you mean that in the nicest possible, most respectful way?!?
You’re a smart boy, right? So, I am sure you knew what you were doing and its purpose, and what it means going forward. Specifically, it means that I am not going to let you negatively influence the people here who are serious about trying to improve their blood pressure without the use of toxic drugs. Too bad for you, in that regard.
Double blind studies are a joke when it comes to any natural therapies, as I already discussed. The elites at the AMA and Big Pharma try to convince everyone that without their sacred “double blind study”, nothing is valid. What a crock! If you don’t understand that by now, nothing I can do to help you there. Indeed, nothing I can do to help you at all, since none of these therapies are “double blind studied”.
So, good luck to you with your “scientifically studied” toxic drugs (gives strained meaning to the term science, however), and all the best to you with them!
D. Carestia & readers after reading the very infromatiove article on lowerign BP w/ alternative methods, I decided to give it a quick try. This woudl be a surefire “litmus” test to see if D. Carestia’s recommendation woudl like. I currently take 10 mg of Lisinopril ( Ace inhibitor). So this woudl be a quick method to see if the Pomegranate Juice had any merit in my situation. My wife agreed and we commenced the experiment. Took my BP a could of times before drinking the Pomegranate juice and most readings were 135/88 . By the way , I did NOt take my Lisinopril today just to take the experiment. I then drank 8 ounces of a 100% Pomegranate juice that was in the refrigerated area like the Orange Juices so it was a little more expensive but fresh. I then took a couple of readings about 90 minutes later and unfortunately , the readings were about the same? This was very disappointing especially after reading Dave’s comments that his BP went down 20 points in one hour. By the way, my pulse was about the same also! So maybe it just wasn’t for me! I’d like to read if other readers enthusiastically tried the experiment and what was their findings? I appreciate any comments. My wife thought it woudl have to take days to work not 1.5 hours; howeveer, I explained to her what I read on the BLOG! Hopefully, it will help others; however, for me, back to the proverbial alternative drawing board!
Hi Mike, and thanks for your comment!
First, I don’t know what brand of pomegrante you tried. The ones that I have had success with are R.W. Knudsen’s “Just Pomegrante”, 100% pomegranate juice, and Jarrow Formulas’ pomegranate juice concentrate. Those are what I stick with.
Second, while I have had “one day” responses to some of the natural alternatives, I like to give anything I try at least a consistent 30-day test. Everyone is unique, and responses certainly differ.
Respectfully, I do not think that what you did can be considered a “surefire litmus test”. Hopefully this response will be of help to you in understanding why I say that.
My third concern is that you did not take your medication the day that you took the pomegranate test. I have never suggested to anyone that they go completely without medication while trying a natural alternative. Going off medication is something that is a gradual weaning process AFTER a person has determined that they are getting the desired effect from the natural alternative. In other words, is the natural alternative lowering blood pressure below what the drug alone has done? Again, this should be measured consistently over about a 30-day trial.
So, I am wondering if what your one-day test is really telling you is this: On no drug ace inhibitor on the test day, you maintained your same blood pressure reading as on the drug, but this time on only pomegranate juice. In other words, pomegrante juice alone resulted in the same blood pressure as when you took the drug? Respectfully, that sounds like there is potential for success in that result?!?
Fourth, I have mentioned the rebound effect of not taking medication. I will tell you that when I was on an ace inhibitor (fosinopril), if I did not take my medication, my blood pressure would rise. The rebound effect typically causes it to rise to levels even higher than before. That is one of the things I hate about the “rebound effect” and the reason drugs typically require a significant and slow weaning off process.
I am wondering, because you did not take your medication that day, if indeed the pomegranate also had to contend with some rebound effect from the absent drug that your body had become dependent on. That’s a lot to ask of a one-day “quick” test that may have been well more successful than you are thinking.
Please understand that I am not criticizing your effort. While I applaud it, I can see in your test the same kinds of mistakes that I made at times along the way as well.
Again, if I were doing this myself, I would take the pomegranate juice that has produced good results for many, (I would stick to Knudesen’s 100% pomegranate only, or Jarrow Formulas), I would take the juice in addition to my medication, I would take the juice in the evening when the calamities (variables) of the day were not just about to begin, I would take my blood pressure at the same time every day after taking the juice, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours later, as well as the next morning, I would take the juice over many days keeping these records daily (30 days has been my trial period), and then I would make a determination whether this supplement helped me or whether it didn’t. I would do this test while still on my “medication” (drugs). If it didn’t give me the desired effect over that test period and protocol, I would move on and try another natural ace inhibitor next, for example cocoa.
While I too am anxious for other people to try natural alternatives, I am hopeful that your comments, and our discussion in this regard, will be helpful to them in more accurately assessing the potential and results of the natural alternative they are trying. Natural alternatives deserve a good, valid test to determine their efficacy in each individual case.
Thanks again for your comment, and the opportunity to hopefully help clarify some important aspects.
Good luck, and all the best!
I will try yourpomergranate and can I cope your email
Hi Sheila, and yes. I am always open to questions and I hope to help where I can.
All the best!
D.Carestia??? first time i have seen this. so can u pls fill me in..tour qualifications? education? eg r u a naturopath> or ?//
Hi judith! So, how can I give you an objective assessment of this relative nobody named D. Carestia? Am I highly educated? Yes. Is that formal education in the medical field? No.
I am just a guy who developed hypertension at age 57, six years ago now, and who ultimately took things into my own hands to find a healthy cure. My entire story is laid out in my first two-part post here a few weeks ago. Faced with a severe episode of hypertension, the typical “medications” (harmful drugs) prescribed by my physician, and the terrible side effects associated with them, I set out on a journey to solve my hypertension problem through natural, healthy treatments and therapies.
I read everything on hypertension that I could find on the planet. Then I began a systematic trial-and-error process of trying the many natural alternatives that I had read about. I documented my response to them along the way, staying with what worked for me while I made longer-term positive lifestyle changes to diet, exercise, supplements, and the many other things that can improve not only hypertension but also good health in general.
I am not a naturapath. I have a naturopath who will tell you that I am his most knowledgeable patient. He would tell you that he asks me as many questions about cutting edge health therapies as he tells me about. I have not stopped my research on healthy approaches to not only hypertension but many other of man’s “dis-eases”. But instead of going on at length at who or what I am, I would respectfully and simply suggest that you read my posts and judge them for yourself.
I am not a medical doctor either. My primary physician is a medical doctor at Whitaker Wellness Center in California. She would tell you similar things to what my naturopathic physician would say. But again, I would ask only that my posts here be judged on their merits, not on who or what I am or indeed do or don’t profess to be.
There have been many comments made on my first posts. All questions that have been asked, have been answered. Again, they are there for you to judge. I intend to answer every question asked of me on this blog.
I hope this helps answers your question, and I look forward to your thoughts and comments along the way, especially if you have even more healthy ideas for lowering blood pressure naturally.
All the best!
What an excellent response Dr C
Thank you Lyndell, and all the best!
Thanks again D! As always, your advice is well worth consideration and practice!
I’ve always known pomegranate juice was a powerful antioxidant, but never seriously related it to BP. I’ve also read studies that show it to be effective in preventing prostate cancer!
Thanks Don. It is a great antioxidant as well as a natural ace inhibitor!
I am a firm believer that most “dis-ease” that we suffer today is a function of toxins. Those range from toxic foods like refined sugar and salt to hydrocarbons, pesticides, PCB’s and more. I will devote future posts to that discussion, and the role that antioxidants and other therapies play in addressing toxins and their resulting health problems including hypertension.
All the best!
I’m very happy to find this blog, it is enormously helpful to those of us trying to find alternative ways to manage high blood pressure. I have systolic orthostatic hypertension and vasovagal syncope (failed tilt table test); I also have a history of head injuries and doctors advise against medication, theory being the risk of falling is greater than the risk of high BP – but I’m not willing to accept uncontrolled high BP with the risk of heart disease, kidney disease or stroke either. They also tell me treating this type of BP isn’t easy.
Until a year and a half ago my BP was considered typical hypertension that I was able to manage with 1/4 tablet of Triamterene (hydrochlorothiazide) 75/50; I’m sensitive to all medications but could take this one with few side effects. At a routine doctor visit, and based on only one reading of systolic 140, I was advised to up the dosage to 1/2 tablet. To make a long story short my BP dropped so low I spent 3 days in intensive care and since then have seen a number of doctors, tried a number of different medications (all with side effects including another collapse) and had numerous tests to rule out the obvious and not so obvious.
My BP in a sitting position ranges from 125-150 (but can go up to 170-180 doing something as pleasant as visiting with friends), drops 20+ immediately upon standing and goes up 20-30 laying down. Resting heart rate is 62-73 and 50-53 during the night so not sure pomegranet juice is a good option for me. Usually BP is higher in the morning and goes down in the evening and during sleep; mine is lower in the morning and starts going up late afternoon with highest readings during the night.
Thankfully at 68 my overall health is good; I’m not over weight, gave up smoking 13 years ago, exercise daily, eat a healthy low salt diet with very little red meat but maybe not enough protein, small amount of 85% dark chocolate, walnuts, almonds, raw sunflower seeds, olive oil, berries and try to drink plenty of water – but still probably not enough. Supplements include salmon oil, calcium 1000 with magnesium 500, vitamins C 500 and D 1000, grape seed extract, cinnamon, glucosomine and baby aspirin. I’ve used Resperate every night before bed for a month without improvement but know it may take longer so will keep at it and have just ordered dandelion leaf and parsley to give a try. I was able to find Knudson’s Cranberry Juice but not sure how much to drink???? I tried eating 6 celery stalks yesterday (4 in the morning and 2 before bed hoping it might have some effect during the night) but had a horrible headache all day, night and a bit still today – will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow when I try it again.
I currently live in SE Asia and the closest quality medical care is Singapore so many thanks for sharing your research; your input and that from anyone dealing with orthostatic hypertension would be hugely appreciated.
Hi Sherry! Thank you for your kind words, and I am hopeful that you will find natural alternatives to treating hypertension here that will be of help, even though your issue is very complex and indeed not even well understood. It also seems somewhat unusual to me as my understanding of this problem is a rise in blood pressure upon standing rather than a drop.
Nevetheless, it seems that the drug diuretic was very powerful for you in reducing your blood pressure. Increasing the dosage actually proved to be too powerful. You are taking some good supplements for your health generally and for hypertension, as well, although that I am not a big fan of calcium supplements. I am wondering why you apparently are not taking CoQ10, and specifically ubiquinol (not ubiquinone) at your age? I also like the dark chocolate for its ace inhibitor and vaso-dilator properties, as well as the walnuts, seeds, and fish oil for healthy omega 3 oils.
I am not a doctor and I don’t prescribe or make medical recommendations. Indeed, in your case, it is hard to make even observations or things that you might consider generally. Since the drug diuretic was so powerful in lowering your blood pressure, I am wondering if one or more of the several natural diuretics might have a significant lowering impact without the problems of the drug you took.
Hang in there, and don’t stop trying to solve the problem. Most of what we accomplish in life is the result of our hard effort. I hope that what is discussed here might make a helpful difference in your effort somewhere along the way.
All the best!
Hi D, You have a great clarity in your thinking/reasoning and exploration of BP meds side effects. Have your
thought processes and awareness improved since stopping BP Meds? I knew that my brain was becoming fuzzy, my intelligence only firing on 3 cylinders, yet felt so lethargic and tired that even acknowledging or contemplating the problem was too much.I had the odd clear thinking day, but on the whole my intelligence wained a lot more than it waxed.
This made it much harder to harness my logic and do something about it. I now feel tingly and alive with ideas and energy.Have your thought processes improved since you took the natural path? Were they affected by the BP Meds?
Hi Anna, and thank you for your kind words!
On toxic hypertension drugs, my mind was sluggish, foggy, lazy, and my thinking was not at all clear. What became very clear to me was that I had to get off the drugs or lead a life that was just a shell of what I had been before. I hated the depressed mind, the depressed emotions, and the depressed functioning. Life is soooo much better for me living it drug free!
So, the answers to your questions are “yes” and “YES”! 🙂
It sounds as if you have had similar experiences, but that life is much better for you now too. Good on ya!
I am hopeful that the many topics discussed here will continue to be of interest to you and that some will be helpful!
Yes and YES!
🙂
D. Carestia, I can sooo relate to your “side effects” described in the second paragraph. I felt like the walking dead while medicated and feel like a whole new person now. It has literally been life changing for me to transform my health this well naturally. Of course, I have my wonderful naturopathic doctor to thank for that. Had I attempted it on my own, I’d likely have killed myself experimenting with supplements.
Thanks for the interesting article. I take one Co-Diovan each morning. What about coffee? I’m a coffee addict and 1 cup of black coffee each morning sends me to the restroom 3-4 times! Is this an acceptable diuretic, coffee?
Hi Stuart!
Caffeine is a mild diuretic. Does being a coffee addict mean you drink a lot of it? There is a tradeoff with coffee in terms of anxiety, irritability, and/or insomia from too much coffee/caffeine as well as other issues associated with too much caffeine.
Green tea is also a diuretic. It contains not only caffeine (in lesser amounts than coffee), but also theobromine and theophylline which are also found in chocolate. Green tea also contains the amino acid L-Theonine which can calm the nerves and improve concentration. Green tea boosts metabolism and is also an anti-oxidant!
All the best!
I’m a little confused on the diuretic effects of coffee/tea. If it truly is a diuretic, one would expect it to act just like the diuretic anti-hypertensive medications do, however I notice my BP rises after consuming a cup of regular coffee due to the caffeine I suppose, no change with Decaf though.
It is not just a diuretic….it is also a stimulant……
It is great to have all of this information! I am trying each of these different supplements to see what works . . . I do know that an Epsom salts bath/soak in the evening lowers my blood pressure immediately, probably due to the magnesium.
Thank you Cherie, and your good thoughts on magnesium. When I first began to deal with my hypertension, I bought some magnesium crystals and some magnesium oil.
Magnesium is certainly one of the minerals that can help, and you can take it orally, through the skin, or IV!
All the best!
What is your take on the book “Eat Right for Your Blood Type”? I am O negative, and have been following the foods for that blood type. There are meats, fish, fruits, nuts, grains, veggies in your report here that I am not supposed to eat, according to that book. Thank you for your info. I also have HBP and have tried several times to lower it on my own but, to no avail.
D. Carestia; My question to you is do you feel the foods we eat that we’re not supposed to eat, according to the book “Eat Right for Your Blood Type”, might cause us to have high blood pressure? Thank you.
Janeen, Have you personally tried the diet outlined in the book for your blood type yet? If it hasn’t worked, I might suggest the following as this has worked for me wonderfully: little or no meat/fish(once per week) fruits, vegetables, whole grains, no dairy, no oils, no sodium or sugar of any kind. Exercise 30-60 minutes per day and Resperate 10 mins/day. I weaned off all of my meds in about 3 months. I just take a small dose of Magnesium, Fish oil and CoQ10 daily for maintenance. My BP now runs about 115/62 on average, give or take a few points
Hi Janeen………and yes, I am familiar with the “eat for your blood type” diet and the book. I was introduced to this concept by my doctor at Whitaker Wellness who indicated that for “some” the diet was wonderful in lowering weight, improved wellness, etc.
I did not do all that well on eating for my blood type. I actually prefer what Jason says to an extent. Everyone is different, and for me, and I believe far too many, such rigor as almost entirely vegetarian is too difficult and too impractical for most people. I like more clean protein in my diet. So, even though I incorporate lots of fresh, raw, organic vegetables in my diet, I also include protein daily in the form of cold, norther waters wild fish, organic chicken and turkey, and occasionally elk or other lean red meat, also natural and organic. I never eat pork.
I take fish oil every day, as well as seeds and nuts for healthy oils not just for the circulatory system, but also for our other organs including live and brain why rely heavily on healthy fatty acids from the right oils for their good health, as well. I like fish oil, flax oil, evening primrose oil, coconut oil, olive oil, and grape seed oil in that order.
So, you may be one of the people who finds that the blood type diet does wonders for your good health. You may be like me and find that the blood typed diet didn’t do all that much for me. Everyone is unique, and everyone has unique factors that contribute to their hypertension. Focusing in on the reasons for your hypertension is one of the keys to the most appropriate natural alteranative treatments and therapies for each person.
All that said, I have never seen anyone who can’t benefit from healthy fruits and vegetables in their diet, especially when they are in raw form. Cooking vegetables kills phytonutrients and enzymes, even though some vitamins and minerals remain. When it comes to my fruits and vegetables, I am very much a raw food person. I just don’t eat fruits and vegetables exclusively. And, I am not all that much into the “grains” you mention, especially if they contain gluten. I am a big fan of Quinoa as one of the grains we eat often, but not at all into wheat, unless we are talking sprouted grains.
I hope this helps, but again…….judge for yourself how you are doing on the diet that you are on. All the best!
I think the poll on this page says it all. 75% of the people are not happy with their hypertension treatment. (i.e. medications)
Hi Ray, and thanks! I know that I certainly wasn’t, and it prompted me to take the necessary steps to live a toxic drug free life!
It can be done!
All the best!
This is to Mr. D. Carestia…
I have jot down notes on everything you had shared on this forum and I followed it step by step. You are genious … Thank you for all the time u put in to search for a better remedy to hypertension. The Drugs prescribed by our doctors is harming us.
It got to a point when HCTZ was actually hurting me so bad. when I started Dandelion leaf/ Junioer berries …you can not believe how good I felt and I am doing it gradually and I measure my blood pressure every step and I know ..I feel the difference.
Oh my God, You are God sent and I am one of the fortunate guys to have sign up for this inercure website.
I want to take you out for a drink or something. Diet, excercise, taking this supplements and watching my weight…Thank you… again
This my email address just in case; [email protected]