Dietary management of hypertension

HYPERTENSION is the medical term for high
blood pressure.High blood pressure that has
no known cause is called primary, or
essential hypertension. This type of high
blood pressure is the most common and
responds well to lifestyle changes, such as
losing weight, dietary changes, exercise,
and stress reduction. Natural treatment of
essential hypertension can bring blood
pressure values into the normal range.
However, if lifestyle changes are not
maintained, hypertension will probably
return. Secondary hypertension has an
organic cause (i.e., kidney disease,
pregnancy) and must be evaluated and
monitored by a physician since the
underlying cause must also be addressed.
Nutrition
Hypertensive people can remarkably reduce
their blood pressure through nutritional
changes. Increasing the amount of
vegetables and fruits and reducing the
amount of fat and cholesterol will not only
reduce blood pressure but will help with
weight loss, which also lowers blood
pressure.
•Eat whole, fresh, unrefined, and
unprocessed foods; include fruits,
vegetables, garlic, onions, whole grain, soy,
beans seeds, nuts, olive oil and cold-water
fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, halibut and
mackerel).
•Low sodium-high potassium diet. Most
people are aware that reducing sodium
(salt) intake can help reduce blood pressure.
However, that may not be whole picture.
Restricting sodium intake to lower blood
pressure appears to work better if
accompanied by increasing potassium
intake. Keep in mind that reducing sodium
intake involves more than not using a salt
shaker, but also reading processed and
prepared food labels for the sodium
content.
•Avoid salt, sugar, dairy products, refined
foods, fried foods, junk foods, and caffeine.
•Eliminate food sensitivities. Use elimination
and challenge diet to determine food
sensitivities.
•Drink 50 per cent of your body weight in
ounces of water daily. (e.g. if you weigh
150 ibs., drink 75 oz of water daily.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicines rarely have significant
side effects when used appropriately and at
suggested doses. Occasionally, an herb at
the prescribed dose causes stomach upset
or a headache. This may reflect the purity of
the preparation or added ingredients, such
as synthetic binders or fillers. For this
reason, it is recommended that only high-
quality products be used. As with all
medications, more is not better and
overdosing can lead to serious illness and
death.
These herbs are often used to treat
hypertension, however,: they have serious
side effects if taken in large doses. It is
recommended that these herbs be used
only with physician’s supervision.
•Coleus forskohlii-Lowers blood pressure
and improves heart.
•Hawthorne (Crataegus oxycantha) – Has
the ability to dilate coronary.
•Mistletoe (Viscum album) – Not as potent
as Rauwolfia but well tolerated and non-
toxic in normal doses.
•Rauwolfia (Rauwolfia serpentine) – This is
considered the most powerful hypertensive
botanical. Only a small dose is required to
achieve results and to avoid side effects.
Nasal congestion is most common side
effects.