dancer67 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 Does anyone know if there is a "natural" supplement you can take to help lower your BP? My BP is borderline. She does not want to put me on meds just yet. She wants me to start exercising starting 15 min a day, then increase to 30 min then 60. Go back in two weeks fir a BP recheck. BP today was 140/90. Any helpful ideas to get it lowered? I am also trying to take off some weight, so she thinks that may help as well. Thanks:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 I don't know about supplements but do know that there are some foods that specifically lower BP. One of them is celery, which I am not that fond of but forced myself to eat religiously while I had a blood pressure scare. Look up foods to lower BP on the internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 I hate celery to, but wonder if you can eat that with LF cream cheese, or Peanut butter? Then I could tolerate it. Thanks!!(Oh, and did it work?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamom Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 Foods high in potasium can lower BP. One of the symptoms of potasium deficiancy is High BP. I am just trying this now myself, so cannot say if it will work, but some of the foods are oranges, bananas, celery, oats, cucumbers, tomatoes and potatoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 I believe calcium and magnesium are important supplements. I've also heard that a lower dose aspirin taken at night is helpful. I have high blood pressure and am trying all these things but it's difficult to tell what helps since I'm also taking medicine. Ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 Thank you !! How about Garlic supplements? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmarango Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 Cod liver oil/fish oil supplements. I was told to take these pills for the DHA aspect during my pregnancy. I have lower bp to begin with and these little things made it go down even more, to the point that I was always worried that I was going to just pass out while walking around. Anyhow, after I stopped taking them, I found out that some people use them to lower bp. Worth a try for you maybe. Christina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cillakat Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 It's fairly easy to lower bloodpressure by changing the ratio of sodium to potassium that you ingest via diet. While decreasing sodium intake is somewhat helpful, the key issue here is actually *increasing*, significantly, your potassium intake. By simply eating more potassium, ideally 3-4 mg per calorie ingested, you'll shift that balance considerably. Very few get sufficient potassium, though some are more sensitive to this lack than others. Bananas aren't a great source of potassium *to increase overall potassium* and to improve the total dietary ratio. Bananas have about a 4:1 potassium to calorie ratio. In other words, just enough potassium to take care of their own calorie load. You'll want to add significant quantities of foods that contain few calories and loooooots of potassium: veggies, veggie broth (homemade), v-8, similar vegetable juices, tomato, tomato sauce, tomato salsa, tomato juice. http://www.krispin.com/potassm.html Just that one change will improve your systolic and diastolic numbers considerably. Excercise - even a little - done consistently, will further improve your systolic. Optimal vitamin D levels will improve blood pressure and health across the board. Generally speaking, to maintain optimal D levels, 1000 IU per 25 lbs body weight is a reasonable dose. To quickly replete deficient states, 4000 IU per 25 lbs body weight is not inappropriate for a period of weeks or months....along with testing serum D levels. Your doc can (and should) test your D. If they use quest, recognize that there are issues with their test and that any result needs to be divided by 1.3 to obtain an accurate final number. LabCorp is the best. There is also a home test from ZRT labs. It can be obtained from ZRT, or via the vitamindcouncil.org (they get a small donation if you purchase through them....a worthwhile cause to support), or for $40 through grassrootshealth.net The latter is part of a study, to participate in the study and get the the $40 price, you are required to test D levels twice a year for 5 years....again, a worthy cause. Celery seed is a very effective hypotensive herbal medication. It's still best to change your diet and is *critical* to improve your D status, but celery seed can be helpful in a suprisingly rapid way. It needs to be ground, so either grind your own and take it that way, or purchase the supplement. iherb.com is my go-to source for all of our supplements. the prices can never be beat, the service is excellent, the shipping is freakishly fast. Love love love them. they do have a very inexpensive celery seed available. :) Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 The DASH diet: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/prevent/h_eating/h_eating.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imprimis Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 Chocolate! :001_smile: Well, dark chocolate to be exact. A little bit of dark chocolate added to your diet each day can help lower your bp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 WOW, all this information!! Well, I did get a Vita-pak today that includes Omega-3's and Grapeseed extract. Vitamin D. Never thought of that. Can I get it from drinking milk? Celery. How about just eating celery?? I don't want to be downing a million supplements if I can help it, KWIM?. Oh and I saw the DASH diet and I have to read up on it. Thank you. I looked at it, but didn't quite understand it yet. Oh, and as far as potassium. I always thought that Tomato Sauce was high in Sodium?? And salsa too? Now dark Chocolate, THAT I can deal with. It is my weight that cannot...LOL THANK YOU:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cillakat Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 WOW, all this information!! Well, I did get a Vita-pak today that includes Omega-3's and Grapeseed extract. Vitamin D. Never thought of that. Can I get it from drinking milk? Celery. How about just eating celery?? I don't want to be downing a million supplements if I can help it, KWIM?. Oh, and as far as potassium. I always thought that Tomato Sauce was high in Sodium?? And salsa too? THANK YOU:D There is insufficient D in milk to have any effect. It's just barely enough to prevent rickets in small children. not enough to protect bone density in adults. not enough to normalize blood pressure. not enough to prevent cancer, the flu, autoimmune issues, depression etc. milk is not a good source of D. My previous post had good vitamin D testing and dosing information. Tomato sauce and salsa have only as much salt as has been added by the manufacturer. Tomatoes have about the best ratio of cals to potassium that you can get from any food so choose accordingly. I tend to not worry about sodium intake but I do maximize potassium intake. Having said that, we don't eat much in the way of packaged/processed foods. The tomato sauce I buy is salt free. I just salt to taste when cooking and I eat a lot of veggies and fruits. A massive amount. K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted October 17, 2009 Author Share Posted October 17, 2009 (edited) So, It is okay to add Vitamin D to my Vita-Pak then? Oh, and I was confused as to how much Vitamin D to take per day? Let me give you the link to what I am taking: http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3244941 Again, thanks so much! Edited October 17, 2009 by dancer67 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 WOW, all this information!! Well, I did get a Vita-pak today that includes Omega-3's and Grapeseed extract. Vitamin D. Never thought of that. Can I get it from drinking milk? Celery. How about just eating celery?? I don't want to be downing a million supplements if I can help it, KWIM?. Oh and I saw the DASH diet and I have to read up on it. Thank you. I looked at it, but didn't quite understand it yet. Oh, and as far as potassium. I always thought that Tomato Sauce was high in Sodium?? And salsa too? Now dark Chocolate, THAT I can deal with. It is my weight that cannot...LOL THANK YOU:D Forget supplements and do the DASH diet. It's simple: eat 9 servings of fruits and veges a day. (get some low sodium V-8 juice and use that for one or more of your vege servings.) Eat 6 servings of whole grains. A couple servings of low fat dairy. A couple servings of protein. If you're pretty young and not African American, it's unlikely to be a salt thing, so focus on all those fruits and veges, which will give you all the potassium, etc. that you need. If you don't like celery, don't eat it. There are plenty of other foods that help. It's the variety that you're going for. Are you getting enough sleep every night? Sleeping less than a full night's sleep can raise your bp. 140/90 is a very borderline high reading. Some people test higher in the doc's office and bp can fluctuate quite a bit. Did she take it more than once? Were all the readings in that range? Also, if the circumference of your arm is more than 13 inches and they used an average sized cuff instead of a large cuff, that can inflate your reading in and of itself. You can also get your own bp cuff and take it yourself. They're about $30. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted October 17, 2009 Author Share Posted October 17, 2009 Forget supplements and do the DASH diet. It's simple: eat 9 servings of fruits and veges a day. (get some low sodium V-8 juice and use that for one or more of your vege servings.) Eat 6 servings of whole grains. A couple servings of low fat dairy. A couple servings of protein. If you're pretty young and not African American, it's unlikely to be a salt thing, so focus on all those fruits and veges, which will give you all the potassium, etc. that you need. If you don't like celery, don't eat it. There are plenty of other foods that help. It's the variety that you're going for. How much is in a "serving". For example. " 9 servings of fruits and veggies" Does this mean 4 apples, and 5 cups of salad? 6 servings of whole grains. So 6 slices of whole grain bread? I am not getting that. Sorry if I sound dumb. I will be 42 in 3 weeks. And Caucasion. Are you getting enough sleep every night? Sleeping less than a full night's sleep can raise your bp. No. I have trouble sleeping sometimes going with no sleep at all. 140/90 is a very borderline high reading. Some people test higher in the doc's office and bp can fluctuate quite a bit. Did she take it more than once? Were all the readings in that range? Also, if the circumference of your arm is more than 13 inches and they used an average sized cuff instead of a large cuff, that can inflate your reading in and of itself. You can also get your own bp cuff and take it yourself. They're about $30. Yes, she took it twice. The first time was on an electronic one that was just calibrated and it said 158/101!! But then she said it seems everyone runs high on that thing. Second time was with cuff. And it was 142/92. I was at another Dr's yesterday, and it was 140/90. I should probably mention, that I am currently on two medications(one that I am weaning off right now) that hypertension is a side effect. Prior to the meds, it ran lower. 130/80 to 125/80. Even now, sometimes I will take it at home, at it will say 128/85. So I am supposed to take it three times a day for the next two weeks. Then go back for a recheck If BP is still up in those numbers, she may consider a diuretic. Thank you:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdeveson Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 My midwife gave me garlic pills (yuk) to control borderline hypertension when I was pregnant with my youngest. It seemed to work for me. What works for me now is a breathing exercise I do in the morning, afternoon, and at night after I get into bed and turn out the light. I get comfortable, close my eyes, and relax. I take a deep, slow breath for ten seconds, then I let it out slowly for 10 seconds. It takes some concentration because one is not used to taking such slow long breaths. I do 10 or 15 of these at each sitting. There's a very slight sense of euphoria which I assume has to do with the amount of oxygen one is breathing. On days that I don't do this, both my stress level and my blood pressure are elevated. I learned this from a research paper I read several years ago about a study where they used this technique to help lower blood pressure in patients at some hospital. It's worked for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catherine smith Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 http://www.mercola.com/article/hypertension/index.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 How much is in a "serving". For example. " 9 servings of fruits and veggies" Does this mean 4 apples, and 5 cups of salad? 6 servings of whole grains. So 6 slices of whole grain bread? I am not getting that. Sorry if I sound dumb. I will be 42 in 3 weeks. And Caucasion. No. I have trouble sleeping sometimes going with no sleep at all. Yes, she took it twice. The first time was on an electronic one that was just calibrated and it said 158/101!! But then she said it seems everyone runs high on that thing. Second time was with cuff. And it was 142/92. I was at another Dr's yesterday, and it was 140/90. I should probably mention, that I am currently on two medications(one that I am weaning off right now) that hypertension is a side effect. Prior to the meds, it ran lower. 130/80 to 125/80. Even now, sometimes I will take it at home, at it will say 128/85. So I am supposed to take it three times a day for the next two weeks. Then go back for a recheck If BP is still up in those numbers, she may consider a diuretic. Thank you:001_smile: I would work on good sleep hygiene (you can google that) and certainly tell your doctor about it. Personally, I wouldn't want to go on meds for bp if the real issue was sleep deprivation. Yes. You are correct about the serving sizes. It is a lot of food! (That's why I suggested the V8) You can put fruit on your cereal in the am or fix an omelette with some veges. Salad for lunch. Snacks of fruit or veges and dip. A couple of veges at dinner (1/2c. cooked or 1 cup raw). You do have to think about it to get it all in. But even if you significantly increase your intake of these foods without hitting the recommended servings, your body will be very grateful! You will not feel hungry (obviously!) and your body will feel really good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 (edited) Check into using true sea salt (the kind you find in the health food store not the grocery store aisle). Our "normal" salt is bad for you but the true sea salt does wonders for balancing the body. This is the one that my NP recommended to me adrenal issues. My NP said her patients can't believe that it really works for BP. The author she recommended to me is David Brownstein who has several books on the importance of salt and iodine. Edited October 17, 2009 by HiddenJewel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted October 17, 2009 Author Share Posted October 17, 2009 Thank you. Well, working on the sleep issues. Did the in and out breathing someone mentioned here and that seemed to work. I have to get my V8 juice. And I am cleaning like a madwoman today so hoping to get that in as some serious exercise(up and down stairs a bazillion times). I took my BP when I got up and it was 128/86. So it seems to differ throughout the day. Thanks for all the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cillakat Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 replacing carb/bread/grain/starch calories with nonstarchy veggies/produce will be the easiest way to improve your potassium to calorie and potassium to sodium ratio. :) Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest madyus Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Can you tell when your blood pressure is high? Usually the only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have it measured. Most people cannot tell if their blood pressure is high any other way. Symptoms such as a headache or dizziness are very unusual, which is why it is important for you to have you blood pressure checked regularly. This is why high blood pressure is often known as the silent killer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 I have read that the supplement CoQ10 can help reduce hbp. Anyone have any personal experience with this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cillakat Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Can you tell when your blood pressure is high? Usually the only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have it measured. I can absolutely tell. But I can also tell what my blood sugar is by feel. I guess that's not typical. K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cillakat Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 I have read that the supplement CoQ10 can help reduce hbp. Anyone have any personal experience with this? There are easier much much less expensive ways to lower blood pressure. Those same ways will have a broader range of positive health impacts - more bang for your 'health' buck. CoQ10 is great.....but it's incredibly expensive and really not necessary with a great diet and sufficient postassium and antioxidants from food. K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 Katherine Now that I am on a low dose of high BP meds(12.5 mg of Hydrochlorothiazene,SP?), if I change my diet, cut back on caffeine, etc. How do I know, or how does the Dr know, if it is the BP meds working or my diet? I also found out today, that EVERYONE in my family has had high BP since their 40's. So am I doomed to the genetic factors? Gotta love hereditary.:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cillakat Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 The meds will lower your bp to 'x'. Then diet (especially sufficient potassium) and exercise will lower it even further. If you or your doc are monitoring, it'll be pretty clear. K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 Thank you. I have noticed that my top number has come down quite a bit (150's down to the 130's now) but that bottom number not so much. It was as high as 95, now it is still about 86-90. Isn't the bottom numbermuch more dangerous since that is your resting heart? My last reading was 136/86. A big improvement from yesterday. 152/95ish. I am excercising HARD one day a week 45-60 minutes in dance, rest of the week, I am doing low cardio, and strength. I know tomatoe's and such are high potassium, but aren't the also very high in Sodium? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.