by Jackie Hart, MD
Q: Are there natural methods to treat high blood pressure?
A: There are several alternative methods of managing high blood pressure, or hypertension. Be sure to talk to your doctor, because, depending on your individual condition, you may still require medication. The ideas discussed here, however, can be integrated with standard medical therapy.
Diet and lifestyle
The safest and most important first step in treating high blood pressure involves lifestyle changes particularly weight loss, which will involve dietary changes and regular exercise. This may be all that is needed if blood pressure elevation is mild and if there are no other risk factors for heart disease or stroke. Not smoking and limiting alcohol intake to no more than one to two drinks per day are also necessary for keeping blood pressure in check.
Eating foods rich in potassium and omega-3 fatty acids is also helpful. Good sources of potassium include bananas, grapefruit, orange juice, dark green vegetables, dried beans, and squash. Omega-3 fatty acids are best obtained by eating flaxseed and oily fish, such as sardines, salmon, and herring. Try getting two to three tablespoons of flaxseed per day by grinding the seeds in a coffee grinder and sprinkling on cereal, yogurt, or salads. Canned sardines, salmon, and herring make good snacks. [Note: Do not eat pickled herring if you are on a class of antidepressants known as monoamine oxidase inhibitors.]
Relaxation and stress management
The next step involves incorporating relaxation techniques, such as meditation and yoga, that can help with attaining normal blood pressure. Biofeedback therapy is also very effective, because it allows you to begin to understand and appreciate the subtle signs in your body that indicate tension, anxiety, and anger. Personality traits that seem particularly prone to high blood pressure include defensiveness and a tendency to conceal emotions. Working with a psychotherapist may help you recognize these hidden feelings and develop appropriate responses to them.
Dietary supplements
The dietary supplement coenzyme Q10 has shown some promise in treating high blood pressure. In a good size study in 1994, more than 50% of the people with hypertension who took the supplement had their pressure normalize. (The dose used in the study was 225 milligrams/day, but I tend to recommend a dose of 150 milligrams/day).
Dietary supplements of garlic and hawthorn have been touted to help lower blood pressure. Garlic may do so in mild cases of hypertension. Hawthorn decreases resistance, or tension, in blood vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure, but it has not been studied for safety over long periods of time. If your blood pressure elevation is mild and your doctor is willing to have you try one of these alternatives in lieu of medication, the doses are as follows: garlic comes in 500 mg capsules (take two to six capsules per day); hawthorn leaves, berries or flowers should be standardized to contain 4-20 milligrams flavonoids and 30-160 milligrams oligomeric procyanidins (take one to three times per day).
Dont take these supplements if you are pregnant. Avoid garlic if you are on a blood thinner, such as aspirin, ginkgo biloba, or the prescription drug warfarin (brand name Coumadin), and do not take hawthorn if you take the prescription medication digitalis.
Acupuncture
Finally, acupuncture has been shown to be effective in reducing blood pressure in many people with hypertension.
Q: Are there natural methods to treat high blood pressure?
A: There are several alternative methods of managing high blood pressure, or hypertension. Be sure to talk to your doctor, because, depending on your individual condition, you may still require medication. The ideas discussed here, however, can be integrated with standard medical therapy.
Diet and lifestyle
The safest and most important first step in treating high blood pressure involves lifestyle changes particularly weight loss, which will involve dietary changes and regular exercise. This may be all that is needed if blood pressure elevation is mild and if there are no other risk factors for heart disease or stroke. Not smoking and limiting alcohol intake to no more than one to two drinks per day are also necessary for keeping blood pressure in check.
Eating foods rich in potassium and omega-3 fatty acids is also helpful. Good sources of potassium include bananas, grapefruit, orange juice, dark green vegetables, dried beans, and squash. Omega-3 fatty acids are best obtained by eating flaxseed and oily fish, such as sardines, salmon, and herring. Try getting two to three tablespoons of flaxseed per day by grinding the seeds in a coffee grinder and sprinkling on cereal, yogurt, or salads. Canned sardines, salmon, and herring make good snacks. [Note: Do not eat pickled herring if you are on a class of antidepressants known as monoamine oxidase inhibitors.]
Relaxation and stress management
The next step involves incorporating relaxation techniques, such as meditation and yoga, that can help with attaining normal blood pressure. Biofeedback therapy is also very effective, because it allows you to begin to understand and appreciate the subtle signs in your body that indicate tension, anxiety, and anger. Personality traits that seem particularly prone to high blood pressure include defensiveness and a tendency to conceal emotions. Working with a psychotherapist may help you recognize these hidden feelings and develop appropriate responses to them.
Dietary supplements
The dietary supplement coenzyme Q10 has shown some promise in treating high blood pressure. In a good size study in 1994, more than 50% of the people with hypertension who took the supplement had their pressure normalize. (The dose used in the study was 225 milligrams/day, but I tend to recommend a dose of 150 milligrams/day).
Dietary supplements of garlic and hawthorn have been touted to help lower blood pressure. Garlic may do so in mild cases of hypertension. Hawthorn decreases resistance, or tension, in blood vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure, but it has not been studied for safety over long periods of time. If your blood pressure elevation is mild and your doctor is willing to have you try one of these alternatives in lieu of medication, the doses are as follows: garlic comes in 500 mg capsules (take two to six capsules per day); hawthorn leaves, berries or flowers should be standardized to contain 4-20 milligrams flavonoids and 30-160 milligrams oligomeric procyanidins (take one to three times per day).
Dont take these supplements if you are pregnant. Avoid garlic if you are on a blood thinner, such as aspirin, ginkgo biloba, or the prescription drug warfarin (brand name Coumadin), and do not take hawthorn if you take the prescription medication digitalis.
Acupuncture
Finally, acupuncture has been shown to be effective in reducing blood pressure in many people with hypertension.