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FROM YOGA TO YARROW: Keep your corpuscles flowing smoothly with a range of alternative solutions. less pressure

Get high blood pressure under control with a holistic plan of nutrition, , supplements, complementary therapies, and stress relief.

HE “SILENT KILLER,” they call it, and with good Maurizio Trevisan, M.D., dean of the School of Public t reason: While other diseases expose their presence Health and Health Professions at the University at via various aches and pains, high blood pressure, Buffalo. It’s also linked to poor cognitive performance or hypertension, usually causes no symptoms at all as it across the board. systematically damages your health. In the United States, more than 50 million people “Hypertension is a major risk factor for stroke, have hypertension, but 30 percent don’t even know it. coronary artery disease, and kidney disease,” says More women than men are afflicted, and while cases peak for men in the age range of 45 to 54, for women By TOM WEEDE Illustrations by TRACY WALKER the incidence keeps rising with age.

FEBRUARY 2006 NATURAL HEALTH 53 the heart beats. The lower, or dias- converting enzyme) inhibitors. But by the numbers tolic, figure is the pressure when the in the prehypertensive range among HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE is just heart rests between beats.) Hyper- otherwise healthy people, lifestyle that. When the pressure of your tension is defined as 140 or more changes can control the condition. blood flow escalates, it exerts excess systolic or 90 or more diastolic, with “The most powerful behavior force on arterial walls, injuring these those at 120–139/80–89 considered intervention is weight loss,” says vital passageways and ultimately “prehypertensive.” Starting at 115/75, Trevisan. “It’s been shown over and harming your organs. Blood pressure the risk of cardiovascular disease over again: If you lose weight, your can vary significantly due to factors doubles with every 20 points sys- blood pressure goes down.” Exercise like body position, eating patterns, tolic and 10 points diastolic. helps control weight; it may also and mood—stress and anger spike Risk factors include increasing lower blood pressure by keeping the it—so a reliable assessment often age, family history, and race— vessels from becoming rigid. requires two or more seated readings African Americans have a higher To an extent, your blood pressure on separate occasions. (You can check incidence—as well as obesity, mirrors what you eat. A diet dubbed your pressure with a home monitor, inactivity, fluid retention due to DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop but bring the unit into your doctor’s sodium, and the use of oral contra- Hypertension) reduces blood pres- office to gauge its accuracy.) ceptives, tobacco, or alcohol. sure, especially when sodium intake According to the National Heart, is kept at or below 1,500 milligrams Lung, and Blood Institute, a healthy creative control per day. The plan is low in saturated blood pressure level is less than PHARMACEUTICAL treatments fat, cholesterol, and total fat, and 120/80. (The higher, or systolic, num- for hypertension include diuretics, emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole ber is the pressure generated when beta blockers, and ACE (angiotensin grains, and low-fat dairy. (For sample

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COMP TIME ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY health traditions can be helpful in reducing blood pressure. Discuss the following options with your physician, then use them in tandem with nutritional changes and anti-stress techniques:

Herbal Medicine Homeopathy There are several approaches to tion,” she adds. “This should not be This discipline considers how a person uniquely treating hypertension with herbs. considered a substitute.” responds to disease. “High blood pressure is “It’s important to understand the related to the whole person, and it is the whole mechanism underlying the individ- To address stress-related high blood person who has to be treated,” says Richard Mann, ual case of hypertension and to pressure, calming herbs such as N.D., chair of the department of homeopathy at address the specifics,” says Karta CHAMOMILE, LAVENDER, LEMON Bastyr University near Seattle. Someone whose Purkh Singh Khalsa, a registered BALM, or VALERIAN may be helpful. hypertension is accompanied by unexpressed herbalist from Eugene, Ore., and If kidney function is contributing to grief might be prescribed NATRUM MURIATICUM, author of Body Balance. hypertension, an herbalist could sug- while a patient exhibiting tension and irritability gest DANDELION and . could be better served by NUX VOMICA. (For a In relatively mild cases, HAWTHORN condition as potentially serious as high blood can promote dilation of constricted GREEN TEA is a useful option for many pressure, self-treatment isn’t appropriate; to arteries. A typical dose is 80 to 300 patients. It decreases blood fats and find a practitioner, go to homeopathic.org.) milligrams of hawthorn extract in can be effective in reducing blood capsules, two to three times per pressure. Most studies demonstrating day, or a tincture of 4 to 5 milliliters the benefits of green tea are based on three times daily. three cups per day, notes Khalsa. Traditional

YARROW and FLOWER are Finally, the South American Chinese Medicine other vasodilators. “Lime flower is , best known as a sweetener, Yin represents fluid, and depletion of yin tends to particularly good because it helps has shown favorable results during occur over time.“In Chinese theory, declining yin, remove fatty deposits from the human and animal research. Available particularly in the kidneys, liver, and heart, will blood vessels,” says Penelope Ody, as a powder or a liquid, it can be cause blood pressure to rise,” says Carlos Santo, author of the Complete Guide to added to foods. N.M.D., a naturopathic physician in Scottsdale, Medicinal Herbs. Ariz. “LIU WEI DI HUANG WAN is a classic formula A supplement called BP MANAGER to nourish the kidneys and liver as we age.”To For very mild hypertension, Ody (enzy.com) includes stevia, dandelion ensure quality, Santo advises buying from a U.S. recommends an made leaf, and hawthorn. A small study company such as Plum Flower (800-262-9929) or with equal amounts of dried lime commissioned by the manufacturer Health Concerns (800-233-9355). flower, hawthorn, and yarrow (use noted reductions in blood pressure. 2 or 3 teaspoonfuls per cup) taken By combining individual ingredients ACUPUNCTURE treatments using low levels of two or three times a day.“If some- that are beneficial, the preparation electrical stimulation can cut blood pressure by one’s on medication, obviously may be effective, says Khalsa: “It’s a up to 50 percent, according to an animal study they should continue their medica- shotgun formula.” at the University of California, Irvine. Targeting specific sites releases opioid chemicals in the brain, reducing heart activity and oxygen needs. Ayurveda You may benefit yin with this ACUPRESSURE High blood pressure is tied to a person’s predominant dosha (constitutional technique: Apply pressure to the inside of the type): A vata tends to be more anxious, while a pitta is associated with leg, about four finger-widths above the ankle. intensity, explains ayurvedic practitioner Ed Danaher. For both these doshas, “It’s often tender here,” says Santo. “It’s a very he recommends calming the nervous system with a soothing hot tea that’s well-known yin-nourishing point.” made by pouring water over equal parts of the botanicals BRAHMI, GINKGO, JATAMAMSI, and TULSI. “The meridians that flow through a body are like rivers of energies,” says Chris Oliver, C.Ac., an Because kapha types are more emotionally relaxed, Ayurveda holds that acupuncturist and chiropractor in Herndon, Va. their high blood pressure is likely caused by blocked arteries. In this case, “When a ‘river’ is blocked, the body gets sick or Danaher recommends a formula to benefit the cardiovascular system, doesn’t function properly. When you stimulate combining equal parts PASSIONFLOWER, HAWTHORN BERRY, PUNARNAVA, this energy to flow normally, the body is able to and ARJUNA; take 1/2 teaspoon two or three times daily. have better homeostasis.”

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menus and recipes, visit nhlbi.nih.gov Magnesium: Research indicates Vitamin C: Results are mixed, yet and search for “dash.”) that getting enough magnesium vitamin C may benefit cardiovascular The DASH regimen is rich in mag- lowers your risk for hypertension. health by enhancing the ability of nesium, potassium, calcium, and fiber. Food sources include dark green blood vessels to dilate. (“This doesn’t For reasons not fully known, the syn- leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, and necessarily lower blood pressure,” ergy of these nutrients appears to whole grains. For women over 30, the Higdon says.) A report in The Lancet have a beneficial effect, especially recommended daily allowance of found that systolic and diastolic pres- when obtained through food. “If you magnesium is 320 mg per day. One- sures each dropped about 9 percent in pull [the nutrients] out and take them half cup of cooked spinach or 1 ounce hypertensive individuals taking 500 as separate supplements, you get a of almonds has about 80 mg each. mg of vitamin C daily for one month. modest decrease in blood pressure,” If you don’t get at least 400 mg a day says Jane Higdon, Ph.D., a research Calcium: Observational and clini- in your diet, consider adding 250 to associate with the Linus Pauling Insti- cal studies suggest that calcium is 500 mg in supplement form. tute at Oregon State University and an integral part of a diet that lowers author of An Evidence-Based Approach blood pressure, according to the It takes high doses of to Vitamins and Minerals. “But when National Institutes of Health. The Omega 3s: you put them all together in the diet, recommended amount for adults these fatty acids—at least 3 grams you get a better one.” is 1,000 mg per day to age 50, and daily—to achieve a modest pressure- Of course, if your diet is deficient 1,200 mg a day after that. Food lowering effect. But more moderate for some reason, supplements pro- sources include all dairy products, intakes do promote heart health. The vide a useful backup. Here are the sardines, fortified juices, and dark American Heart Association advises top nutrients to consider. green leafy vegetables. eating a variety of fatty fish at least Good Medicine

twice a week, plus walnuts, flaxseed, ing blood pressure, but it’s too early and canola and soybean oils. Ask your to know if supplementing is effective, doctor before taking fish oil capsules, Higdon says. Standard dosage in clini- especially if you use blood thinners. cal trials ranges from 50 to 100 mg twice daily ingested with foods that Coenzyme Q10: A few small contain fat; consult your health-care studies have found benefits in lower- provider if you take blood thinners.

COPING WITH STRESS KEEPING CALM IS KEY to controlling hypertension. Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol increase blood pressure by narrowing the blood vessels and boosting your heart rate. Some people get a minor bump, others a big jump. Chronic stress can lead to blood pressure-related injuries of the arteries, heart, brain, and kidneys. And a study in the journal Hypertension found that anger and anxiety boosted the chances of developing high blood pressure. Relaxation techniques stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, says Carlos Santo, N.M.D. “This reduces blood pressure because it decreases platelet thickness, widens vessels, and slows heart rate.” Here are six promising methods.

1. Yoga 4. Biofeedback Practicing yoga asana (posture) and According to research published in pranayama (deep breathing) for eight Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, about weeks decreased stress, blood pressure, 50 percent of people with hypertension body mass index, and heart rate, concluded can reduce their blood pressure through a study in Holistic Nursing Practice. To de- biofeedback training. This technique stress, it’s important to be present in the teaches patients to control involuntary moment—to be aware of your breath physical responses based on feedback and stress levels, your thinking, and your from electrical sensors. For a directory of motion, says Lydia S. Segal, M.D., chief of practitioners, go to biofeedback.net. service for integrative medicine at Mid- Atlantic Kaiser Permanente Medical Group. 5. Pet Therapy A four-legged friend may help moderate 2. Qigong hypertension. A study in Psychosomatic It’s like tai chi without the set patterns. Medicine showed that dog and cat own- Qigong involves breathing into the ers had lower blood pressure than did abdomen, rather than more shallowly non-pet owners both at rest and during into the chest, and thus activating the two stressful events (doing math prob- parasympathetic nervous system lems and immersing a hand in ice water). response. “Even five minutes a day can have a profound calming and relaxing effect,” says Santo. 6. Meditation Positive results in reducing blood pressure have been achieved in clinical trials on 3. Ayurvedic Oils meditation, though the results are still Bhringaraj oil, applied to the scalp and being debated. Most research has utilized soles of the feet, is thought to relieve Transcendental Meditation, in which you stress. Another treatment, performed at sit with your eyes closed for 15 to 20 min- ayurvedic spas, is shirodhara, in which a utes twice a day, repeating a mantra pre- steady stream of warm oil is poured onto scribed by a trained teacher. Still, any form the forehead’s “third eye.”“It has a pro- of meditation, practiced regularly, will help found effect on the nervous system,” defuse stress. Temporary relief can also be says Ed Danaher, a practitioner with the found through massage, aromatherapy, Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M. hypnotherapy, and visualization.

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