Lowering Blood Pressure Naturally

I am often asked what the best exercise is. I answer that the best exercise is the one you will do.

There’s no point recommending an exercise if the person you’re recommending it to won’t do it. I also tell people to think of it as “movement” rather than “exercise.” That doesn’t sound like so much work, and, after all, the whole goal of exercise is to get out and get moving.

You can’t be truly healthy without exercise, and it is great for people who are dealing with circulatory problems, need help reducing cholesterol levels, or are trying to maintain healthy triglycerides.

Exercise also is just what this doctor orders when it comes to lowering blood pressure naturally. As you know, maintaining healthy blood pressure levels is one of the smartest things you can do to reduce your risk of risk for heart attack and stroke.

Two of the best forms of movement are also the most pleasant—walking and dancing. Research, including some of my own, has continued to reinforce this view.

Studies have shown that exercise reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease, diabetes, depression, and osteoporosis. Now we can add stroke to the list. In a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 4,065 nurses ages 40 to 65, without cardiovascular disease or cancer, completed detailed physical activity questionnaires. The surveys revealed that walking was associated with reduced risk of stroke.

As a cardiologist and a holistic health practitioner, I take blood pressure levels of every patient who comes into my office. And sadly enough, oftentimes, I find that that their blood pressure levels are too high. As you probably know, high blood pressure levels are often a precursor to serious cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and stroke, so this is a situation that I take very seriously.

Some of these patients, however, tell me that they are doing all they can to control high blood pressure and that when they go home and measure it themselves, their blood pressure levels are normal. Occasionally they’ll ask if the instruments in my office are off, or if my staff misread the result.

The actual problem, however, is a common condition called white-coat hypertension (WCH). It’s used to describe people who become anxious over a visit to a physician, dentist, or medical facility. The visit evokes a fight-or-flight response, and their blood pressure levels go up.

Research has shown that abnormally high blood pressure readings in a medical setting could be more than just a benign byproduct of anxiety.  Although the condition is poorly understood, WCH could be a precursor to high blood pressure levels, poor blood circulation, and other cardiovascular problems.

A Danish study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension found a heightened cardiovascular event risk for patients with WCH over a 10-year period. A Japanese study reported in the journal Hypertension Research suggests that WCH contributes to carotid arteriosclerosis. And in another Japanese medical report, based on eight years of observation, researchers suggest that WCH is a “transitional condition to hypertension” and may carry a “poor cardiovascular prognosis.”

If you experience WCH, I suggest you take the following high blood pressure remedies to get it under control and avoid potential cardiovascular problems:

• Introduce a regular stress-reduction program into your life. That could include activities such as exercise, tai-chi, meditation, or yoga. This is a wonderful way of lowering blood pressure naturally.
• Watch the salt (again). This cardiovascular nutrition tip can’t be stressed enough.
• Start taking blood pressure-friendly supplements on a daily basis—such as fish oil (2,000-3,000 mg), magnesium (400-800 mg), hydrosoluble CoQ10 (50-150 mg), and a garlic supplement high in allicin (500-1,000 mg). You can find these supplements in most health food stores.

Asparagus is another favorite farmstand “veg-on-the-grill” my family goes crazy for when we gather for barbecues. Not only does it work on lowering blood pressure naturally (more in a minute)—it’s easy to cook.

Dr. Sinatra cooks fresh, washed asparagus spears at about 400 degrees for 2-5 minutes, then seasons it on the plate before serving with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped garlic or garlic salt, and a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice. You can even travel with the ingredients on ice in your cooler, and make this side dish fresh on the spot at someone else’s backyard.

What’s nice is this dish is packed with two foods that help with lowering blood pressure naturally: olive oil and asparagus. Recent studies have shown that olive oil can make a difference in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure—which are both important for lowering blood pressure naturally. Plus, asparagus can help with lowering blood pressure naturally—and it’s good for your cholesterol.

But the health benefits of this dish don’t end there. Olive oil is rich in squalene, which supports your immune system. Plus, it contains other antioxidants that help support cholesterol metabolism: And because you’re eating mostly monounsaturated fat with olive oil, you won’t get the blood sugar spikes that cause insulin surges. Just know that if you have pancreatic insufficiency, you should limit or avoid olive oil.

Asparagus also does more than help with lowering blood pressure naturally. It contains glutathione and other sulfur derivatives that support antioxidant and immunological defense systems. It’s also rich in both vitamin K and folate. Plus, it bolsters antioxidant levels and helps to intercept depression, which is a newer risk factor for heart disease.

For more fun facts about the healing power of foods, and recipes, watch for The Healing Kitchen—Dr. Sinatra’s next book—which is due out later this year. Not only will it help with lowering blood pressure naturally…it will help your entire cardiovascular system stay in tip top shape.

If you’re struggling to control high blood pressure, you might want to consider making an appointment with a chiropractor.

According to a study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension, unresolved high blood pressure may be related to a misalignment in the atlas (C-1) vertebra, which sits at the top of your spinal column. (It’s said to have been named after Atlas in Greek mythology, who was sentenced to hold the heavens on his shoulders.)

To test their idea, researchers divided 50 patients with chronic hypertension into two groups. One group received a single chiropractic manipulation of the atlas vertebra, and the other group received a non-significant adjustment.

After eight weeks, the patients who received the atlas manipulation showed a significant improvement in blood pressure levels. Their systolic readings dropped by an average of 14 points and their diastolic readings dropped by an average of 8 points—an improvement similar to that which can be achieved by taking medication.

The reason for the improvement is related to the atlas vertebra’s unique shape. Unlike other spinal vertebrae, the atlas is relatively flat and depends solely on muscles and ligaments to remain properly aligned. This difference allows the skull to rotate freely but makes the atlas particularly vulnerable to displacement. Misalignment can potentially interfere with nervous tissue pathways in the brain stem and lead to high blood pressure.

Because C-1 misalignment does not typically result in pain, it usually remains undiagnosed and untreated. That’s why I recommend giving this approach a try if your other efforts at lowering blood pressure naturally haven’t had the results you were hoping for. You may simply have a problem that you don’t know about. Once corrected, you’ll be on your way to healthy blood pressure and a healthy heart!