May 4, 2023 general

May is Blood Pressure Awareness Month. You may not know if yours is in a safe range or not, but if you are reading this, you do have some.

There is a common term “what goes up must come down”. That applies to things affected by gravity but not necessarily to blood pressure. Blood pressure can go higher than normal and increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidneys and damage to the brain. It will likely stay high if nothing is done to bring it down. Most often, that “something” is medication…sometimes more than one and they can save the day. However, remember that pharmaceuticals are omnidirectional. That means they force a process one direction, e.g. blood pressure only down and if overdone, could send it to zero! Obviously, having NO blood pressure would be more than inconvenient because of the death problem.  Even lowering the blood pressure of seniors to the alleged ideal (120 / 80 which is appropriate for a 40-year-old) can cause brain problems. (Read more.) Natural approaches have a much greater chance of encouraging blood pressure into the normal range. The Mayo Clinic offers these 10 ways to control blood pressure without drugs. Our fine sponsor Kyolic has an excellent article on natural approaches to blood pressure management. The wonderful thing is that these steps can help prevent other diseases and make you feel better in the process.

The following was taken from the HBN Library article on cardiovascular health.  “By using diet and lifestyle adjustments instead [of medication], folks would be spared not only the known side effects of the drugs, but also surprise problems from interactions with their other medications. LINK. Natural remedies for high blood pressure such as fish oil and magnesium offer added protection for many other health issues. Celery Seed Extract is another good choice. LINK.“

I wrote specifically about blood pressure in this post.  One of the first supplements I think to recommend is Kyolic Formula #109 and their website explains why:

“Supplements. If you’re looking for additional support, reinforcing your BP health with a few targeted supplements can be a smart move. One supplement in particular, Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract (AGE), has been scientifically shown to lower blood pressure while improving arterial stiffness, inflammation, and gut microbial composition. In a 2018 study, participants with uncontrolled hypertension who were given a daily AGE supplement for 12 weeks saw a significant drop in both systolic and diastolic pressure compared to those who got the placebo.¹¹ Better still, a 2021 clinical trial that paired AGE supplementation with regular exercise enhanced the supplement’s blood pressure-lowering effects even further.¹²

But AGE isn’t the only supplement that can lower pressure. Research suggest that two additional nutrients, nattokinase and l-theanine, may also have a positive effect on preventing and treating hypertension. Fortunately, you can get all three in one convenient supplement with Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract Formula 109.”