How To Lower High Blood Pressure With Nutrition
About half of those with essential hypertension are resistant to insulin. For such people a blood sugar lowering diet would be very helpful.
The late doctor Robert Atkins treated hypertension very successfully on a low carbohydrate diet with the addition of nutritional supplements.
Most people are not drinking enough water and taking in too much salt. Increasing the water intake and reducing salt will often work very well. Six out of ten people with high blood pressure will respond to this.
Fatty Acids
Several studies have shown that large doses of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the form of fish oils are able to lower blood pressure in humans. They have an anti-inflammatory effect, maintain the flexibility of cells, make vessels more pliable, improve endothelial function, have favourable effects on blood cholesterol levels and enhance the production of nitric oxide to improve blood vessel relaxation.
Garlic
Consuming garlic on a reguar basis lowers the risk of heart disease. A number of studies show that it can lower blood pressure.
Coenzyme Q10
This nutrient is very beneficial to the cardiovascular system. A number of studies show that it can lower high blood pressure. In one of these 26 patients saw their systolic readings fall on average by 18 points and their diastolic readings by 12 points.
Vitamin C
High blood pressure is linked to abnormal antioxidant status and reduced levels of nitric oxide. Vitamin C has important roles on both of these therefore one would expect it to have a positive influence on blood pressure, and it does.
In one study taking 500mg a day caused a significant drop in elevated blood pressure for both men and women.
Other Valuable Nutrients
The non essential amino acid l-arginine relaxes the blood vessels once it is converted to nitric oxide. Its blood pressure lowering effect is seen taking between two and nine grams per day.
Magnesium, calcium and potassium are important minerals for the cardiovascular system and the amino acid taurine acts as a diuretic and can relax blood vessels.