Subscribe to
Posts
Comments

Cocoa Can Lower Blood Pressure

Cocoa contains flavanoids, an active ingredient in chocolate that has been shown to lower blood pressure. It's not the typical milk chocolate you find in candy bars, but the dark chocolate and raw cocoa. Experts say that the average person should consume 6.7 grams of chocolate in their diet every day. That amount is about the size of a smaller fun-size candy bar. You can also find cocoa nibs which are ground up cocoa beans that are unprocessed and can be used on cereal or ice cream. You want to get the cocoa in it's most natural form in order to the most effective.

More about: Cocoa Can Lower Blood Pressure
Hypertension doesn't have to be treated with medications, natural treatments can be just as effective. Hibiscus if taken daily has been shown to reduce blood pressure by 12% in four weeks according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Stevia is not only a natural sweetener but 1500mg of it a day can lower your blood pressure. Garlic has multiple health qualities and aids in the reduction of high blood pressure and is great for cooking! Olive leaf is good for treating mild hypertension. For more information about using natural techniques consult a naturopathic physician.

More about: Four Herbs to Reduce High Blood Pressure

Understanding Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the amount force of the blood against the walls of the arteries. When you get your blood pressure taken there are two numbers, a top and a bottom number. The top number is the systolic pressure, the force of blood in the arteries when the heart beats. The bottom number diastolic is the pressure of the blood when the heart relaxes between beats. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 and over less than 80. Higher than this you could be at a risk for heart disease and strokes. As you age arteries grow harder and your heart has to work harder. If you think you may be at risk talk to your doctor about possible solutions.

More about: Understanding Blood Pressure
There is a protein that is found in the goby fish that has remained almost totally unaltered. Researchers believe that this protein could be the key to uncovering the genetic causes of high blood pressure and may may help with early predictions and prevention. They also believe they can create medication from this protein that will be able to lower blood pressure. What is interesting to note is that the same genetic variant responsible for raising blood pressure can also cause chronic kidney disease.

More about: The Goby Fish May Help With High Blood Pressure
Dr Luciano Bernardi and colleagues, from Italy's Pavia University, conducted a study on 24 healthy people asking them to listen to five random songs of classical music. They monitored how their bodies responded. Some tracks included Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, an aria from Puccini's Turandot, and Bach's cantata No 169. The researchers found that the songs that were rich in emphasis and that alternated between fast and slow seemed to be best for the circulation and the heart. Opera has this musical dynamic and is being used as rehabilitative medicine.

More about: Can Listening to Opera Lower Blood Pressure?
It's not a secret that a healthy diet can aid in reducing high blood pressure. You may not know that common foods like eggs, grapes and hibiscus can help with that. Hibiscus contains anthocyanins a chemical that can improve the function of blood vessels. Grapes decrease inflammation and increase heart function and they also contain flavonoids, which acts as an antioxidant. When eating eggs enzymes in the stomach and the small intestines produce peptides to digest which stimulate the release of blood pressure lowering substances. SO add these healthy foods into your diet to keep your blood pressure in check.

More about: Common Foods Help Lower Blood Pressure
I recently read an article about a study done on mice that showed the herpes virus as a contributing factor to high blood pressure. This virus affects about 60-90% of adults worldwide and appears to increase the inflammation in blood vessels which causes high blood pressure. In conjunction with a fatty diet the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease rises. There is no cure for the virus but those that suffer from it are advised to do as much as they can to decrease their risk of high blood pressure.

More about: A Common Virus May Cause High Blood Pressure
According to two studies that were published in the British Journal Nature Genetics, eight genes were found to be related to systolic and diastolic blood pressure and hypertension. Some genes show to affect the transport of calcium in the body and other were shown to influence the relaxing of blood vessels. This new information may help with treatment to prevent hypertension and help to understand how to regulate blood pressure.

More about: High Blood Pressure Genes Found
It is estimated that 1 of 3 American adults has hypertension or high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases chances of heart disease, stroke and other serious health conditions. It's important to talk to your doctor about what you can do to keep your blood pressure down. On your own maintaining a healthy weight, being active, drinking alcohol in moderation and avoiding tobacco are some ways to manage your blood pressure.

More about: May is High Blood Pressure Education Month
Researchers have found a link between psoriasis and high blood pressure in women because of the inflammation that causes the skin condition. It also showed a link to diabetes. Those that had psoriasis were 63% more likely to develop diabetes and 17% more likely to develop hypertension that those who do not have the skin disease. Currently the only real therapy for psoriasis is steroids which can foster diabetes and high blood pressure, but researchers say most patients stop using the creams after a short time of use.

More about: Psoriasis Linked to High Blood Pressure

« Prev - Next »