February is Heart Health month – no wonder Valentine’s Day falls in this month! To keep your heart healthy and strong, consider preventative strategies to lower your blood pressure, strokes and atherosclerotic plaque build-up. Studies show that heart disease remains the number one cause of death in North America. Poor nutritional and lifestyle habits as well as chronic stress contribute greatly to heart disease. In fact, a 2003 study published in the Journal of American Medical Association showed that although drugs can be effective in some individuals for hypertension, only 34% of those on hypertensive drugs have controlled blood pressure; as such, diet and lifestyle modifications as well as some natural alternatives prove to be much more effective in lowering blood pressure overall.
Naturopathic Options
You can lower your blood pressure by minimizing your intake of salt to no more than 2.5g (2500mg) per day. Remember that salt is added to processed foods in the form of preservatives and additives, and sauces. Intake of magnesium rich foods like soy, buckwheat, rye, and figs contain about 100-300mg of soy per cup. Magnesium supplementation in the form of tablets may also appropriate to help lower your blood pressure by dilating your vessels. Daily intake of fish oils is essential, not only to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, but also to reduce inflammation that can further damage the lining of your blood vessels and thereby contribute to atherosclerosis.
Advice from Dr. Aaron Hoo
If you or someone you know has high blood pressure or other forms of heart disease, I encourage you to discuss it with your healthcare provider in order to treat and manage the underlying causes. While it is essential that modifying lifestyle and dietary factors to reduce heart disease risks, studies have also shown that certain peptides (proteins) from bonito fish (same family as tuna), the very same flakes drizzled over some sushi rolls, have excellent blood pressure lowering capacity by affecting enzymes in the kidneys which regulate blood volume. Clinical trials with bonito fish peptides suggest a 64% efficacy rate in lowering blood pressure in mild and moderate high blood pressure.
Additional lifestyle considerations include: weight reduction for those who are overweight or obese, increase in physical activity, moderation of alcohol intake, and adopting the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet which is rich in potassium and calcium.
Like this article? Be the first to leave a comment below..
Recent Comments