Dear Health Conscious Reader,
Most of the heart patients I see for the first time already know high blood pressure can mean disaster for their heart health.
But here’s what they don’t know.
Having high blood pressure can also wreak havoc on your brain, kidneys, and eyes.
Here’s the scary part…
High blood pressure can quietly damage these vital organs for years before you see any symptoms. If left unchecked, this silent killer can leave you with a disability. Or worse, it can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
That’s because your heart, brain, eyes, and kidneys all depend on blood flow. It supplies them with life-giving nutrients and oxygen.
Healthy arteries are strong and flexible. They’re smooth on the inside. This lets blood flow freely. With high blood pressure, however, it’s a different story.
The increased pressure can damage the lining of your arteries’ walls. This can lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), heart disease, and stroke. The constant pressure can also cause a section of the arterial wall to enlarge, causing an aneurysm in the aorta or brain.
It’s the same story with the kidneys and eyes.
High blood pressure is the most common cause of kidney failure. And in the eyes, this arterial damage can cause serious vision problems due to fluid buildup or nerve damage.
Unfortunately, mainstream medicine’s solution to this is side-effect laden drugs like beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium-channel blockers, and diuretics.
Some of the unpleasant effects of taking these medications include:
- Constant fatigue
- Weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Depression
- Impotence
- Chronic dry, hacking cough
- Swollen ankles
- Kidney damage
One of my patients, R.G., put it this way: “If this is what it feels like to survive a heart attack, I’d rather be dead!” His previous doctor had him on a laundry list of drugs, including blood pressure drugs, to “protect” his heart. The side effects were crippling him.
Fortunately, you don’t need medications to protect your heart or even reduce your blood pressure.
You can do it naturally, with inexpensive foods and supplements.
For starters, you should get your blood pressure measured.
Most grocery stores and pharmacies have a station where you can get it checked for free. Otherwise see your doctor.
Once you know your scores, take a look at the chart below and see where you fall between the normal and high blood pressure (hypertension) range:
| Blood Pressure Stage |
Systolic (Top Number) |
Diastolic (Bottom Number) |
|
Normal |
<120 |
<80 |
|
Pre-Hypertension |
120-139 |
80-99 |
|
Stage One Hypertension |
140-159 |
90-99 |
|
Stage Two Hypertension |
160+ |
100+ |
Next, you can use any one of these four natural alternatives to reduce or even prevent high blood pressure:
Garlic – This tasty herb contains sulfides that help relax your arteries. This lets blood flow more freely. In fact, a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that garlic can relax blood vessel tension by an amazing 72 percent.1 For maximum benefit, eat one to two cloves of fresh garlic per day. If you’d rather use a supplement, choose one that gives you at least 3,600 mcg of allicin – garlic’s active compound.
Hawthorn – This herb has been used for centuries as a heart tonic. Just like garlic, it works to relax the blood vessels. It does this by inhibiting enzymes called angiotensin-converting enzymes. (They are what cause your blood vessels to constrict.) Prescription drugs like ACE inhibitors work the same way – with far more dangerous side effects. In one clinical trial, hawthorn effectively reduced diastolic blood pressure.2 I recommend you take 1,000 mg of hawthorn extract daily.
CoQ10 – About 50 percent of patients that come to me on high blood pressure meds have stopped taking them just by supplementing with CoQ10. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirms what I’ve seen in my own practice. Researchers gave CoQ10 to diabetic patients. Not only did their blood sugar improve, so did their blood pressure.3 This powerful and amazing antioxidant works by supplying your heart with the critical energy it needs to pump blood throughout your body. Without CoQ10, your heart would literally stop beating. I suggest you take 50 to 100 mg of the potent form of CoQ10 known as ubiquinol.
Quercetin – This powerful antioxidant is off most doctors’ radar screens. It’s a “bioflavanoid” that’s found in foods like apples, onions, red grapes, and leafy greens. In one study, researchers gave 22 people with high blood pressure quercetin for four weeks. At the end of the study, they showed significant improvement.4 The easiest way to get more quercetin is to eat more fruits and leafy green veggies. Otherwise, you can get a supplement at your local health-food store. I recommend 300 to 750 mg per day.
My friends at Barton Publishing have put together a special report that covers these and many other natural high blood pressure remedies most people – even most doctors – have never even heard of.
It’s called “The High Blood Pressure Remedy Report: How to Cure Your High Blood Pressure Naturally Without Drugs.”
I’ve never seen a more comprehensive report on how to naturally:
- Prevent and reduce high blood pressure
- Protect your heart, kidneys, eyes, and brain
- Wean yourself off costly and harmful drugs like beta blockers
- Reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke
If you’re at all concerned about your heart health and overall health, I highly recommend you check it out.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
- Benavides G, et al. “ the Cover: Hydrogen sulfide mediates the vasoactivity of garlic,“ PNAS 2007 104: 17977-17982.
- Walker A., et al., Promising hypotensive effect of hawthorn extract: a randomized double-blind pilot study of mild, essential hypertension. Phytother Res 2002 Feb; 16(1): 48-54.
- Hodgson et al, “Coenzyme Q10 improves blood pressure and glycaemic control in a controlled trial in subjects with type 2 diabetes,” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2002, 56(11):1137-42.
- Edwards et al, “Quercetin reduces blood pressure in hypertensive subjects,” Journal of Nutrition, 2007, 137(11):2405-11.