Dear Reader,
Unfortunately the drug companies don’t tell you this… but you should know that common pain pills can give you high blood pressure.
Trying to find reliable pain relief is a common problem for my patients. Like many folks, they turn to the common drugs: Aspirin (Tylenol) and other readily available “analgesics,” like ibuprofen (Advil).
This is an understandable choice – but you need to at least be informed. Today, you’ll see the risks and you’ll get some simple alternatives. By the time you read to the end of this letter, you’ll know a better way to calm the underlying cause of joint pain. And if you have to take a pain pill you can add a nutrient to help control your blood pressure while you’re on the drug.
A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that those who take painkillers most days of the week were about 33% more likely to develop high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease. Not an appealing trade-off.1
Truth is, there are a number of ways to reduce joint pain and muscle aches without resorting to drugs. The first is dietary. Most Americans unknowingly eat foods that contribute to the problem of swollen, painful joints.
Specifically, their diet contains too much omega-6 fatty acids. This substance is a necessary nutrient, but too much of it leads to inflammation. Inflammation is the root cause of many kinds of pain, from arthritis to muscle aches.
The answer is to consume less omega-6 and more omega-3 fatty acids. In this country, the average dietary ratio between the two is about 20:1. You want to bring that down to about 2:1.
It’s not as hard as it sounds. You can boost omega-3 levels by eating more grass fed lean meat, fish, eggs, and poultry (organic or wild-caught). Nuts are also great sources of omega-3.
Finally, you can take cod liver oil supplements. For many of my patients one tablespoon a day – taken regularly – relieves aches and pains.
Another option is to offset the hypertension caused by these drugs through natural supplements. The most effective is a nutrient called CoQ10. You’ll probably never hear it mentioned by the medical establishment, but it’s highly effective at reducing blood pressure without any dangerous side effects.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension followed two groups of people with high blood pressure. One group took CoQ10 for eight weeks while the other took placebo. The CoQ10 group showed a significant reduction in blood pressure.2
CoQ10 provides energy for your heart and other major organs. I’ve had great success treating high blood pressure with CoQ10. What’s more, it’s affordable and readily available at most health food stores (or on line). Just make sure to avoid the powder form – it’s not easily absorbed. Look for the “gel caps.”
All this is not to say that taking conventional painkillers once in a while is harmful to your health. But if you’re taking them on a regular basis, start looking for an effective alternative now. Try and follow Nature’s path to pain relief. In the end, your heart will thank you for it.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
1 Forman, et al. Analgesic Use and Risk of Hypertension Among Men. Archives of Internal Medicine 167(2007):394-399.
2 Singh, et al. Coenzyme Q10 on blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Journal of Human Hypertension, 13(1999):203-208.