I’m being bombarded on an almost daily basis by emails advertising a product claiming to “Normalize High Blood Pressure Without Drugs or Side Effects.” And I have to tell you, they’re playing with fire.
I’ve spent a lifetime studying blood pressure. I even received an American Heart Association research prize for some of the work I published on the topic when I was still a medical student (you can read more about that in my Insiders’ Library of Confidential Cures). And I’ve spent 30 years looking for natural alternatives to every common chronic medical condition.
So as much as I wish there were a “natural solution” to blood pressure, I just don’t see one. The right science isn’t there.
That’s not to say nothing can be done to help (keep reading). Just don’t count on supplements to do it for you. And definitely don’t hedge your bets on salt restriction. That’s yet another scam that has misdirected millions of dollars and years away from the true causes and solutions. I’ll tell you more about the salt scam tomorrow. First, I have to set a few other things straight, like…
Make sure you even have high blood pressure!
The American Heart Association recommends taking two measurements while standing, two while sitting, and then taking the averages.
Has any doctor or nurse ever done this with you?
Not likely. But don’t be afraid to ask. This is your health at stake. And you’re entitled to a few extra minutes of time to get it right.
And even then…many people suffer from “white coat syndrome.” They get all stressed out just from being in the doctor’s office and getting tested. This can result in consistently high—but consistently wrong—measurements.
So let me tell you how to get it right…
First, you should take a few blood pressure readings at home or away from the doctor’s office for comparison.
Also, keep in mind that blood pressure varies over the course of the day and night (something called “diurnal variations”). Try taking measurements at different times of day to find out when your own blood pressure tends to be highest and lowest.
And avoid stimulants (caffeine, tobacco, exercise, and stress) before taking your blood pressure. A fever or sudden changes in body temperature can also affect your blood pressure, so avoid taking your readings while sick, after strenuous activity, or after being in the heat or cold.
And after all of that…if it turns out you DO have high blood pressure…don’t hesitate to get it under control immediately.
High blood pressure is one of the most deadly risk factors for heart attack or stroke. One that should not be dangerously overshadowed by the NIH, FDA, and Big Pharma’s current obsession with cholesterol. While lowering cholesterol has NOT been proven to lower risk of death…lowering blood pressure will have a HUGE impact on your risk of a cardiac event.
The problem is, the world we live in today is overloaded with unnatural sources of stress. Stress that our bodies are not designed to handle. And there’s no question in my mind that chronic stress is a cause of high blood pressure in at least 90% of sufferers.
So here’s the good news…there ARE effective “mind-body” therapies to help manage that stress. But only AFTER you get your blood pressure under control. And unfortunately, there’s just no “natural” cure for doing that.
The very best thing you can do to reign in your blood pressure is to go ahead and take a drug. This is an instance where the benefits of pharmaceuticals outweigh the risks. High blood pressure is a swift and silent killer. And you can’t afford to fool around with it.
Of course there ARE side effects associated with blood pressure drugs. But you do have options. And there are things you can do to minimize those risks. Check out my website for a “Survival guide to blood pressure medications” that outlines what side effects to look out for—and how to manage them.
And for more details on which medications are best and natural solutions to managing that stress, see my report on high blood pressure in your Insiders’ Library of Confidential Cures (free to all subscribers to my monthly Insiders’ Cures newsletter). If you’re not yet a subscriber, you can learn more.
And in the meantime, I’ll pull back the curtain on the truth about salt tomorrow…yet another shameful example of politicized public policy from the “science bureaucrats.” You won’t believe how sordid the story will get…