natural cures for hypertension

Hypertension is also called high blood pressure. This topic on high blood pressure has been of a particular interest to me lately and I began to take notice from the Sunday Star papers that there are actually lots of regular articles on high blood pressure. I guess there must be lots of sufferers of hypertension out there. Many of the writings are written from the medical profession and authored by doctors or specialists who gave great advice to interested readers. I believe they actually write from their own observation and also their study from their college education.

However, I thought there is something lacking in their articles and that is how to bring a natural remedy to hypertension patients. I believe that there are many alternative medicine that can be found in the natural habitat around us without resorting to a Western medicinal approach. I am also not advocating those propagated by multi-level marketing companies that sell via hype or testimonies alone. I am looking towards the richness and abundance of the by-products of nature that is provided by the Great Provider for this earth - hoping to search for a total natural remedy, as it were.

So an internet search began and I found the following:

1. Garlic is actually a good cure for hypertension. Garlic can thin the blood (reduce the ability of blood to clot) quite similar to aspirin.Caution: Garlic may interact with other drugs and supplements such as the prescription "blood-thinners" drugs. It is usually recommended that people taking garlic stop in the weeks before and after any type of surgery.

2. Fish oil is another great alternative. Studies suggest that fish oil may have a modest effect on high blood pressure. Although fish oil supplements often contain both DHA (docohexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), there is some evidence that DHA is the ingredient that lowers high blood pressure.

3. Surprise - your diet can cure hypertension. Changing your diet is an important part of lowering high blood pressure. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Insitutes of Health (NIH).

The DASH diet includes fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, beans and nuts. Sodium is limited to 2,400 mg per day.

Studies have found that the DASH diet can reduce high blood pressure within two weeks. These are the daily guidelines of the DASH diet:

* 7 to 8 servings of grains
* 4 to 5 servings of vegetables
* 4 to 5 servings of fruit
* 2 to 3 servings of low-fat or non-fat dairy
* 2 or less servings of meat, fish, or poultry
* 2 to 3 servings of fats and oils
* 4 to 5 servings per week of nuts, seeds, and dry beans
* Less than 5 servings a week of sweets


4. Exercising particularly - Aerobic Exercise. Aerobic exercise is an important part of the natural approach to lower high blood pressure. A meta-analysis of 105 trials involving a total of 6805 participants found that aerobic exercise was associated with a mean reduction in systolic blood pressure of 4.6 mm Hg, with corresponding reductions in diastolic blood pressure.