High Blood Pressure
“A rising tide” is how researchers described the sharp increase in U.S. cases of high blood pressure (hypertension) in a report from the Department of Health and Human Services last month. The report didn’t speculate on the cause of the increase or how to go about reversing it with treatment.
But treating hypertension is not the same as treating a disease; high blood pressure is a symptom that indicates the presence of a larger health problem. This is why the primary steps to address hypertension also provide sound advice for maintaining general good health: stop smoking, exercise, maintain a proper body weight, don’t drink too much alcohol, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (choosing whole foods
over processed), and don’t eat junk food. You can’t go wrong following those guidelines.
Now a new study shows that there may be another item to add to that list.
A little goes a long way
In a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers in Taiwan reported on the long-term effects of tea consumption on hypertension.
The Taiwan team recruited a group of about 1,500 subjects, aged 20 years or older, who had no history of hypertension. For one year, researchers used dietary questionnaires and medical exams to gather data. After adjusting for variables such as age, gender and family history of hypertension, and lifestyle factors such as smoking and physical activity, the researchers produced these results:
* About 600 subjects consumed at least half a cup of either black or green tea each day for one year or more
* Among those who drank between half a cup to two cups of tea daily, the risk of developing hypertension decreased by more than 45 percent
* Among those who drank more than two cups of tea each day, the risk
of developing hypertension was reduced by 65 percent
* Tea consumption of any amount for more than one year was not associated with any additional reduction of hypertension risk
Some previous studies have concluded that hypertension is not affected by tea drinking over short periods. So further studies will be needed to confirm the possibility that daily tea drinking over a year or more may provide protective benefits.
Our Italian restaurant
Unfortunately, anyone with dangerously high blood pressure will probably need to resort to drugs (such as ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers) to achieve quick results in lowering blood pressure and lowering the risk of stroke. But if your blood pressure is only
moderately high, there are a number of simple dietary changes (beyond
drinking a daily cup of tea) that may help bring hypertension under
control.
In the e-Alert “Lower Your Blood Pressure Without Side Effects” (8/23/01), I told you about studies that have shown that fresh garlic can lower blood pressure (as well as improve your heart health in a number of other ways). And fresh onions are also reputed to help thin blood and lower blood pressure. In one widely reported study from Germany, researchers demonstrated that a combination of chopped onions and olive oil led to a significant decrease in blood pressure within just a few days.
Salty dog
And then there’s the salt question.
Virtually everyone – from grocery clerks to the Surgeon General – will tell you that you must cut back on salt to lower high blood pressure. But in recent years this idea has been reexamined and questioned.
According to the late Robert C. Atkins, M.D., the problem for those with high blood pressure isn’t sodium, it’s a lack of balance between sodium and potassium levels. More than 25 separate studies show how increasing potassium intake (without decreasing the sodium) is an effective way to lower blood pressure. One of those studies demonstrated that with just one daily serving of a potassium-rich food the risk of death by stroke may be cut by as much as half.
Fortunately, it’s easy to increase the potassium in your diet. High potassium fruits include apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and citrus fruits. Vegetables with good amounts of potassium are asparagus, potatoes, green beans, avocados, lima beans, winter squash, and cauliflower. Other foods high in potassium: grain products, red meat, poultry, seafood and dry beans, such as peas and lentils. It would be difficult to get too much potassium from dietary sources alone. But if you’re already getting plenty of potassium in your diet, a potassium supplement would be unnecessary for most people, and in some extreme cases could lead to kidney damage and other complications. Obviously, balance is called for. And – as always – talk to your doctor, dietician or health care practitioner before using supplements to help manage high blood pressure.
And one more salt note: If you do find that decreased sodium intake makes a difference in your blood pressure, you might consider switching to sea salt. Used in moderation, Celtic Sea Salt has been shown to have no negative effects on blood pressure and actually provides the body with a number of helpful minerals, including magnesium.
“The Protective Effect of Habitual Tea Consumption on Hypertension”
Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 164, No. 14, 7/26/04,
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
“Tea Drinking Associated with Reduced Hypertension Risk” Life
Extension Foundation, 8/4/04, lef.org
“Potassium and Salt” Alternative Medicine Angel, altmedangel.com
