HBP

[Guest guest]

Rusty,

My husband recently had a bout of high blood pressure, so I'll tell you what

we did-his blood pressure was 160/100 and now is 135/84. He started taking a

vitamin and mineral supplement with no iron. There have been links to

calcium and selenium deficiencies. Coenzyme Q10 to boost his immune system

and strength his heart-this supplement is well documented in Japan. Evening

primrose will lower blood pressure and provide essential fatty acids, which

has been linked to chronic ailments. Suma to boost immune system ad lower

blood pressure. Also he drinks a green drink in the morning with some liquid

garlic and organic beet juice powder. He also also eats 2-3 potassium rich

foods a day to drive down the sodium level in his body since they are

related-if the sodium level is high the potassium level is low.

I also make him a hearty vegetable soup with lots of barley. It took about a

week for his blood pressure to come down.

Here are some other things that might be helpful:

Apple pectin aids in reducing blood pressure.

 

Blueberries are considered number one in antioxidant action and high in

fiber. They also contain chemicals that keep a lid on blood pressure,

improve eyesight, combat bacteria, curb diarrhea, stifle bacteria and thin

the blood.

 

SALT SUBSTITUTES:

Combine equal parts of dried basil, oregano and dried ground lemon zest or

combine ground celery seed, ground cumin seed, dried sage and dried marjoram

in a salt shaker. A teaspoon or two of raw rice to keep the mixture from

caking.

 

Or fill a pepper mill with whole allspice, coriander seed, and white and

black peppercorns.

 

Here is a recipe you might want to try:

Shiitake mushrooms contain lentinan. Lentinan has been shown to reduce both

blood pressure and cholesterol, suggesting usefulness in preventing and

treating heart disease and stroke. In a half-dozen Japanese studies, daily

servings of 1/3 of an ounce of shiitakes reduced cholesterol an average of

7%. Every 1% reduction in cholesterol means a 2% reduction in heart attack

risk, so the mushroom cut heart attack risk 14%.

MUSHROOM AND HERB CONDIMENT:

In China dill leaf is considered warm, pungent and oppressive. They believe

it to have an effect of lowering blood pressure and expanding blood vessels.

This recipe is for a health cardiovascular system:

5 dried shiitake mushrooms

1/2 cup of water

Splash of Worcestershire sauce, or to taste

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. dillseed

1 tsp. minced fresh tarragon (1/2 tsp. dried)

 

Soak mushrooms in water until soft, about 20 minutes. Reserve soaking

liquid. Slice off and discard the stems, then slice mushrooms. In a small

saucepan, combine mushrooms, soaking liquid, worcestershire sauce, garlic,

mustard and dillseed. Bring to a boil and boil until liquid has been reduced

to about a tablespoon. Stir in tarragon.

 

Herbs that may be helpful for high blood pressure:

Use cayenne, chamomile, fennel, hawthorn berries, parsley, and rosemary,

tarragon, black pepper, dill, garlic, hawthorn berries, corn silk, oregano,

basil, suma and mustard.

Hops and valerian root are good for calming the nerves.

 

 

Herbs to be cautious of:

Large doses of angelica can affect blood pressure, heart action, and

respiration.

 

Barberry contains chemicals that may help reduce elevated blood pressure by

enlarging blood vessels, thus lending support to the herb's traditional

Russian use as a treatment for high blood pressure. In high doses, barberry

can cause nausea, vomiting, convulsions, hazardous drops in blood pressure,

and depression of the heart rate and breathing. Those with heart disease or

chronic respiratory problems should be careful not to take large doses and

should take this herb only with knowledge and approval of their physicians.

Barberry is a powerful herb and should be used cautiously. If it causes

dizziness or faintness, stop using it. Should not be used during pregnancy.

 

Bayberry changes the way the body uses sodium and potassium. Those who must

watch their sodium/potassium balance, such as people with kidney disease,

high blood pressure, or congestive heart failure, should consult their

physicians before using this herb.

 

A study published in Nature shows black cohosh reduces blood pressure by

opening the blood vessels in the limbs (peripheral vasodilation). The herb

may help manage high blood pressure. Lowers cholesterol, lowers high blood

pressure (equalizes circulation), helps cardiovascular and circulatory

disorders. A word of caution since this herb can depress the heart rate. It

is potentially hazardous.

 

Despite its traditional reputation as a treatment for high blood pressure,

studies show blue cohosh is more likely to cause this than treat it. The

inadvisability of using this herb stems from the fact that caulosaponin

contracts the blood vessels of the heart, which has a toxic effect on the

cardiac muscle. No one with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes,

glaucoma, or a history of stroke should use this herb. In studies with small

animals, it has caused intestinal spasms. When powdered, blue cohosh root

irritates mucous membranes. Handle with care. Take care not to inhale any or

introduce it into your eyes. Blue cohosh should be used only at term to

induce labor, and then only under medical supervision. Should be taken for

only 1 week at a time.

 

The flowering stem tops of butcher's broom, when collected before blooming,

contains sparteine, a volatile compound that causes diuretic, cathartic, and

in large doses, emetic (vomiting) reactions. Scientific research has

demonstrated that sparteine both slows down the heart and stimulates uterine

contractions. Because of this, it was used therapeutically to slow the pulse

in cardiac disturbances and to induce labor. Both uses have been

discontinued, however, because they were found to be unsafe. Should not be

used in cases of high blood pressure or pregnancy.

 

Dyers weed due to its vaso-constrictive activity.

 

Avoid the herb ephedra (ma huang) as it can elevate blood pressure.

 

Do not use Siberian ginseng if you have hypoglycemia, high blood pressure,

or a heart disorder. Ginseng should be used with discretion if suffering

from heart disease and high blood pressure. It should not be taken by those

with what Chinese medicine call a " yang constitution " . A person with a yang

constitution is usually large in stature, is aggressive and forceful and

often has a red complexion. Some People may find panax ginseng too

stimulating, especially if used before bedtime. Therefore, use it early in

the day. High doses may make you feel jittery. Do not exceed 5 to 10 grams a

day. In rare cases, some people may develop headaches or high blood pressure

from panax ginseng. Vitamin C can interfere with the absorption of ginseng,

so take Vitamin C supplement either 2 hour before or 2 hours after you take

ginseng. In rare cases, ginseng can cause vaginal bleeding in menopausal

women.

 

Horsetail can have drugs interacts with digitalis and its cardiac glycosides

may become more toxic due to the loss of potassium from its diuretic effect.

 

Avoid licorice if you have high blood pressure. Excessive amounts or daily

use for longer than 6 weeks can cause problems (headache, lethargy, sodium

and water retention, and loss of potassium and high blood pressure). These

side effects can be largely be eliminated by using a processed form of the

herb called deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL).

 

Lobelia is contraindicated with high blood pressure due to the x-adrenergic

hypertensive effects of lobeline. It is also not for people with an enlarged

heart or fatty heart, fluid around the heart, etc. due to the interference

of lobeline with the heart's neural conductivity.

 

Night-blooming cereus is not for high blood pressure or heart over-activity

due to cardiac-stimulating effect.

 

Because yohimbe is a short-term MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitor, it should

be used with caution if you have high blood pressure and not be taken with

any food or drink containing tyramines (cheese, chocolate, beer, aged meats,

nuts), and particularly not with the amino acids tyrosine or phenylalanine.

It may be dangerous if used with antidepressants, sedatives, antihistamines,

caffeine, or amphetamines. These side effects and cautions need to be given

careful attention by each individual, and some people perhaps clearly should

avoid using yohimbe products.

 

Things to avoid:

Follow a strict salt-free diet. This is essential for lowering blood

pressure. Lowering your salt intake is not enough; eliminate all salt from

your diet. Read labels carefully and avoid those food products that have

" salt, " " soda, " " sodium, " or the symbol " Na " on the label. Some foods and

food additives that should be avoided on this diet include monosodium

glutamate (Accent, MSG); baking soda; canned vegetables (unless marked

sodium- or salt-free); commercially prepared foods; toothpastes containing

saccharin or baking soda; over-the-counter medications that contain

ibuprofen (such as Advil or Nuprin); diet soft drinks; foods with mold

inhibitors, preservatives, and sugar substitutes; meat tenderizers; softened

water; and soy sauce.

 

Avoid all animal fats. Bacon, beef, bouillon, chicken liver, coined beet

dairy products, gravies, pork, sausage, and smoked or processed meats are

prohibited. The only acceptable animal foods are broiled white fish and

skinless turkey or chicken, and these should be consumed in moderation only.

Get protein from vegetable sources, grains, and legumes instead.

 

Avoid foods such as aged cheeses, aged meats, anchovies, avocados,

chocolate, fava beans, pickled herring, sour cream, sherry, wine, and

yogurt.

 

Avoid all alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco.

 

If you are taking an MAO inhibitor (one of a class of drugs prescribed to

counter depression, lower blood pressure, and treat infections and cancer),

avoid the chemical tyramine and its precursor, tyrosine. Combining MAO

inhibitors with tyramine causes the blood pressure to soar and could cause a

stroke. Tyramine-containing foods include almonds, avocados, bananas, beef

or chicken liver, beer, cheese (including cottage cheese), chocolate,

coffee, fava beans, herring, meat tenderizer, peanuts, pickles, pineapples,

pumpkin seeds, raisins, sausage, sesame seeds, sour cream, soy sauce, wine,

yeast extracts (including brewer's yeast), yogurt, and other foods. In

general, any high-protein food that has undergone aging, pickling,

fermentation, or similar processes should be avoided. Over-the-counter cold

and allergy remedies should also be avoided.

 

Do not take antihistamines .

 

Do not take supplements containing the amino acids phenylalanine or

tyrosine. Also avoid the artificial sweetener aspartame (Equal,

NutraSweet), which contains phenylalanine.

Dottie

 

Original Message-----

Bob and Rusty Taylor <brtaylor

herbal remedies <herbal remedies >

Saturday, February 06, 1999 5:03 PM

[herbal remedies] Re: HBP

 

 

>brtaylor (Bob and Rusty Taylor)

>

>>vols-fan (Educated Hillbilly)

>>

>>Anybody got a good formula for hypertension/high blood pressure?

>>

>>RJ

>

>

>For high blood pressure, I would start including alot of green salads

>containing lots of raw celery, garlic, onion, tomato, broccoli, carrots and

>spices like fennel. I would also want to take hawthorn berry syrup, and

>kudzu tea. All these things have properties that bring down blood pressure

>- according to Dr. James Duke.

>

>Rusty

>

>**********************************************************************

> Mrs. Rusty Taylor - Poulsbo, WA

> brtaylor (home)

> ICQ #15158154

> Quail Haven Herbs - Taylor Website:

> http://pacific.telebyte.com/~brtaylor/

>**********************************************************************

>

>

>

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