Other familiar names are high blood pressure and the silent killer.
While it may be easy to comprehend the term "high blood pressure" but why "silent killer"? Well, because there are particularly no warning symptoms before hypertension strikes a person (as if suddenly) in the form of a stroke, heart attack, heart failure, eye hemorrhage (damage of the retina) and kidney disease (kidneys do play a part in controlling blood pressure).
There are two types of hypertension : primary and secondary hypertension. Primary hypertension is not caused by a specific health condition but there are risk factors associated with it, such as obesity, smoking, stress and high sodium intake. Secondary hypertension is caused by an underlying health problem, most commonly from arteriosclerosis (the accumulation of fatty plaque along the walls of blood vessels that obstructs blood circulation).
The heart is a fist-sized hollow muscular organ and functions automatically on it's own without the brain's instruction. It collects oxygen-depleted blood from the body before pumping it to the lungs and then supplying oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to all parts of the body. Blood pressure is the force blood exerts on the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps it through the arteries. An increase in the blood volume pumped from the heart would increase blood pressure and cause blood vessels to dilate.
Blood pressure is measured as the systole and diastole pressures. Systole blood pressure (SBP) accounts for the pressure when the heart contracts (resulting in a heart beat), pumps blood into the aorta (the body's main artery) which branches off to other smaller arteries. Diastole blood pressure (DBP) accounts for the pressure when the heart relaxes, the valves open allowing blood to cruise into the ventricles. Represented as 130/80mm Hg where the SBP is 130 mm Hg and 80 mm Hg is the DBP.
The body's blood pressure rises and falls naturally throughout the day. Stressful situations or moments of excitment make the heart beat faster so as to keep up with the increased demand for more blood and oxygen. Thus blood pressure would go up. When the body is at rest, especially during sleeptime, blood pressure lowers down. The health danger alert sounds when the blood pressure persists at very high levels for long periods of time.
A normal reading should be 120/80mm Hg or below. When blood pressure is up, the reading would be above 140/90mm Hg. A prehypertensive reading is between 120/80mg to 139/89mm Hg.
An elevated blood pressure can weaken a small artery in the brain till it eventually bursts. When this happens, the brain tissue is damaged due to a lack of blood flow.This is known as a stroke.
Hypertension can hasten the deposit of cholesterol plaque in the arteries. These deposits may take a long time to build, making early detection difficult. Such a build up can occur in the heart, causing angina (severe pain) and heart attacks; the brain, causing strokes; the kidneys, leading to kidney failure; and the legs, resulting in pain while walking or what is known as intermittent claudication.
Other possible triggers : air pollution, perfume, tobacco smoke, food allergens (like coffee, chocolate, milk, sugar, salt, wheat and nuts)
Stress, including something called "white coat hypertension" - the stress one gets when seeing a doctor.
According to a study at the Yale University School of Medicine, the use of medications containing phenylpropanolamine (PPA) may increase the risk of a stroke. PPA is a common decongestant found mainly in cold-cough medications as well as slimming products. People with hypertension should avoid taking PPA.
Reference : www.fda.org
A BMI (Body Mass Index) greater than 25 is more likely to raise blood pressure.
A low-carbohydrate, low-fat, high-fibre diet, shiitake and maitake mushrooms, cabbage.
REDUCE SALT INTAKE
Salt is caustic and water has to be retained so as to neuralize its acidic effects. Water retention contributes to rising blood pressure.
COENZYME Q10
Also known as ubiquinone. This lipid is present in almost every plant, animal and human cell (inner membranes of mitochondria).
CoQ10 can be manufactured by the body but when there is a lack of proper nutrition or flaws in its synthesis, deficiency does occur.
The formation of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) requires at least 8 vitamins, the amino acid tyrosine and other trace elements.
Also, cholesterol-lowering drugs such as lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastain can inhibit the production process.
CoQ10 is crucial in the production of energy; improves the cell's ability to utilize oxygen, said to increase celluar energy production; protects against heart disease; prevents LDL cholesterol oxidation.
Since it can promote blood thinning, consult your physician before combining with blood thinners like Coumadin.
References :
"The Coenzyme Q10 Phenomenon: The Breakthrough Nutrient that Helps Combat Heart Disease, Cancer, Aging and More" Stephen Sinatra (McGraw Hill, 1998)
"Bioenergetics in clinical medicine. VIII. Adminstration of coenzyme Q10 to patients with essential hypertension" Yamagami T, et al. Research Communication on Chemistry, Pathology and Pharmacology (1976) 14(4):721-7
VITAMINS
Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that protect the arteries and heart muscle against damage initiated by the free radicals.
Recommended supplement dosage : vitamin C - 1000 mg; vitamin E - 400 IU
NONI
A natural tropical fruit found to contain over 150 nutraceuticals which include 20 amino acids, 9 of which are essential because they are not produced in the body, vitamin A, all the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, ursolic acid, linoleic acid, proxeronine (bromelain), pectin, phytosterols, calcium, magnesium and zinc.
The traditional uses include immune booster, pain, arthritis, diabetes, headaches, cuts and scrapes, skin problems, cancer, high blood pressure and many more.
The following are other nourishing nurtients found in noni :
- SCOPOLETIN
Scopoletin belongs to a group of compounds called coumarins. Scienctifically proven to dilate blood vessels which consequently lowers blood pressure.
The natural state of of all the nutrients present in noni juice prevents the lowering of blood pressure to abnormally low levels as reported by some studies that large amounts of scopoletins can drive blood pressure to below-normal levels.
- NITRIC OXIDE
The presence of this substance is important to carry out the body's many functions.
A lack of nitric oxide (NO) in the bloodstream, or a lack of reactivity by the blood vessels to NO can constrict the vessels, leading to a rise in blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for both stroke and heart disease.
Noni does not contain nitric oxide but it can stimulate the body to produce more of it, thereby preventing and bringing various disorders under control.
In the area of cholesterol, nitric oxide is a free radical scavenger that can bring about lower cholesterol levels and also prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.
It allows the arteries to dilate easily and keeps them flexible.
It relaxes artery walls so that the regular supply of blood can enter the heart, preventing angina pain (burning or squeezing chest pain associated with a lack of oxgyenated blood supply to the heart).
It inhibits premature coagulation in the blood, thus preventing the clumping together of platelets to form clots.
It can also control high blood pressure brought on by pregnancy.
- TYROSINE & PHENYLALANINE
Phenylalanine is an amino acid and it is a precursor of tyrosine. The quinone ring of Coenzyme Q10 is synthesized from the amino acid tyrosine.
- LINOLEIC ACID
This omega-6 fatty acid is an essential fatty acid. It combines with cholesterol to form important compounds and is involved in the transport and metabolism of cholesterol.
On the August 2002 issue of Stroke : Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers in Japan reported that linoleic acid may reduce the risk of ischemic stroke (caused by blood clots) because it can lower blood pressure and improve circulation in small blood vessels. The consumption range is 9.5 to 13.3 g daily.
Linoleic acid can also be found in soybeans, corn, safflower oil and sunflower oil.
Surely, it is the whole noni makeup, the joining of all the nutrients found in this fruit that makes it unique and more importantly effective against many health challenges.
Noni can be used in conjunction with any medication and natural supplements, in fact, noni may enhance the effects of medications and supplements. It is best taken with clean water on an empty stomach.
References :
"Stroke" Journal of the American Heart Association (2002) 33:2086-93;
"Effects of dietary phytosterols on cholesterol metabolism and atherosclerosis: clinical and experimental evidence"
M.H. Moghadasian, et al. American Journal of Medicine (1999) 107(6):588-594;
"Why Noni Works-A Reference Book for The Biological Activity of the Constituents of Morinda citrifolia" Melanie Alfred (Direct Source, 2000);
"The Noni Phenomenon" Neil Solomon (Direct Source, 1999)
CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM & POTASSIUM
These 3 minerals help the artery to relax while sodium contracts it.
An increase intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium can lower blood pressure.
References :
"Effects of oral potassium on blood pressure. Meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials" P Whelton. Journal of the American Medical Association (1997) 277:1624-1632;
"Role of adequate dietary calcium intake in the prevention and management of salt-sensitive hypertension" McCarron D. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1997) 65:712S-716;
"The effect of dietary interventions to reduce blood pressure in normal humans" F. C. Luft, et al. Journal of the American College of Nutrition (1989) 8(6):495-503
SELENIUM
Deficency has been linked to heart disease and hypertension. It works well with vitamin E to enhance each other's functions.
Reference : "Blood pressure, dietary fats, and antioxidants" JT Salonen, et al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Nov 1988; 48:1226-1232
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
Studies have shown that they can help lower blood pressure and they have a positive effect on cholesterol levels.
Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats found in plant and marine sources. It contains an essential fatty acid known as alpha-linolenic acid. The richest animal sources are fishes that swim in cold waters, e.g. herring, salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardine and bluefish.
Other souces are flaxseeds and psyllium seeds.
GREEN & BLACK TEA
Fresh tea leaves are lightly steamed and to get the green version, the leaves are left to dry while the crushing of the leaves
and then let to ferment produces the black version. The fermentation process darkens the tea leaves.
Both types of teas contain the antioxidant polyphenol which helps lower cholesterol and improve lipid metabolism. Green tea contains more polyphenols because fermention destroys some of the polyphenols in black tea.
They also contain theophylline (a close relative of caffeine) which can be addictive so just take 1 to 2 cups daily.
AVOID CAFFEINE
Caffeine raises blood pressure.
STOP SMOKING
Smoking increases the chance of a stroke or heart disease.
"Strictly speaking, high blood pressure is not a disease at all. It's really just an indicator of trouble in your circulatory system that results from a constellation of underlying problems affecting blood circulation. These underlying factors combine to raise blood pressure, sometimes to very dangerous levels. Yet, the disorder itself is merely a sign of underlying disease, just as fever is a sign of infection, or swelling a sign of a fractured bone." Neil Solomon, The Noni Phenomenon (Direct Source, 1999)
"CoQ10 deficiencies have been confirmed among patients with congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, angina pectoris, cardiomyopathy, hypertension, mitral valve prolapse and even in those coronary artery by surgery." Stephen Sinatra, The Coenzyme Q10 Phenomenon: The Breakthrough Nutrient that Helps Combat Heart Disease, Cancer, Aging and More (McGraw Hill, 1998)
"Most experts agree that high blood pressure can be reversed in a majority of cases. This can be accomplished through a diet low in fat, cholesterol, salt, and refined foods, coupled with a lifestyle that includes moderate exercise and the maintenance of normal weight. There is also ample evidence to suggest that supplementing with nutraceutical, or natural, agents - just like noni - can contribute to lowering high blood pressure through enhancing the body's ability to battle the condition. Of course, high blood pressure may accompany, or be a result of, other disorders like diabetes. In these cases as well, noni can be a valuable component of a holistic approach to reversing high blood pressure levels, thereby allowing the hypertensive individual to get off his or her medications and enjoy a healthier and more satisfying life." Neil Solomon, The Noni Phenomenon (Direct Source, 1999)
