Natural Health Society of Australia - High Blood Pressure Fact Sheet

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High Blood Pressure Fact Sheet

’Blood pressure’ is the pressure in the blood in arteries produced by the pumping of the heart. As the heart pumps and relaxes, the pressure rises and falls. This pumping is aided by the arteries which have muscular walls that contract and relax in unison with the heart, producing what we call our ’pulse’.

The highest pressure in arterial blood is called the systolic pressure and the lowest is the diastolic pressure. Blood pressure is always given as the systolic pressure followed by the diastolic pressure, and is written as 120/80.

Normal blood pressure for an adult is in the range 110/70 and 120/80. The upper figure varies readily with physical and mental conditions at the time - physical activity, emotions, stimulants, allergies and so on. The diastolic pressure is relatively stable and is dependent more on the condition of the heart and arteries.

Consistently high pressure causes the heart to work extra hard and can damage the coronary arteries that supply the heart itself, the brain, the kidneys and the eyes. Hypertension is a major cause of stroke.

Following is a list of the most common causes of high blood pressure and natural treatment methods:

Cause	Treatment
Atherosclerosis (artery disease in which artery walls are swollen with plaque and the space in which blood flows is reduced.)	The diet needs to: Be very low in fat (temporarily) and supply omega-3 fatty acids from flax oil, etc; be devoid especially of rancid fat; contain adequate protein; be free of refined carbohydrates and free of concentrated sugars; be low-to-moderate in carbohydrates; contain no more than moderate quantities of fresh fruits; contain an abundance of fresh vegetables; include garlic and/or appropriate herbs. Physical activity - subject to approval by a practitioner - can make a valuable contribution to recovery.
Arteriosclerosis (hardeningof the arteries.)	The same as for Atherosclerosis
Excessive dietary fat	Adopt Natural Health Dietary Guidelines, with the bulk of the diet being fresh vegetables and fruit, to keep fat intake at a desirable level. Some natural foods will need to be avoided temporarily because they are naturally high in fat - nuts, seeds, eggs and dairy products. To obtain adequate protein without also getting plenty of fat, there are a few protein foods which are very low in fat - lentils, chick peas, kidney beans and lima beans, and low-fat cottage and ricotta cheeses.
High salt consumption	Do not use salt in the home; minimise use of processed foods; check food labels for sodium content; avoid salty snacks; limit the use of soya sauce, BBQ sauce and other salty condiments high in sodium.
Emotional stress	Techniques for reducing stress include meditation, formal courses, yoga, relaxation audio- tapes, physical exercise and the simple but invaluable philosophy - worry about the things that you can do something about - and do it - and forget all the rest.
Obesity	Adopt a healthy diet and exercise 3 or 4 times per week. (Apart from over-eating, obesity may be caused by low metabolic rate; hypoglycaemia; hypothyroidism; high oestrogen; adrenal exhaustion; allergies and sensitivities.
Stimulants (caffeine, alcohol and smoking.)	Stop smoking, reduce alcohol intake; reduce caffeine intake by minimising coffee, cola drinks, black tea, chocolate and other sources.

More detailed information can be found in the article, High Blood Pressure – How to lower it without drugs, published in the Autumn 2008 issue of Natural Health and Vegetarian Life.