Cure Hypertension in 90 Minutes or Less
There is a lot of science about blood pressure. But in all your years, you didn't study much of it did you? And we doctors? We are taught that drugs are the answer to everything. In this 90-minute webinar, I tried to cover as much relevant science as I could about how to reverse your high blood pressure and help you lead a life free of vascular disease.
This was my first attempt at a "smart intervention": a brief, targeted experience designed to provide sustained benefit to the lives of the participants.
Key points:
- High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide.
- High blood pressure is not a normal consequence of aging. Rather, we get it in the west because of the lifestyle we lead.
- From copious research, by far the most impactful change you can make to reverse your high blood pressure and other chronic diseases is: to move towards a whole foods plant based diet.
- Long distance runners dropped their systolic (top) blood pressure by 10 points. Couch potato vegans dropped their systolic blood pressure 28 points.
- Blood pressure drugs have small impact in preventing heart attack and stroke for moderate hypertension (systolic/top number 140-159). According to the Cochrane Collaboration, drugs have zero benefit for this group. When BP gets higher is when we see the bigger benefit of drugs.
- If you are on blood pressure medicine, a growing body of research suggests big benefits if you take at least 1 of your blood pressure drugs at bedtime.
- Some superfoods like flax meal and hibiscus tea have been found in jest a few studies to reduce blood pressure significantly.
- Coenzyme Q10 has some impressive randomized placebo controlled studies suggesting it reduces death from heart disease, and might lower blood pressure too.
Here is a sample of what we covered.
25 Secrets to Lower Blood Pressure
Hypertension is a leading cause of early death and disability, by increasing cardiovascular disease.
10% of the time, there is a reason for your blood pressure (“secondary hypertension”)
Nutrition is more powerful than drugs to keep blood pressure low and to reduce the complications of hypertension.
Weight loss causes BP reduction.
Nitrate-rich vegetables such as dark greens (spinach, arugula) and rhubarb, celery, beets dilate the blood vessels and lower blood pressure.
Plant-based diets (e.g. DASH) lower BP a lot, even if you don’t lose weight.
Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet is close to ideal to lower body weight, blood pressure, and diseases like heart disease or diabetes.
Low sodium diet can reduce BP (but only if you eat it).
Potassium lowers blood pressure and it is rich in fruits, vegetables.
Beans reduce blood pressure and heart rate, which is also important.
Flax seed 30gm/day dropped BP 10-15 points!
Regular moderate intensity exercise helps.
Intervals – get better exercise in 1/5 the time
Sleep > 6 hours to lower BP (in men anyway)
RESPeRATE – $200 breathing machine works
Meditation lowers blood pressure and is easier than you think.
Hidden emotions might be the hidden cause of high blood pressure.
Over Exuberance? Treating systolic BP 140-159 with drugs has minimal if any impact.
Not all BP medicines are equal. Lisinopril (or similar), chlorthalidone, amlodipine are recommended.
Taking 1 BP medicine at bedtime reduced heart attack by 67% and also reduced diabetes and kidney disease!
Our #1 BP medicine (hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ) stinks. High side effects (increased diabetes) and low effectiveness. Might be best to switch off it or to chlorthalidone.
Beware drugs that increase BP (NSAIDs)
Alcohol increases BP
Intermittent fasting such as the Fasting Mimicking Diet can lower BP
Coenzyme Q10 might reduce BP and also lower death rate.
This was version 1 of Cure Hypertension. In the future I plan to continuously improve it, update it, and correct any errors. Please let me know any ideas or issues. You can "Send us an Email" below.
Enjoy!
Dave