Knowing the risk factors for high blood pressure, or hypertension, is the first step toward making sure your blood pressure is at a healthy level. There are several risk factors for hypertension. Some are within your control and others are simply a matter of genetics.
It does not matter what is causing or may cause you to have high blood pressure. The important point is that if you know you are at risk you can take steps to reduce the risk and keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.
We have no control over our genes, our race or our age. These are three risk factors for some people in developing high blood pressure. African Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure than whites. They also seem to develop it at a younger age and have higher levels.
Age is a factor in blood pressure as well. The older you get, the more likely you are to have higher blood pressure. Women usually don't have trouble with hypertension until after menopause, unless they have a parent or other close relative with it. Men will develop hypertension as they age, with the greatest increases beginning between the ages of 35 and 55.
While race, age and genes are not something you can control there are several risk factors for hypertension which you can control. The most important is weight. Obesity leads to higher blood pressure especially in people with a body mass index over 30.0. Contributing to obesity and high blood pressure is also a lack of exercise. If you are inactive, you are more likely to be overweight and therefore develop hypertension.
Our eating and drinking habits greatly impact blood pressure. Consuming too much alcohol or salt on a regular basis also increases blood pressure. Not only overeating, but what you eat will affect blood pressure in a good or bad way.
How much stress you have and how you deal with it can influence blood pressure negatively. It is difficult to know how much stress a person is under, since many people hold it in and may not even feel overly stressed when in reality they are. When there is too much stress, other good habits are often sacrificed to deal with
the current situation. For example, during a stressful period you may not get enough sleep or exercise or may substitute good home cooked meals for high sodium fast foods.
Any one of these risk factors alone can put blood pressure levels within a dangerous range. When you couple the risk factors with one another, your problem grows exponentially. This means that if you are overweight, inactive and have a family history of hypertension, you are at a much higher risk than someone with only heredity working against them. It would be wise for anyone with the non-controllable risk factors of race, heredity, or age to keep stay physically active, maintain a healthy weight and reduce the amount of alcohol and sodium they consume. It is also important to eat a proper diet that will support a healthy blood pressure. Specific nutrients help reduce blood pressure even in those who are genetically predisposed to hypertension.
Learn how to reduce the risk factors for developing high blood pressure and keep your blood pressure at a healthy level:
The Silent Killer Exposed!
------------------------------------------------------------
Frank Mangano is an active member of his community
who works diligently providing assistance to senior citizens
and probing as a health advocate to discover new and innovative
ways to promote well being. Find out how you can maintain
healthy blood pressure at: TheSilentKillerExposed.com
Friday, October 27, 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Protect Your Heart With These Miracle Fats
According to the Center For Disease Control and Prevention, 910,000 people will die this year from some form of cardiovascular disease. That’s a staggering forty percent of all annual deaths! The great irony is that cardiovascular disease is largely preventable. Have you taken the necessary steps to heart attack-proof yourself?
There’s a simple, proven and easy way to reduce the chance of you becoming part of these grim statistics, and that is to increase your intake of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
The research has continued to pour in from countless sources about the amazing benefits of the omega-3’s. In fact, scientists and medical professionals alike now agree that the omega-3 fats can prevent – and even reverse - the deadly effects of cardiovascular disease and stroke (the first and third leading causes of death, respectively).
Omega-3 fats have gotten so much good press lately that you’re probably already aware that you can get your omega-3 fatty acids from all types of seafood, particularly the oily fish like salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines. Studies have shown that people who consume high amounts of fish improve their overall health and well being in too many ways to list.
A 17-year study of men with no history of heart disease, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that those with the highest blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were more than 80 percent less likely to die suddenly from heart disease. And the benefits apply to women as well. A 16-year study of almost 85,000 women found that those who ate fish two to four times weekly cut their risk of heart disease by 30 percent, compared with women who rarely ate fish.
A 1999 study called “Food intake patterns and 25 year mortality from coronary heart disease,” revealed some very interesting findings about omega-3 fatty acids by comparing the diet of people from America to other regions of the world. The results of this study showed that in countries like Japan, where seafood consumption is high, the prevalence of death from heart attacks is much lower than in America.
Scientists believe that this is due to the fact that Asians eat far more seafood than Americans, and 85 percent of Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. The same findings were uncovered with the Eskimos from Greenland, who also consume large amounts of seafood. The 1970 study found that despite eating a high fat diet, the Inuit had significantly lower incidence of heart disease.
So what is it about omega-3 fatty acids that make them so great for your heart? It boils down to the chemical composition of the fatty acids. If you looked at them under a microscope, you would see that omega-3 fatty acids are long strands of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These polyunsaturates - alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - lead to significant reduction in cardiovascular disease risk and other health benefits.
Studies show that consuming these fatty acids over an extended period of time can decrease blood cholesterol levels, cause regression of coronary heart ailments and even help in preventing the progression of colon cancer.
But despite the average American diet being low in omega-3 fatty acid consumption, there is a limit to how much you can consume safely. The recommended daily intake of EPA and DHA is approximately 650mg per day. That figure is even higher for pregnant women who should consume 1000mg of EPA and DHA per day. Because of the high amounts of mercury found in fish, however, it can be dangerous to consume the amount of seafood you would need in order to reach the optimal intake. That’s why fish oil supplements are a great way to obtain your essential fats.
Personally, I use Carlson’s Fish and Cod Liver Oil. I receive no payment for endorsing this brand, I recommend it simply because I believe it’s the best on the market. This is due to the optimal amounts of EPA and DHA, the strict guidelines they follow for purity (keeping their oil free of chemical modification and contaminants like mercury or lead) and the addition of extra vitamin E to protect the freshness and potency of the oil.
Carlson’s test their fish oil regularly for potency and purity by an independent, FDA registered laboratory and found them to be free of detectable levels of mercury, cadmium, lead, PCB's and 28 other contaminants. These are all important considerations because there is no doubt that all brands of fish oil are not the same and you really do get what you pay for.
What about flaxseed oil? You may have heard that flaxseed is a rich source of omega 3 fats. This is true. However, flaxseed oil supplements may be less effective than fish oil and here’s why: Flaxseed has high amounts of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which your body must convert into EPA and DHA. However, the EPA and DHA found in fish oils are broken down more rapidly and far more effectively than ALA. Furthermore, because the average American already consumes high amounts of ALA already, supplementing with more ALA isn’t always optimal.
Bottom line: It’s not often that a nutritional supplement comes along that gets unanimous thumbs up from the scientific community as well as the natural health community, but fish oil is certainly one supplement you cannot go wrong with in your quest to improve your health and protect yourself from heart disease naturally.
Frank Mangano is a natural health expert and best selling author who teaches you how to dramatically improve your health naturally, without expensive and potentially dangerous prescription drugs.
Receive access to a special FREE 38 page report titled, “The Best Natural Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure, Reduce Your Waistline and Take Back Your Health:” Click Here!
There’s a simple, proven and easy way to reduce the chance of you becoming part of these grim statistics, and that is to increase your intake of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
The research has continued to pour in from countless sources about the amazing benefits of the omega-3’s. In fact, scientists and medical professionals alike now agree that the omega-3 fats can prevent – and even reverse - the deadly effects of cardiovascular disease and stroke (the first and third leading causes of death, respectively).
Omega-3 fats have gotten so much good press lately that you’re probably already aware that you can get your omega-3 fatty acids from all types of seafood, particularly the oily fish like salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines. Studies have shown that people who consume high amounts of fish improve their overall health and well being in too many ways to list.
A 17-year study of men with no history of heart disease, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that those with the highest blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were more than 80 percent less likely to die suddenly from heart disease. And the benefits apply to women as well. A 16-year study of almost 85,000 women found that those who ate fish two to four times weekly cut their risk of heart disease by 30 percent, compared with women who rarely ate fish.
A 1999 study called “Food intake patterns and 25 year mortality from coronary heart disease,” revealed some very interesting findings about omega-3 fatty acids by comparing the diet of people from America to other regions of the world. The results of this study showed that in countries like Japan, where seafood consumption is high, the prevalence of death from heart attacks is much lower than in America.
Scientists believe that this is due to the fact that Asians eat far more seafood than Americans, and 85 percent of Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. The same findings were uncovered with the Eskimos from Greenland, who also consume large amounts of seafood. The 1970 study found that despite eating a high fat diet, the Inuit had significantly lower incidence of heart disease.
So what is it about omega-3 fatty acids that make them so great for your heart? It boils down to the chemical composition of the fatty acids. If you looked at them under a microscope, you would see that omega-3 fatty acids are long strands of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These polyunsaturates - alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - lead to significant reduction in cardiovascular disease risk and other health benefits.
Studies show that consuming these fatty acids over an extended period of time can decrease blood cholesterol levels, cause regression of coronary heart ailments and even help in preventing the progression of colon cancer.
But despite the average American diet being low in omega-3 fatty acid consumption, there is a limit to how much you can consume safely. The recommended daily intake of EPA and DHA is approximately 650mg per day. That figure is even higher for pregnant women who should consume 1000mg of EPA and DHA per day. Because of the high amounts of mercury found in fish, however, it can be dangerous to consume the amount of seafood you would need in order to reach the optimal intake. That’s why fish oil supplements are a great way to obtain your essential fats.
Personally, I use Carlson’s Fish and Cod Liver Oil. I receive no payment for endorsing this brand, I recommend it simply because I believe it’s the best on the market. This is due to the optimal amounts of EPA and DHA, the strict guidelines they follow for purity (keeping their oil free of chemical modification and contaminants like mercury or lead) and the addition of extra vitamin E to protect the freshness and potency of the oil.
Carlson’s test their fish oil regularly for potency and purity by an independent, FDA registered laboratory and found them to be free of detectable levels of mercury, cadmium, lead, PCB's and 28 other contaminants. These are all important considerations because there is no doubt that all brands of fish oil are not the same and you really do get what you pay for.
What about flaxseed oil? You may have heard that flaxseed is a rich source of omega 3 fats. This is true. However, flaxseed oil supplements may be less effective than fish oil and here’s why: Flaxseed has high amounts of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which your body must convert into EPA and DHA. However, the EPA and DHA found in fish oils are broken down more rapidly and far more effectively than ALA. Furthermore, because the average American already consumes high amounts of ALA already, supplementing with more ALA isn’t always optimal.
Bottom line: It’s not often that a nutritional supplement comes along that gets unanimous thumbs up from the scientific community as well as the natural health community, but fish oil is certainly one supplement you cannot go wrong with in your quest to improve your health and protect yourself from heart disease naturally.
Frank Mangano is a natural health expert and best selling author who teaches you how to dramatically improve your health naturally, without expensive and potentially dangerous prescription drugs.
Receive access to a special FREE 38 page report titled, “The Best Natural Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure, Reduce Your Waistline and Take Back Your Health:” Click Here!
Friday, September 29, 2006
How Ace Inhibitors Work to Lower Blood Pressure
Blood pressure medications come in different forms and each is intended to cause a different reaction in the blood or blood vessels. An ace inhibitor is one such medication used in the treatment of hypertension.
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors prevent the manufacture of a hormone in the body called angiotensin II. Angiotensin II makes blood vessels narrower. When the hormone production is blocked, the arteries remain wider and allow blood to flow through with less pressure on the vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure.
Brand Names for Ace Inhibitors
Benazepril, Enalapril and Lisinopril are three ACE inhibitors commonly used in the treatment of high blood pressure. They are seldom the first course of action but are used to treat the more severe cases of hypertension. Ideally, maintaining a proper weight and eating right are the best ways to control blood pressure. After that a diuretic type of medication may be prescribed, which works based on the idea of flushing the arteries so pressure is reduced.
The brand names under which the common ACE inhibitors used to treat high blood pressure are sold are Lotensin (benazepril), Vasotec (enalapril) and Prinivil and Zestril (lisinopril). All of these work to increase blood flow by keeping the arteries open and wide.
ACE inhibitors have side effects just like any other drugs. It can feel as if you have a bad cold because many of the symptoms that are possible are a cough, sore throat, fever, and mouth sores. Other symptoms include an itchy, red skin rash, swelling of the neck, face or tongue, or a salty or metallic taste in your mouth. While all of these are not extremely common, they have been reported in enough cases to be listed as possible side effects to taking ACE inhibitors.
One side effect is raised potassium levels. Some medications, such as diuretics, actually reduce potassium and that has some health risks with it as well. The opposite is true of ACE inhibitors. Because they can raise potassium levels it is important to have yours monitored if you are taking any of these prescriptions. Symptoms of too much potassium in the blood stream include nervousness, a numbness or tingling feeling in the hands or feet, and even confusion. There can also be difficulty breathing.
It is important to watch what you eat and what you do while taking ACE inhibitors. Some foods which contain potassium, such as salt substitutes can cause you to have dangerously high levels of potassium. Also, taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve or aspirin can negate the effects of your ACE inhibitor drug.
The challenge in controlling blood pressure with medicine is two-fold. Medical professionals will try the least invasive type of drug, meaning one with the least chance of side effects and that requires the lowest dose possible to manage your blood pressure. This means that a patient can often go through years of trial and error type of drug experimentation before finding something that works. Meanwhile, blood pressure can be going untreated.
Secondly, medications to treat blood pressure have side effects – all of them to some degree. You may find that using them requires you to take other medications to treat the symptoms of the side effects.
As with any disease or condition, a natural approach can be just as effective, without the risk of side effects. A doctor can help you determine if you need to lose weight or make other changes to control your blood pressure.
Discover how you can lower blood pressure safely and naturally without the risk of harmful drug side effects:
Click Here!
------------------------------------------------------------
Frank Mangano is an active member of his community
who works diligently providing assistance to senior citizens
and probing as a health advocate to discover new and innovative
ways to promote well being. Find out how you can maintain
healthy blood pressure Here!
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors prevent the manufacture of a hormone in the body called angiotensin II. Angiotensin II makes blood vessels narrower. When the hormone production is blocked, the arteries remain wider and allow blood to flow through with less pressure on the vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure.
Brand Names for Ace Inhibitors
Benazepril, Enalapril and Lisinopril are three ACE inhibitors commonly used in the treatment of high blood pressure. They are seldom the first course of action but are used to treat the more severe cases of hypertension. Ideally, maintaining a proper weight and eating right are the best ways to control blood pressure. After that a diuretic type of medication may be prescribed, which works based on the idea of flushing the arteries so pressure is reduced.
The brand names under which the common ACE inhibitors used to treat high blood pressure are sold are Lotensin (benazepril), Vasotec (enalapril) and Prinivil and Zestril (lisinopril). All of these work to increase blood flow by keeping the arteries open and wide.
ACE inhibitors have side effects just like any other drugs. It can feel as if you have a bad cold because many of the symptoms that are possible are a cough, sore throat, fever, and mouth sores. Other symptoms include an itchy, red skin rash, swelling of the neck, face or tongue, or a salty or metallic taste in your mouth. While all of these are not extremely common, they have been reported in enough cases to be listed as possible side effects to taking ACE inhibitors.
One side effect is raised potassium levels. Some medications, such as diuretics, actually reduce potassium and that has some health risks with it as well. The opposite is true of ACE inhibitors. Because they can raise potassium levels it is important to have yours monitored if you are taking any of these prescriptions. Symptoms of too much potassium in the blood stream include nervousness, a numbness or tingling feeling in the hands or feet, and even confusion. There can also be difficulty breathing.
It is important to watch what you eat and what you do while taking ACE inhibitors. Some foods which contain potassium, such as salt substitutes can cause you to have dangerously high levels of potassium. Also, taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve or aspirin can negate the effects of your ACE inhibitor drug.
The challenge in controlling blood pressure with medicine is two-fold. Medical professionals will try the least invasive type of drug, meaning one with the least chance of side effects and that requires the lowest dose possible to manage your blood pressure. This means that a patient can often go through years of trial and error type of drug experimentation before finding something that works. Meanwhile, blood pressure can be going untreated.
Secondly, medications to treat blood pressure have side effects – all of them to some degree. You may find that using them requires you to take other medications to treat the symptoms of the side effects.
As with any disease or condition, a natural approach can be just as effective, without the risk of side effects. A doctor can help you determine if you need to lose weight or make other changes to control your blood pressure.
Discover how you can lower blood pressure safely and naturally without the risk of harmful drug side effects:
Click Here!
------------------------------------------------------------
Frank Mangano is an active member of his community
who works diligently providing assistance to senior citizens
and probing as a health advocate to discover new and innovative
ways to promote well being. Find out how you can maintain
healthy blood pressure Here!
Monday, August 07, 2006
5 Easy Ways to Lower Blood Pressure Using 1 Great Fruit
Do you know which common food that you can get right at
your local grocery store or farmers market that will reduce
your blood pressure significantly while boosting your immune system and protecting you from cancer at the same time?
If you ate a green salad with fresh chopped tomatoes, then you not only got a healthy dose of this powerful antioxidant, but you have also taken significant action toward lowering your blood pressure. A recent double-blind study conducted in Israel has confirmed what hearth-healthy Italians have enjoyed for centuries – tomatoes (and tomato sauce) lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.
The Israeli study was led up by Dr. Esther Paran, head of the hypertension division of Soroka Medical Center. It involved patients who were already being treated for hypertension, but were not responding well to the medications. Dr. Paran had patients take a supplement of tomato extract. The results were a significant drop in blood pressure after just four weeks.
Tomatoes are so effective at lowering blood pressure because they contain lycopene. This potent antioxidant is even the focus of some hybrid tomatoes grown by the Israeli company, Lycomato, in order to have higher concentrations of lycopene in each piece of fruit. Other antioxidants found in tomatoes make this one super-food in the prevention of heart disease. It can even help keep LDL cholesterol from oxidizing which makes it stick to the arteries and narrow the passage way causing blood pressure to increase.
Even during the peak growing season it can be difficult to consume four whole tomatoes each day, which is the recommended amount for having a positive impact on blood pressure. Here are some ways to get the benefits of tomatoes without having to eat them straight off the vine.
1. Make Chili. Using tomato puree, which is a concentrated form of tomatoes, as the base for your chili utilizes the antioxidants without the bulk of a whole tomato. Add some ultra-lean and high protein ground bison and kidney beans with minced garlic and onions, and cayenne pepper and you have a heart-healthy main course and a full day’s allowance of tomato.
2. Since using olive oil with the tomatoes enhances the curative quality, make your pasta sauce red with tomatoes, tomato paste and olive oil to sauté the garlic and onion. Tomato paste used in making sauce contains more than 10 times the nutrients of a single tomato.
3. Have a fresh salad as a side dish to either of these entrees and cut one whole tomato on top. You’ll get one-quarter of you tomato intake right there.
4. Drink tomato juice. It is better to make your own fresh juice so that you can control the sodium. Store bought juices can be high in sugar and sodium-based preservatives. If you have a juicer, you can make some incredible veggie juices to suit your own tastes by adding carrots, celery and some low-sodium seasonings.
5. Take a tomato supplement. If you just can’t stomach tomatoes, then a 200 mg supplement provides the equivalent of more than the recommended four tomatoes.
Adding tomatoes to your diet can reduce systolic blood pressure by 10 points and diastolic pressure by 4 points as was evident in the Israel study. Whatever way you slice it, tomatoes will keep strengthen your immune system and lower blood pressure.
Learn about more fruits that can play a major role in reducing your blood pressure:
Click Here!
------------------------------------------------------------
Frank Mangano is an active member of his community
who works diligently providing assistance to senior citizens
and probing as a health advocate to discover new and innovative
ways to promote well being. Find out how you can maintain
healthy blood pressure Here!
your local grocery store or farmers market that will reduce
your blood pressure significantly while boosting your immune system and protecting you from cancer at the same time?
If you ate a green salad with fresh chopped tomatoes, then you not only got a healthy dose of this powerful antioxidant, but you have also taken significant action toward lowering your blood pressure. A recent double-blind study conducted in Israel has confirmed what hearth-healthy Italians have enjoyed for centuries – tomatoes (and tomato sauce) lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.
The Israeli study was led up by Dr. Esther Paran, head of the hypertension division of Soroka Medical Center. It involved patients who were already being treated for hypertension, but were not responding well to the medications. Dr. Paran had patients take a supplement of tomato extract. The results were a significant drop in blood pressure after just four weeks.
Tomatoes are so effective at lowering blood pressure because they contain lycopene. This potent antioxidant is even the focus of some hybrid tomatoes grown by the Israeli company, Lycomato, in order to have higher concentrations of lycopene in each piece of fruit. Other antioxidants found in tomatoes make this one super-food in the prevention of heart disease. It can even help keep LDL cholesterol from oxidizing which makes it stick to the arteries and narrow the passage way causing blood pressure to increase.
Even during the peak growing season it can be difficult to consume four whole tomatoes each day, which is the recommended amount for having a positive impact on blood pressure. Here are some ways to get the benefits of tomatoes without having to eat them straight off the vine.
1. Make Chili. Using tomato puree, which is a concentrated form of tomatoes, as the base for your chili utilizes the antioxidants without the bulk of a whole tomato. Add some ultra-lean and high protein ground bison and kidney beans with minced garlic and onions, and cayenne pepper and you have a heart-healthy main course and a full day’s allowance of tomato.
2. Since using olive oil with the tomatoes enhances the curative quality, make your pasta sauce red with tomatoes, tomato paste and olive oil to sauté the garlic and onion. Tomato paste used in making sauce contains more than 10 times the nutrients of a single tomato.
3. Have a fresh salad as a side dish to either of these entrees and cut one whole tomato on top. You’ll get one-quarter of you tomato intake right there.
4. Drink tomato juice. It is better to make your own fresh juice so that you can control the sodium. Store bought juices can be high in sugar and sodium-based preservatives. If you have a juicer, you can make some incredible veggie juices to suit your own tastes by adding carrots, celery and some low-sodium seasonings.
5. Take a tomato supplement. If you just can’t stomach tomatoes, then a 200 mg supplement provides the equivalent of more than the recommended four tomatoes.
Adding tomatoes to your diet can reduce systolic blood pressure by 10 points and diastolic pressure by 4 points as was evident in the Israel study. Whatever way you slice it, tomatoes will keep strengthen your immune system and lower blood pressure.
Learn about more fruits that can play a major role in reducing your blood pressure:
Click Here!
------------------------------------------------------------
Frank Mangano is an active member of his community
who works diligently providing assistance to senior citizens
and probing as a health advocate to discover new and innovative
ways to promote well being. Find out how you can maintain
healthy blood pressure Here!
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