Four Blood Pressure Secrets Big Pharma Won't Tell You

High blood pressure is a huge boon for pharmaceutical manufacturers. It affects roughly 75 million Americans, and, as with many medical conditions, most doctors are treating it by wearing out their prescription pads.

But most people aren’t getting the truth behind those blood pressure numbers:

1. Four in five blood pressure readings taken at the doctor’s office are inaccurate! Texas researchers enrolled patients with blood pressures higher than 120/80 and tested them according to the standard—but rarely followed—guidelines: sitting in a chair with a back support, feet planted on the floor and legs uncrossed for five minutes, no restrictive clothing or caffeine, and no exercise or tobacco for at least 30 minutes prior to testing. When these guidelines were followed, blood pressure readings went down significantly.

There’s a simple way to avoid this: Buy a blood pressure monitor, learn how to use it correctly, and periodically take your blood pressure at home. Do not, I repeat, do not simply accept a diagnosis of hypertension and allow your doctor to put you on the drug merry-go-round. Check and re-check your numbers, and try reducing your blood pressure through healthy lifestyle changes before you consider any pharmaceutical therapies.

2. Fixing your sodium-potassium ratio can lower your blood pressure. Human beings evolved as hunter-gatherers, on a diet virtually devoid of sodium and very high in potassium. Consequently, the kidneys tend to get rid of potassium but hang on to sodium. The solution? Eat less salt and more potassium-rich foods, including avocados, bananas, tomatoes, cantaloupe, and lima beans. In addition, try drinking Low Sodium V8 Juice each day.

3. Losing weight can reduce your blood pressure. Investigators at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas found that excess weight had a far greater impact on blood pressure than cardiorespiratory fitness. Normal-weight individuals had an average systolic blood pressure 12 mmHg lower than heavy people, even if they were only modestly fit.

4. Nutritional supplements can combat hypertension. I recommend the following daily: coenzyme Q10 200–300 mg, magnesium 400–800 mg, hawthorn 360–600 mg, fish oil 2–5 g, vitamin D 2,000–5,000 IU, and quercetin 500–750 mg.

Now it’s your turn: Have you been the victim of an erroneous blood pressure reading?

You may also be interested in:

Outsmarting the “Silent Killer”

Hypertension: Another Downside of Insulin