Take Care of Your Blood Pressure
by Jennifer Savedge
 Football
legend Joe Montana went by the nickname Joe Cool due to his ability to
stay calm and collected, even under intense pressure. But in 2002, the
star athlete realized that he couldn’t control all of the pressure in
his life. Montana found himself among the 58 million Americans suffering
from hypertension, or high blood pressure. Hypertension can lead to
damage of vital organs such as the heart or kidneys, and it
significantly increases your risk for stroke, heart attacks, aneurisms,
and kidney failure. Fortunately, a new product called
Blood Pressure Take Care from
New Chapter can help protect you from this deadly disease.
The Blood Pressure Numbers Game
“I was very surprised when I was diagnosed,” Montana
said in an interview with the Saturday Evening Post. “When I went in for
a routine checkup, I felt better than I had for a long time, yet my
blood pressure was extremely elevated.” Hypertension, or chronic high
blood pressure, is often called the “silent killer,” because, like Joe
Montana, you can have the condition for years without a single symptom.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not wreaking havoc on your body.
Hypertension is a condition in which the force of the
blood against the walls of the arteries is simply too strong. This
pressure can then lead to damage of the arteries, heart, and kidneys.
Symptoms that are associated with hypertension, such as headaches,
nosebleeds, or dizziness, typically don’t develop until the condition
has reached an advanced and potentially life-threatening stage.
Each time the heart beats, or contracts, it pumps
blood into the arteries for distribution throughout the body. During
these contractions, blood pressure is at its maximum. This is known as
the systolic blood pressure. In between contractions, the heart
rests and blood pressure falls; this is known as the diastolic
pressure.
The harder your heart works to pump blood to all parts
of the body, the higher the blood pressure numbers read. A person with
hypertension has an average systolic blood pressure above 140 mmHg
and/or a diastolic blood pressure above 90 mmHg. This would be written
as 140/90. The higher the numbers go the greater the danger of heart
disease, stroke or kidney failure.
In the past, health care professionals considered a
blood pressure of 120/80 as the upper limit; anything higher and your
blood pressure was considered “high.” But recent guidelines issued by
the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute have outlined a new risk
classification called “pre-hypertension.” This category includes adults
whose systolic blood pressure (the top number) falls between 120 and 139
or whose diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) is between 80 and
89. This new category of concern was developed as research demonstrated
an increased risk of heart attacks, kidney disease, and stroke at blood
pressure levels lower than previously thought.
Understanding Hypertension
A number of chemical reactions occur as the body
attempts to control blood volume and pressure. One such reaction occurs
between a natural chemical called angiotensin I and an enzyme called
angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). When these two agents come together
they form a potent chemical called angiotensin II. This natural
substance affects the cardiovascular system in many ways. Most
importantly, it causes the muscles surrounding blood vessels to contract
and thereby narrows the blood vessels, increasing the pressure within
the blood vessels and forcing the heart to work harder. This elevates
the blood pressure. Angiotensin II also stimulates the release of
aldosterone, a hormone that increases your body’s retention of sodium
and water, leading to increased blood pressure. Finally, angiotensin II
can thicken and stiffen the walls of your blood vessels and heart making
it difficult to pump blood effectively.
One method for treating hypertension utilizes
medications that are referred to as ACE inhibitors. These drugs slow
down the activity of the angiotensin enzyme, decreasing the production
of angiotensin II. This allows blood vessels to dilate and reduces blood
pressure.
In a study performed at the University of Athens
Medical School, researchers explored the effect of ACE inhibitors on
patients with mild to moderate cases of hypertension. They analyzed the
left ventricular chamber of the heart (the area of the heart that pumps
blood out to the body). The researchers documented several predictors of
hypertension. After six months of treatment with an ACE inhibitor, the
researchers concluded that ACE inhibitors are efficient in reducing the
predictors that lead to hypertension.
Another important reaction that occurs as blood is
pumped through the body involves a group of enzymes called endothelial
nitric oxide synthases (eNOS). These enzymes form the gas nitric oxide
from oxygen and arginine in the blood vessels. Nitric oxide plays an
important role in the cardiovascular system, relaxing the arteries and
protecting them from injuries (a common cause of atherosclerosis). In
clinical studies, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are
associated with low levels of nitric oxide in the bloodstream.
In one study, performed at the Medical University of
South Carolina, researchers examined the effects of eNOS on blood
pressure. They found that a single dose of eNOS “caused a significant
reduction of systemic blood pressure for five to six weeks.” After a
second dose, the effect continued for 10 to 12 weeks. In a separate
experiment performed at the same university, researchers supplied a
substrate of eNOS in the participants’ drinking water for 11 weeks. In
this study, subjects noted a maximal blood pressure reduction of 21 mm
Hg.
 In
order to maintain a healthy blood pressure level it is important to make
sure there is balance in each of these mechanisms. That is why
Blood Pressure Take Care is such an exciting new product. It is a
cardioprotective extract that helps to maintain healthy blood pressure
levels as it modulates several key cardiovascular functions, acting as
an all-natural ACE inhibitor and eNOS regulator. In addition, it
supplies herbs that have been clinically proven to help protect the
heart. Here’s a closer look at the ingredients that make
Blood Pressure Take Care so exceptional.
Meet the Blood Pressure Take Care Team
MegaNatural BP: You have probably heard about
the health benefits associated with grape seed extract. MegaNatural-BP
is a new patent-pending grape seed extract that contains approximately
95 percent phenolic compounds. These compounds are potent antioxidants
that can help to lower blood pressure by up-regulating eNOS activity.
In a human clinical study conducted at the University
of California, Davis, researchers evaluated patients with metabolic
syndrome, a condition characterized by a number of risk factors,
including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and high blood
sugar. Study subjects were randomly divided into three groups and given
a placebo, 150 mg/day or 300 mg/day of MegaNatural-BP. The study
concluded that after four weeks, patients who were given MegaNatural BP
reduced their average systolic blood pressure by 12 mm and their average
diastolic blood pressure by 8 mm. According to the study “both doses
(150 mg/day and 300 mg/day) are equally effective in lowering blood
pressure.”
FutureNatant: FutureNatant is a unique formula
that contains selected strains of probiotics, namely Lactobacillus
bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus and Bifidobacteria infantis.
FutureNatant includes both the inactive probiotic cells and the
metabolic substances formed during the fermentation process, such as
lactic acid, amino acids, folates, bacteriocins, bio-surfactants and
beneficial enzymes. Clinical studies have shown that the inactive whole
probiotic cells and their metabolites contain effective ACE-inhibitors.
According to a study performed at FutureCeuticals, FutureNatant
inhibited ACE activity by 94 percent compared to controls.
Hawthorn: This natural herb has the ability to
dilate coronary blood vessels, lowering blood pressure. According to the
University of Maryland Medical Center, “considerable evidence supports
the cardiovascular benefits of this herb. Studies suggest that hawthorn
can be taken safely by people with hypertension who are taking blood
pressure medications.”
In a randomized double-blind pilot study published in
Phytotherapy Research, researchers investigated the
hypertension-lowering potential of hawthorn extract. Dietary assessments
and blood pressure data were collected for 36 participants. Subjects
were then split into groups, with one group receiving 500 mg of hawthorn
extract on a daily basis for 10 weeks, and the other group receiving a
placebo. After 10 weeks, researchers noted a significant reduction in
the resting diastolic blood pressure in the 19 hypertension subjects who
were given the hawthorn extract. In addition, the patients who took
hawthorn also reported a significant reduction in anxiety.
Motherwort: Motherwort is an herb that contains
alkaloids, cardioprotective compounds that help to lower blood pressure
levels. This herb helps to prevent the formation of blood clots,
improves blood flow, and reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, and
other diseases. It is also good for hypertension because it relaxes
blood vessels and calms nerves.
Grape Juice: Numerous scientific studies have
focused on the positive effects of grape juice consumption on blood
pressure. One double-blind study, published in the scientific journal
Biofactors, evaluated 40 men with mild hypertension whose blood pressure
averaged 146/94 mmHg. The men were separated into two groups: One group
drank grape juice daily while the second group drank a placebo drink
with a similar caloric content. After eight weeks, the group that drank
grape juice presented an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of
7.2 and in diastolic blood pressure of 6.2 mm compared to baseline.
Another recent study, performed by researchers from
the Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg, France, found that grape
juice produced arterial relaxation by increasing eNOS activity in the
cells lining the arterial wall.
 Teamwork
for Your Heart
Most conventional blood pressure medications aim to
lower blood pressure by addressing one cardiovascular function, but the
complex cardiovascular system is affected by numerous mechanisms at
once. In order to prevent hypertension and maintain healthy blood
pressure levels it’s important to address each of these mechanisms.
According to Joe Montana, “just like on the field,
teamwork is essential for blood pressure control.” And it is teamwork
that makes
Blood Pressure Take Care such an effective product. Its ingredients
address multiple cardiovascular pathways, working as a team to lower
blood pressure and protect your health. If you are concerned about
hypertension, talk with your health care provider about adding this new
cardioprotective supplement to your diet.
Resources
For more product information about Blood Pressure Take Care, click here.
Article:
Take Care of Your Blood Pressure Naturally
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Brahmesh Siva, et al. “Effect of a polyphenolics extracts of Grape Seeds
(GSE) on Blood Pressure (BP) in patients with the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS),
Department of Nutrition, UC Davis.
“FutureNatant produces metabolic substances useful for ACE inhibition”
VDF Future Ceuticals, Inc., R&D Department, Momence, IL.
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Walker, AF, et al “Promising Hypotensive Effect of Hawthorn Extract: A
Randomized Double-Blind Pilot Study of Mild, Essential Hypertension.”
Phytotherapy Research 2002 Feb;16(1):48-54.
Yoo Kyoung Park, et al. “Concord grape juice supplementation reduces
blood pressure in Korean hypertensive men: Double-blind, placebo
controlled intervention trial.” Biofactors, Volume 22, Numbers 1-4 /
2004.
Andriambeloson, E. et al “Mechanism of Endothelial Nitric
Oxide-Dependent Vasorelaxation Induced by Wine Polyphenols in Rat
Thoracic Aorta” Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology 33(2):248-254,
February 1999.
The statements contained in this article have not been
evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information contained
here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Suggestions and ideas presented in this document are for information
only and should not be interpreted as medical advice, meant for
diagnosing illness, or for prescriptive purposes. Readers are encouraged
to consult their health care provider before beginning any cleanse,
diet, detoxification program, or any supplement regimen. The information
in this document is not to be used to replace the services or
instructions of a physician or qualified health care practitioner. |
