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Taking Care of Your Blood Pressure Naturally
by Taryn Forrelli, N.D.
 One in three Americans has hypertension, and with it, increased risk
for stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure and arterial
aneurysms. With these conditions claiming the lives of one adult every
33 seconds, you have good reason to take care of your blood pressure,
and herbs and foods can help.
The skins and seeds of grapes are one of those foods. They are both
loaded with polyphenols, phytonutrients which provide numerous
benefits for the cardiovascular system, including
blood-pressure–lowering effects.
In a recent clinical trial conducted at the University
of California-Davis, subjects diagnosed with metabolic syndrome taking
either 150 mg or 300 mg of a unique patent-pending grape seed extract
for four weeks were able to lower their systolic blood pressure by 12
points and their diastolic pressure by 8 points on average. No changes
in blood pressure were observed in subjects given the placebo. A
second trial conducted on patients with pre-hypertension found similar
blood-pressure–lowering effects. (This patented grape seed extract is
available in the
Blood Pressure Take Care
formula from New Chapter.)
Eating probiotically fermented foods like yogurt, kefier, and tempeh
can also help keep your blood pressure in a desirable range. Certain
species of probiotics have been found to secrete bioactive peptides
(chains of amino acids) that inhibit the activity of a
blood-pressure–regulating enzyme called angiotension converting enzyme
(ACE). When ACE is inhibited, blood vessels dilate and blood pressure
is reduced. ACE-inhibiting peptides have been identified in fermented
foods and remain active, even if the probiotics themselves are not.
Cardio-supportive herbs to consider are hawthorn and motherwort (see
Christine’s notes below). Taking care of your blood pressure doesn’t
have to mean taking blood pressure medications. By being proactive
about your health and talking to your doctor about including the
dietary supplements described above in conjunction with dietary and
lifestyle changes, you can maintain healthy blood pressure and a
healthy heart for years to come.
 Notes from Christine:
The
Blood Pressure Take Care formula by New Chapter is a heart and
circulatory health product that helps to maintain healthy blood
pressure through multiple pathways: maintaining high-density
lipoproteins at optimal levels and safely maintaining healthy enzyme
expression. The synergy of components is what makes
Blood Pressure Take Care
so effective. It contains:
MegaNatural BP is a new patent pending rapeseed extract that contains
a minimum of 90% phenolic compounds. These compounds are potent
antioxidants that can help to support blood pressure by supporting the
body’s properly maintained expression of eNOS activity. In an upcoming
book by medical journalist Robert Kowalski entitled The Blood Pressure
Cure, MegaNatural BP is referred to as a “secret weapon against high
blood pressure.” Kowalski is quoted as saying, “with average
improvements in systolic blood pressure of 8 to 12 points and a
lowering of diastolic BP of an average of 6 points, it’s as good as
one would expect form a prescription drug, without any of the possible
side effects.
FutureNatant: A unique probiotic formula that contains the selected
strains of probiotics; Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus
thermophilus and Bifidobacteria infantis. These species of friendly
bacteria secrete compounds know as tri-peptides that show a unique
ability to safely modulate ACE activity and maintain a body’s healthy
ACE expression. According to a study performed at FutrueCeuticals,
FutureNatant inhibited ACE activity by 94% compared to controls.
Hawthorn: According to the University of Maryland Medical Center,
“considerable evidence supports the cardiovascular benefits of this
herb. Studies suggest that hawthorn can be safely taken by people with
hypertension who are taking blood pressure medicines.”
Motherwort: Motherwort is an herb that contains alkaloids, cardioprotective compounds that support healthy blood pressure, blood
flow and heartbeat.
Grape Juice: A double blind study, published in the scientific journal Biofactors, evaluated 40 men with mild hypertension whose blood
pressure averaged 146/94 mmHg. After 8 weeks the group that drank
grape juice presented an average reduction in systolic blood pressure
of 7.2 and in diastolic pressure of 6.2mm compared to baseline.
Another study found that grape juice produced arterial relaxation by
increasing eNOS activity in the cells lining the arterial wall.
For more product information about Blood Pressure Take Care, click
here.
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