High Blood Pressure, Salt And Prescription Drugs

Red Pill Reich

High Blood Pressure, Salt And Prescription Drugs - Ask Nurse Olivia Posted: 23 Mar 2008 03:57 PM CDT Hi Everyone, This is a great question that concerns a lot of people. Even if you don't have high blood pressure, you may want to read below about what prescription drugs do to the body rather than healing it. I also discuss the harmful effects of table salt, yet because salt is essential to our health, it's important to get a sufficient amount of the right kind (most sea salt is not healthy). Here is this week's "Ask Nurse Olivia" question: "I have high blood pressure and take two drugs for it, are those medications bad too? Is there an alternative?" High Blood Pressure High blood pressure medications, like all pharmaceutical drugs, cause harmful effects to the body. According to the New England Journal of Medicine and John Hopkins University, those blood pressure medications classified as beta blockers, which decrease the heart rate and output of blood by the heart, increase the risk of diabetes by 28%. Blood pressure is considered high if the top number (systolic) is above 140, and the bottom number (diastolic) is above 90. The bottom number is considered the most important, because it shows the relaxation of the heart. High blood pressure is the body's way of dealing with a pollution crisis. A person with high blood pressure has so many toxins (poisons) that the body attempts to get rid of them by constricting the blood vessels, causing the toxins to circulate and leave the body sooner. Blood pressure medication relaxes the muscular walls of the blood vessels, causing them to dilate. The body has innate intelligence and should not be forced artificially, using medication, to lower the blood pressure. If it was healthier for such a person's blood pressure to remain normal, then the body would not have raised it. To the body, the high blood pressure is less of a threat than the toxins. All medications work in a similar fashion, by suppressing the body's natural response to toxins, and therefore not only is the patient left with a high level of disease producing toxins because the body is stopped from dealing with them, he most likely will develop more "symptoms" from the side effects of suppressing the body's natural abilities, and will be diagnosed with further "diseases," such as diabetes. This is why it's very common for one drug to lead to another. These are considered "side effects," but honestly, I don't consider them side effects anymore - they should really be called "expected effects." It should be expected that when the body is so full of toxins it begins to exhibit signs of toxicity, and then is suppressed from reacting to those toxins by medications, that the disease process will progress. The entire problem stems from toxicity, and therefore drugging the body into being even more toxic is dangerous to our health. Blood Pressure Remedies There are a number of natural remedies for high blood pressure, but I would encourage you if you use one to make sure you get good nutrition as well, for longterm health. One of the most popular remedies for high blood pressure is drinking apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is full of nutrients and highly effective at lowering high blood pressure, with no side effects (it is not dangerous for people with normal blood pressure levels). Drink 1 Tablespoon three times daily, and you should see results within a week. You can mix it in a glass of water if you prefer. It's best to use an organic, unpasteurized brand from a health food store, preferably with the mother at the bottom, which contains enzymes. A preferred brand in the US which is certified USDA Organic is made by Braggs. If you find drinking the apple cider vinegar causes a burning sensation or is turning your teeth yellow, try adding a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). You may want to try drinking this mixture about 20 minutes before meals, because there is research that suggests this could help keep blood sugar levels from spiking. If you're taking blood pressure medication, it's very important to monitor your pressure as you do this, because as it comes down you will need to stop taking the medicine and visit your doctor to have it discontinued. The apple cider vinegar does not pose a danger, but artificially lowering your blood pressure with medication once it has reached normal levels could be. Once your blood pressure reaches a healthy level, call your doctor's office. The Water Cure For Blood Pressure I used to teach my patients with high blood pressure to avoid salt, which is what we're taught to do, so imagine my reaction when I read from an MD that patients with high blood pressure need more salt. It might be similar to whatever you're thinking right now. Sodium and chloride are essential to our survival. According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, salt intake is required in order for the body to regulate fluid balance. He calls this balancing the ocean inside the cells and the ocean outside the cells. Sodium and chloride are responsible for osmosis, which regulates fluid pressure within cells and protects the body against excessive water loss (as in diarrhea or on heavy sweating). If you think about it, hospitals give patients normal saline intravenously which is basically salt water. Our bodies also make sodium bicarbonate from salt, and iron for the production of hemoglobin. Dr. B states that many health conditions, including high blood pressure, are the result of chronic dehydration, which is the reason I frequently mention that we should all be drinking 1/2 our weight in ounces of water each day. (If you use kilos rather than pounds, multiply your weight by 2.2, then divide by 2.) I recommend that anyone with high blood pressure, whose kidneys are operating well, try Dr. B's Water Cure, which incorporates water with salt, but I highly recommend you drink non-fluoridated water and use a salt that's healthy for you. The refining process of commercially produced salt changes the chemical structure of the salt, making it harmful to the body and unable to provide us with the sodium and chloride we require. Processed salt does not dissolve in water and therefore cannot dissolve in the body, so it becomes a foreign substance that collects in the organs and tissues, resulting in heart disease, arthritis, hardening of tissues and arteries, calcium deposits in the joints and more. Heart disease and arthritis are actually rare in countries that dry their salt in the sun, so it's not salt that is harmful, it's the processing. Natural organic salt will not cause calcification in your body, and real sea salt can dissolve damaging calcium deposits in the body. Fish that are accustomed to living in saltwater die in a solution of processed salt. Just as refined salt is unhealthy for fish, it is to us as well. Unrefined salt, however, is healthy for us, and you can't overdo it. Healthy, unprocessed salt will not cause high blood pressure. Processed salt also contains aluminum, so it contributes to Alzheimer's. Finding A Healthy Salt When salt is processed, the minerals are actually stripped from it and sold. The whiter the salt, the more it has been processed. This includes the majority of sea salts out there. Many of them are just as bright white as processed salts, because they are processed, but they have the label "sea salt" so people think they're healthy. Look for a salt that is raw, unprocessed, not bright white, and has a high mineral content. The brand I use is Himalayan Crystal Salt, containing 84 ionized minerals. It is actually light pink and delicious. If you'd like to try Dr. Batmanghelidj's Water Cure, calculate the amount of water you need to drink as stated above add 1/8 teaspoon for every 16 ounces of water you drink. You can add it to the water, but it's best to put it on your tongue just before drinking. Dr. B suggests adding salt liberally to your food as well. To read more about Dr. B's research, click here to visit his website. Dr. B is no longer with us, but his friends have a site dedicated to making his work known - To read testimonials on how his protocol has helped people overcome multiple illnesses, click here. If you'd like to try reversing a serious health condition using The Water Cure, make sure you follow the schedule. Please note that if you are going to try The Water Cure, it's very important to get good nutrition as well, because otherwise you will be diluting and excreting the nutrients that you do have. Either follow Dr. B's nutritional recommendations below the schedule, or try a high quality whole food product, such as NuPlus or Modifilan. Nutrition A person who wants to actually resolve high blood pressure by addressing the cause of the problem can easily do so. I've seen blood pressure return to normal within weeks, or even days, when high quality nutrition is introduced. Be sure to see my suggestions on nutritional products and nutritional foods, because without high quality supplements, it's not possible to get good nutrition today. Also, the less toxins introduced to the body through processed foods, the less the body will be burdened by them. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, grains and sugars increase the risk of both high blood pressure and diabetes, so eliminating these from the diet will also help. * About "Ask Nurse Olivia" Ask Nurse Olivia is a feature of my blog, Red Pill Reich, as well as Truth Brigade Radio. One question is picked each week and posted on both sites. Names and email addresses are removed, and you will be notified if your question is chosen. Questions should be submitted to TruthBrigade@cox.net with "Ask Nurse Olivia" in the subject line. If your question isn't picked, I will do my best to answer it anyway, but so many people are writing to me that I have to prioritize, so I apologize if you don't get an answer. Please visit the websites below if you can't find the info you're looking for at my blog: - General Health Sites Dr. Joseph Mercola Natural News featuring Mike Adams, the Health Ranger - Cancer Sites Cancer Tutor Gerson Therapy Dr. Lorraine Day If it's an urgent situation and you don't have time to do cancer research, try getting a consult from Ralph Moss, PhD. I appreciate your support and applaud your efforts in educating yourself about your health. Remember, no one will ever care more about your health than you! Olivia L. Worthy