How To Lower Blood Pressure

[scoobydoo]

Curious on what you’ve found to lower BP
My BP is typically around 130/90 but has been as high as 155/90 at docs office multiple times. I also get very strong reactions to coffee despite it helping my brain and mood. I eat food with coffee and add some maple syrup to try and lower the excitatory response but to no avail
Thoughts?

 

[Wilfrid]

Catecholamines are playing an important role in BP.
Knowing the norepinephrine and epinephrine values can help tremendously.
The heart is especially rich in norepinephrine. Do you know your T4, T3, TSH and vitamin D status? Your T4/T3 ratio ? How often do you urinate? How to you feel when your BP is high? do you have cold extremities? Low T4 levels, low insulin can trigger norepinephrine release as well as serotonin and histamine.
Fairly high concentrations of NE also occur in the hypothalamus. Thus elevated NE can increase the T3/T4 ratio ( by increasing T3 and lowering T4 ). In this case, the D2 deiodinase enzymes increase at the expense of the D1 ones ( at the hypothalamus level ) and inhibit TRH release and, as a consequence , lead to a suppression of TSH release as well ( on pituitary level ). Which I think you don’t want long term because this situation can often mask a net hypothyroidism state, despite « normal » blood tests. In fact, NE and epinephrine both elevate body temperature as well as the metabolic rate and both also promote lipolysis....but in this situation your body is in a constant stress and catabolic state not the one you want for your thyroid health as well as your metabolism.

 

[Wilfrid]

Correcting the underlying hypothyroid state ( taking a T4 supplement at physiological dose, if the T4 is already low on blood test. I think that a healthy T4 value should be in the upper tertile on the blood test range ) and making sure that the body calcium homeostasis is ok while minimizing foods or factors that trigger catecholamines release ( especially NE if both diastolic and systolic pressure are increased. ) could probably help a lot.

 

[StephanF]

Try Zeta Aid, formulated by Dr. T.C. McDaniel. I take it every day for my mild arrhythmia:

Dr. TC McDaniel Zeta Aid Welcome

 

[Motif]

Anything helped?

 

[scoobydoo]

Anything helped?

Not really
Stopped consuming coffee for now

 

[Jessie]

Was 155/90 just a single isolated reading? With just one measurement its really hard to establish anything of significance. Something as simple as white coat syndrome, or a stressful drive in traffic over to the doctor office can totally mess up your BP readings. Even healthy people will have spikes in their BP throughout the day that would be considered "high" if they were measured at that given time. The way the medical establishment treats BP is almost as bad as the way they treat cholesterol.

 

[scoobydoo]

Was 155/90 just a single isolated reading? With just one measurement its really hard to establish anything of significance. Something as simple as white coat syndrome, or a stressful drive in traffic over to the doctor office can totally mess up your BP readings. Even healthy people will have spikes in their BP throughout the day that would be considered "high" if they were measured at that given time. The way the medical establishment treats BP is almost as bad as the way they treat cholesterol.

It was pretty constant for a while. I do find that magnesium, and lowering overall fat intake helps

 

[Jessie]

It was pretty constant for a while. I do find that magnesium, and lowering overall fat intake helps

Interesting, well the caffiene in the coffee will lower NO. So depending on how much you've been drinking it could be wise to reduce that amount. A reduction in caffeine with adequate amounts of magnesium, calcium, and potassium should correct the issue. Several drugs, like cyproheptadine for example, can also lower your BP. Some more "esoteric" things that can help would be stuff like anthocyanin, commonly found in blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, purple sweet potatoes, etc.

 

[Mike wolff]

Catecholamines are playing an important role in BP.
Knowing the norepinephrine and epinephrine values can help tremendously.
The heart is especially rich in norepinephrine. Do you know your T4, T3, TSH and vitamin D status? Your T4/T3 ratio ? How often do you urinate? How to you feel when your BP is high? do you have cold extremities? Low T4 levels, low insulin can trigger norepinephrine release as well as serotonin and histamine.
Fairly high concentrations of NE also occur in the hypothalamus. Thus elevated NE can increase the T3/T4 ratio ( by increasing T3 and lowering T4 ). In this case, the D2 deiodinase enzymes increase at the expense of the D1 ones ( at the hypothalamus level ) and inhibit TRH release and, as a consequence , lead to a suppression of TSH release as well ( on pituitary level ). Which I think you don’t want long term because this situation can often mask a net hypothyroidism state, despite « normal » blood tests. In fact, NE and epinephrine both elevate body temperature as well as the metabolic rate and both also promote lipolysis....but in this situation your body is in a constant stress and catabolic state not the one you want for your thyroid health as well as your metabolism.

Wow that all makes sense I eat a keto type diet but focus more on higher protein then fats . Insulin levels are always low and my blood pressure is in high normal range 140/90 I do feel fine however . Would adding carbs help this

 

[Wilfrid]

Wow that all makes sense I eat a keto type diet but focus more on higher protein then fats . Insulin levels are always low and my blood pressure is in high normal range 140/90 I do feel fine however . Would adding carbs help this

I really don't know if adding carbs will help with your situation.
Depending on the kind of proteins you choose while on your specific diet, insufficient calcium intake might have been more likely involved in your case than carbs. Calcium is important for both insulin production and blood pressure regulation.
I think that forum member @yerrag has made the most interesting posts on BP by sharing its experience and research. His posts can be find easily on the forum and are really worth reading.

 

[yerrag]

HBP is very context-specific.

It's good to be concerned if one's BP is starting to increase. So investigate while early, but don't take drugs to artificially lower it. It just keeps you from investigating further so as to nip the problem at the bud. In my experience, where the problem is more difficult to find, I could not get answers from conventional doctors (as expected) and even from naturopathic doctors. So it's up to me to research my case.

It's been 18 years already since my BP started increasing. It's gotten as high as 240/160, but I've had no health issues despite it having gone that high. Never a headache because of it. Never hospitalized. Haven't had flu nor fever the past 20 years. For 3 years at least, have not been having any allergic rhinitis, my only allergy issue. A lot of it has to do with having good sugar metabolism, so I have enough energy to support my health. My blood sugar regulation is excellent, for example.

I've been advised to take BP-reducing drugs but have declined it firmly. I think it is the right decision. I would not know the alternate outcome for sure, but I believe that I would be a lot worse off now had I started taking BP-reducing drugs. I have a small kidney issue, where I have microalbuminuria - but I would have a worse kidney had I taken a hypertensive drug. The body adapts to a sick condition, and if the intervention is not directed at the root cause, but only to treat the symptom, in the case of hypertension to make the numbers, it would simply be ourselves being presumptuous- thinking we know better than our body's wisdom.

High blood pressure is like having a booster bump installed outside an old home with old water supply pipes where the pipes are filled with scales in the inner section of the pipes. Without the booster pump, the shower on the 2nd floor would be trickling water instead of giving you a good shower because of the friction losses from the restricted pipe. Now imagine your body and your organs where blood flows through them in trickles. Would the organs be healthy or not?

I couldn't say more than this. Like I said, high bp is very context-specific and solving it requires one to investigate to know the true cause of it. Once the true cause is known, problem is half solved. I am at this point now. I don't know if I'll find the fix, but at the very least, I am still healthy inspite of my hypertensive condition. It's because I didn't get a solution where the fix is worse than the problem.

I'm told I'm stubborn, but I disagree. I'm determined. And patient. And methodical. When I become successful, people calling me stubborn will then call be determined. Until then, I can accept them calling me stubborn. For 20 years, it's been a tired refrain of mine that the fix is around the corner. I hope that like a broken clock, I will at least be right once. But unlike a clock, I will then always be right once I get there.

p.s. In listening to advice from doctors, be cognizant of the legal environment the US is in, where a lawsuit would easily undo a practitioner's career and lead to the loss of his income and standing in the community. This includes the loss of his wife and family, if he were the breadwinner. So the advice would be easily based not on it being the right advice, but on it being the advice that protects him from being legally made destitute. No one would advise me to take the route I took, for fear I could sue them if my health took a turn for the worse. So understand this tyranny, a sword of Damocles over our health, when one gets advice from doctors.

 

[johnwester130]

HBP is very context-specific.

It's good to be concerned if one's BP is starting to increase. So investigate while early, but don't take drugs to artificially lower it. It just keeps you from investigating further so as to nip the problem at the bud. In my experience, where the problem is more difficult to find, I could not get answers from conventional doctors (as expected) and even from naturopathic doctors. So it's up to me to research my case.

It's been 18 years already since my BP started increasing. It's gotten as high as 240/160, but I've had no health issues despite it having gone that high. Never a headache because of it. Never hospitalized. Haven't had flu nor fever the past 20 years. For 3 years at least, have not been having any allergic rhinitis, my only allergy issue. A lot of it has to do with having good sugar metabolism, so I have enough energy to support my health. My blood sugar regulation is excellent, for example.

I've been advised to take BP-reducing drugs but have declined it firmly. I think it is the right decision. I would not know the alternate outcome for sure, but I believe that I would be a lot worse off now had I started taking BP-reducing drugs. I have a small kidney issue, where I have microalbuminuria - but I would have a worse kidney had I taken a hypertensive drug. The body adapts to a sick condition, and if the intervention is not directed at the root cause, but only to treat the symptom, in the case of hypertension to make the numbers, it would simply be ourselves being presumptuous- thinking we know better than our body's wisdom.

High blood pressure is like having a booster bump installed outside an old home with old water supply pipes where the pipes are filled with scales in the inner section of the pipes. Without the booster pump, the shower on the 2nd floor would be trickling water instead of giving you a good shower because of the friction losses from the restricted pipe. Now imagine your body and your organs where blood flows through them in trickles. Would the organs be healthy or not?

I couldn't say more than this. Like I said, high bp is very context-specific and solving it requires one to investigate to know the true cause of it. Once the true cause is known, problem is half solved. I am at this point now. I don't know if I'll find the fix, but at the very least, I am still healthy inspite of my hypertensive condition. It's because I didn't get a solution where the fix is worse than the problem.

I'm told I'm stubborn, but I disagree. I'm determined. And patient. And methodical. When I become successful, people calling me stubborn will then call be determined. Until then, I can accept them calling me stubborn. For 20 years, it's been a tired refrain of mine that the fix is around the corner. I hope that like a broken clock, I will at least be right once. But unlike a clock, I will then always be right once I get there.

if the aretries are clogged then pauling therapy with vitamin c//lysine can work

even better is chondroitin sulfate, which is like gelatin but much more effective for clearing the arteries

both together would be extraordinary

 

[yerrag]

if the aretries are clogged then pauling therapy with vitamin c//lysine can work

even better is chondroitin sulfate, which is like gelatin but much more effective for clearing the arteries

both together would be extraordinary

Right.

But my example of old house pipes covered by scales in the internal surface is just one cause of hypertension. Still have to determine if that is indeed the cause. I assumed that to be the cause, but as I went about lysing it, I was to learn it is more complicated than that. But mine is a convoluted case, one where if you were to design a puzzle, the puzzle would be laid with booby traps and gotchas galore.

 

[Mike wolff]

Not really
Stopped consuming coffee for now

Did it work

 

[Mike wolff]

I really don't know if adding carbs will help with your situation.
Depending on the kind of proteins you choose while on your specific diet, insufficient calcium intake might have been more likely involved in your case than carbs. Calcium is important for both insulin production and blood pressure regulation.
I think that forum member @yerrag has made the most interesting posts on BP by sharing its experience and research. His posts can be find easily on the forum and are really worth reading.

Would you suggest taking a supplement

 

[youngsinatra]

Getting your vitamin D to 40-60 ng/ml, ensuring adequate K2 and retinol.
Adequate calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium intake.
Get deep sleep 7-9h every night. (this one is hugely important)
Improve thyroid health. (cranberry juice for iodine, red meat and eggs for selenium, frequent meals, some fructose throughout the day.)
Improve insulin sensitivity. (post-meal walking, lowering fat intake, decreasing high-glycemic foods + niacinamide maybe)

That's things that helped me a lot with BP.

 

[Motif]

Anything helped meanwhile?

 

[Mike wolff]

Not really
Stopped consuming coffee for now

Has that worked

 

[David PS]

A daily dose for six weeks of high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) reduced the systolic blood pressure by an average of nine millimeters of mercury, according to a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.​

Sept 2022​

A multi-trial, retrospective analysis of the antihypertensive effects of high-resistance, low-volume inspiratory muscle strength training​

High-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) devices are sold online.
Amazon.com : imst