The London School of Economics has warned that half of Britons could suffer from high blood pressure by 2025. According to recent statistics, one in three adults has high blood pressure but doesn’t even know it.

High blood pressure does tremendous damage to your body. The excessive pressure against your arteries and heart will steadily and seriously damage them over a period of time. Left untreated, it can cause kidney and eye damage, hardening of the arteries, heart attack and stroke and double the risk of dying from one of these conditions. Three out of 5 cases of heart attacks in women are due to high blood pressure.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Pressure Institute (NHLBPI) has stated that “Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime”. And if it is left undiagnosed and untreated, that lifetime may be cut radically short.

Unlike many other medical conditions, hypertension (high blood pressure) generally has no symptoms and people who have hypertension generally feel OK. They might be a little overweight, not exercise enough, eat too much salty food, drink heavily, smoke or have a poor diet, but other than that are fairly normal. It’s important to get your blood pressure checked to make sure it falls within the normal range, but if there aren’t any clearly defined symptoms how do you know if you have high blood pressure.

Frequent headaches, nosebleeds, vertigo (dizziness), and tinnitus (constant ringing of the ears) can very well be signs of high blood pressure but the only sure fire way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get it checked. Blood pressure measures how much the heart contracts (systolic pressure) and how much the arteries contract (diastolic pressure).

Normally optimal blood pressure is 120(systolic)/80(diastolic). A reading of 140/90 is considered to be mild hypertension, and above that figure is considered to be clinical hypertension. First, get a home blood pressure kit. This easy, reasonably priced and portable equipment, called a “sphygmomanometer” contains a blood pressure “cuff” and a measuring tool for determining your diastolic and systolic blood pressure. It is better to get an arm blood pressure monitor rather than a wrist for accuracy.

While optimal adult blood pressure has to be about 120/80, if the ‘top’ number, the systolic pressure is over 135 or the bottom, the diastolic, is over 100 you should see your doctor.

Experts suggest that intervention in high blood pressure using a variety of treatments – diet, exercise and natural remedies – should start when readings regularly exceed 120/80. Most doctors recommend that patients try to restore a healthy blood pressure level by first making lifestyle changes before considering drug options. Here are some natural ways to prevent or reduce high blood pressure:

Stop smoking:

Not only will this help keep your blood pressure in line, you’ll also diminish your risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. According to the Heart Foundation quitting is “the single most important lifestyle modification in all patients with hypertension”. Even if you don’t have hypertension (yet), quitting can dramatically reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Cigarette smoking raises your blood pressure by constricting arteries. It also damages the heart muscle and other tissues by decreasing the amount of oxygen they get

Lose the Weight:

According to the Heart Foundation, ‘weight reduction by as little as 5 kg (11lbs) reduces blood pressure in most individuals who are more than 10% over ideal weight.’ It is not hard to lose 5 kg; simply eat more vegetables and fruits, into your diet, choose fish, nuts, eggs and legumes instead of fattier cuts of meat, and reduce the consumption of sweets, white bread, pasta, potatoes and alcohol. Almost everyone will see a reduction in their blood pressure if they shed a few pounds.

Change your daily eating habits:

America has now launched a diet called DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)) which has been shown to be as good as or even better than the effects of drugs. It is now being suggested as a first-line treatment for high blood pressure. Meat is thought to be one of the main culprits and it is suggested that this is substituted with fish and an increase in fruit and vegetables. The DASH diet also limits refined carbohydrates like sugar and products made with white flour such as biscuits, bread, cakes and reduces saturated fats.

Whether or not you need to lose weight the diet recommendations below give your body the nutrients it needs to lower your blood pressure:

• Eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and oily fish and reduce the cholesterol causing foods containing saturate fat e.g., red meat and dairy.
• Emphasise foods rich in the minerals magnesium, potassium and calcium. Include: nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables, legumes, whole grains, avocados, bananas, oranges, and apples.
• Eat high-fibre foods such as whole grains and vegetables. In addition to boosting fibre, these foods contain nutrients that lower blood pressure.
• Eat deep-sea fish that are rich in essential fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. The Omega-3 Fatty acids in these fish relax artery walls reducing blood pressure. It also makes blood thinner and less likely to clot (a good tip also for economy class syndrome when flying)

Reduce the sodium/salt:

Study after study has shown that blood pressure can be lowered by reducing the amount of sodium (salt) in the diet. Salt is often used as a preservative and is added to most processed, pre-packaged foods and if you add salt when you cook, that counts too. It goes without saying that if you add salt at the table or to your cooking, cut back right now.

You’ll gradually find that when you start cutting back your taste buds adjust and you learn to appreciate the more subtle flavours that were once hidden by the over powering taste of alt. Many foods today claim to be reduced salt or low salt but this can be confusing when labels talk of sodium. To find out how much salt is in a food, multiply the sodium content on the label by 2.5. You should aim for less than 5g of salt a day. When preparing, cooking and eating your food, ditch the salt and consider replacing salt with these flavourful herbs and spices:

• Basil: Tomato-based sauces and dishes
• Bay leaf: Braised and stewed dishes
• Chives: Salads, stews, and soups
• Cinnamon: Desserts and beverages
• Cloves: Vegetables
• Cumin: Marinades, chilli, and tomato sauce
• Curry: Fish and vegetables
• Dill: Seafood, salads, light sauces, dips, and spreads
• Ginger: Stir-fried vegetables
• Lemon: Salads and dressings
• Marjoram: Fish and vegetables
• Paprika: Potatoes and fish
• Parsley: Stocks and soups
• Rosemary and Sage: Grilled fish and tofu

Exercise:

Take regular aerobic exercise for 30-40 minutes 3 times a week. Such exercise has been shown to lower blood pressure and prevent heart attacks. You don’t have to go to the gym to have a good workout going for a brisk walk, regularly taking the stairs instead of the elevator, taking a dance class, gardening, cleaning the house can all be beneficial.

Take it Easy:

Studies show that high stress may affect your blood pressure so if you think you may be at risk think of ways that you can eliminate the stressors in your life. Try to find a method of relaxation that you enjoy whether it is meditation, yoga, walking, swimming or other exercise and do it daily or at least every other day. Getting a pet may help too. Researchers from the State University of New York have shown that having a pet can protect against the effects of stress better than drugs designed to lower blood pressure.

Ease up on drinking:

Drinking alcohol excessively or binge drinking can lead to a stroke. Studies say that people who drink an excessive amount of alcohol (over two units per day) increase their risk of high blood pressure. If you’re going to drink do so in moderation limit your intake to two glasses per day.

Herbal helpers:

• Turmeric is one of the blood pressure herbs that many people already incorporate into their diet. Turmeric is common in curry dishes and you might have been already eating it on a regular basis without realising that it’s one of the blood pressure herbs.
• Ginger is another example of one of the blood pressure herbs that people often eat. Ginger adds a delicate spiciness to many foods including salad dressings and pumpkin pies. Adding ginger to your diet can directly impact the level of your high blood pressure. There is a good supplement called Boswellia Plus which contains ginger, turmeric, bilberry and boswellia.
• Garlic – this familiar cooking herb is known to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, treat infections and prevent cancer. One way to help lower blood pressure is to eat 1-3 raw, or lightly cooked, cloves of garlic a day. If you cannot stand garlic breath take it as a supplement: The one I use in the clinic is Aged Garlic which is a concentrated form of organic garlic which has been used in clinic trials to lower blood pressure.
• Hawthorn – the leaves, flowers and berries of the hawthorn are a general tonic for the cardiovascular system. Hawthorn is perhaps the best known herbal medicine used in the treatment of mild high blood pressure. It improves heart function and helps treat congestive heart failure, irregular heartbeats and angina. It lowers blood pressure by relaxing and dilating artery walls. It is the ideal herb to use in the early stages of high blood pressure.
• Reishi – Studies show that Reishi – a Japanese mushroom – lowers blood pressure and reduces “bad” LDL cholesterol. It also makes blood less likely to clot and provoke heart attacks.
• Dandelion – this familiar herb is a popular home remedy for fluid retention. By gently increasing urine flow dandelion helps to lower blood pressure. In very high doses it is a diuretic. The advantages of using dandelion are twofold – it does not cause potassium loss, and almost anyone can find fresh dandelion leaves to make a salad or make into a tea. Dosage: 2-6 cups of tea per day (simmer 1-2 teaspoons of dried leaves in ½ pint of water for 5 minutes), or 1-2 dropperfuls of tincture up to x3 a day

Dietary Supplements:

• Calcium and Magnesium – Take a combination of magnesium and calcium daily. Both these minerals have been shown to lower blood pressure. Taking a quality multi vitamin and mineral daily with vitamin B and vitamin E may also prove helpful. The B vitamins are great for stress reduction and vitamin E thins the blood, protecting it from clotting and is also a powerful antioxidant protecting fats against free radical damage.
• Co-enzyme Q10 – this vitamin-like substance is contained in nearly every cell of your body. It is important for energy production and normal carbohydrate metabolism (the way your bodies break down the carbohydrates you eat in order to turn it into energy). We can become deficient in Q10 as we get older which can result in depleted energy levels. In one randomised double blind trial patients with high blood pressure and taking blood pressure medication, were either given co-enzyme Q10 or a vitamin B complex. Those taking the Q10 had lower blood pressure and triglycerides (blood fats). Their HDL (‘good’ cholesterol) also increased and so did their levels of antioxidants vitamins A, C, E and beta carotene.

If you’re like many health-conscious people, you pay a lot of attention to what you eat. But even the highest quality foods won’t necessarily help you build health if you don’t digest them well. Listed below are some tips for optimizing your digestive process and preventing digestive problems from arising in the first place.

Digestion basic 1: Chew, Chew, Chew

• Take smaller bites.
• Put your fork down in between meals.
• Try using chopsticks – it forces you to slow down.
• Thoroughly chew each bite of food.
• Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth – chewing grains thoroughly allows amylase, the digestive enzyme present in saliva, to digest the grains.

Digestion basic 2: Get Enough Water

• Insufficient water intake is a primary cause of constipation. Constipation then causes an imbalance in bacteria, promotes inflammation of the intestinal lining, and can even lead to the absorption of larger molecules, a condition known as intestinal permeability.

Digestion basic 3: Increase dietary fibre.

• Good sources of dietary fibre include: dried fruit, such as dates, figs, and prunes and beans and legumes- if you don’t have time to cook dried beans, buy canned, but make sure you rinse them thoroughly before cooking. Lentils and split peas are less gas-forming than other legumes. Fruits and vegetables are also fibre superstars.
• Flaxseeds are a gentle laxative. They can be useful for chronic constipation, damage to the intestine wall from laxative use, irritable bowel, and to soothe inflammation. Sprinkle flaxseeds on rice, grains, salads, or any other meal of your choice. Other great foods for constipation and digestion include: lemon, garlic and fennel.

Digestion basic 4: Practice Mindful Eating

• A pilot study at Indiana State University found that mindfulness, including specific instructions to slowly savour the flavour of food and be aware of how much food is enough, helped to reduce eating binges from an average of four binges per week to one and a half. So try to eat in the moment. Savour every bite, enjoying the flavours, textures, and smells of your meal.

Digestion basic 5: Address Food Sensitivities and Allergies

• Food sensitivities are behind many digestive disorders. For example, between 33% and 66% of IBS patients report having one or more food intolerances, resulting in bloating, gas, and pain. The most common culprits are milk and dairy (40-44%) and grains (40-60%). For information on food allergy tests go to www.naturalhealthpractice.com.

Digestion basic 6: Increase Good Gut Bacteria

• There are over 400 different kinds of bacteria and yeasts in the digestive system. Of these, the bacteria Lactobacillus acidophillus and Bifidobacterium bifidum are considered good “probiotic” bacteria because they can help to maintain intestinal health. Although good bacteria can be found in some yogurts, there is a wide variation in the quantity and quality or add in a good probiotic supplement like BioKult.

This month’s case study is ‘Clare’ – who came to the Clinic because of fibroids

Clare’s story:

I was first diagnosed with a fibroid in 2006 and although it wasn’t causing painful or heavy periods, it did cause general abdominal/pelvic tenderness. I also knew it wasn’t natural to have a large mass within the uterus and it could possibly interfere with my fertility.

My initial scan revealed that the fibroid was the size of a 16 week foetus which was quite shocking. I also had a small cyst on my right ovary. My consultant suggested that I should have a hysterectomy straight away but I felt very strongly that I didn’t want to go down this route, particularly because I hadn’t had children.

I researched Fibroids on the internet and came across The Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic and I downloaded a chapter on Fibroids. It was so useful because it the chapter was broken down into what fibroids are and the factors which cause the condition and what the medical and natural treatment options are. Rather than trying to follow the advice by myself I decided to book an appointment as I knew I would be better with professional guidance.

I phoned the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic and booked an appointment with one of the practitioners. I had read about the Hair Mineral Analysis which I was keen to do before my fist consultation so I arranged for this to be done so the results would be back before my appointment. I had to complete a very comprehensive Nutrition Questionnaire which I sent back to the practitioner so she could look through it before meeting me. This enabled me to explain more about my condition and how it was effecting my health, plus I had to fill in a 2 day diet diary. It was really helpful doing this because I didn’t realise how much caffeine and sugar I was consuming!

During my first appointment the practitioner went through my questionnaire to glean as much information as possible. She also talked me through the results of the Hair Mineral Analysis which was fascinating. It showed that I was low in the minerals zinc and chromium. Zinc is needed for hormone balance and the production of progesterone which was very relevant to my condition. Chromium is related to blood sugar stability and indirectly keeping progesterone levels high which again was relevant because I do tend to suffer with sugar cravings through the day and that mid afternoon ‘slump’!

The practitioner explained more about the nature of fibroids and how important nutritional therapy is in balancing hormone levels. Because I didn’t suffer any day to day symptoms apart from pelvic tenderness, we were concentrating on trying to reduce the size of the fibroid through diet, vitamins and minerals and herbs. She recommended that I have another scan 6 months on with my gynaecologist to assess the effectiveness of the nutrition because without a physical examination it is hard to know.

I was put on a hormone-balancing diet, which involved avoiding meat and dairy because they may contain hormones which would create more imbalance in my system. The first month I also had to avoid caffeine from tea and coffee and sugar which can all suppress the immune system and deplete my body of vital nutrients. The caffeine and sugar was in fact the hardest thing to reduce but I was obviously addicted to them after years of consuming them! After this initial detoxification period, I continued to follow the same diet because I felt so well on it.

The practitioner explained that fibroids are stimulated by excess hormones, predominantly oestrogen, which can be exacerbated by poor liver function/detoxification.

She recommended I perform a ‘Detoxification Capacity Profile.’ This involved providing a saliva and urine sample which assessed the various different stages of liver detoxification. It is well known that people with hormone imbalance often have a reduced ability to clear then hormones from their liver. The test results showed that both phases of liver detoxification were sluggish which meant the hormones were more likely to get reabsorbed back into my blood stream, setting up further hormone dominance and imbalance, which in turn ‘feed’ the fibroid and stimulate its growth. This area was supported with specific herbs and vitamins and minerals and I was advised to really increase my intake of brassica vegetables like broccoli, kale and cabbage which help to clear oestrogen efficiently from the liver. This was an area I knew I had to improve because I struggled to get my greens everyday.

Although I couldn’t measure exactly how effective the nutrition was on dealing with my fibroid I generally felt so much healthier – I had more energy, less pelvic pain and my skin looked bright and clear. 6 months after seeing the practitioner and following her recommendations, I had a follow up scan and it showed that my fibroid had reduced in size! It had shrunk from 86 x 106 mm to 78 x 66 mm and the small cyst on my ovary had totally disappeared!

My gynaecologist was quite shocked and it was only then he believed that the nutritional protocol worked and he no longer kept trying to push me to have a hysterectomy. He recommended that I have another scan 6-12 months on to keep a check on the fibroid. I was so pleased with this outcome and it made me even more confident and inspired to continue eating so well.

Based on my experience of nutritional therapy, I would recommend to anyone reading this who suffers with fibroids or other hormone imbalance to seek advice from a practitioner.

It has changed my life in so many ways not only because it has helped to reduce the size of my fibroid but I feel more educated and informed on what foods I should and shouldn’t be putting into my body. I think Drs are all too keen to recommend hysterectomy as a ‘quick fix’ solution. Not only would it have been an invasive procedure with general anaesthetic and scarring after, but it would have meant I’d never be able to have children. My message to anyone is be open minded to other treatment options before making decisions.

Marilyn’s Comments:

Claire’s story is very inspiring and a good motivation for those with fibroids or indeed any hormonal imbalance. The medical profession recommend drug therapy and/or surgery which can sometimes feel like the easy option, but Claire has shown us how effective nutritional therapy can be.

Of course, there are times when surgery is needed and in fact is essential, but even if this is the case, good nutrition is still essential to reduce the risk of reoccurrence and to help the healing process.

It also shows how conditions can vary so much in regards to the symptoms. For example some women with fibroids have extremely heavy and debilitating periods which can lead to severe anaemia and some can suffer with constant pain, tenderness and a ‘dragging ‘sensation in their pelvic area.

Claire suffered with pelvic tenderness, but thankfully didn’t have the heavy periods. This is why it is so important to seek professional advice to get the correct treatment plan. My book, ‘The Nutritional Health Handbook for Women’ is a good starting point but if you would like to find out more about having a consultation and the tests that were mentioned, please do call The Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic on 0870 5329244. The functioning of the liver’s detoxification pathways is assessed from a saliva and urine sample.