Beat the “Silent Killer” Without Drugs
High blood pressure - the "silent killer" - strikes without warning. And at least 20 percent of Americans with this condition don’t even know they have it.
Once patients are diagnosed with high blood pressure, U.S. doctors are the most aggressive in the world at treating it, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. They prescribe drugs earlier than doctors in other countries and are the quickest to prescribe more than one drug at a time. A remarkable 64 percent of American patients are on two or more blood-pressure drugs. And those medications have side effects, including:
- Impotence
- Fatigue
- Congestive heart failure
- Memory loss
- Weakness
- Depression
- Persistent cough
Most patients don’t need dangerous drugs. One of the most powerful ways to combat this epidemic is completely natural and without serious side effects. I’m talking about taking CoQ10.
My Wellness Research Foundation found that a vast majority of people with high blood pressure have very low levels of CoQ10. So I’ve used this supplement to wean hundreds of patients off drugs. Treated with 200 mg of CoQ10 daily, their blood pressure returned to normal.
Here are two other natural supplements to help you lower your blood pressure:
Garlic naturally widens your blood vessels and lowers your systolic pressure (the top number) by 20 to 30 mm Hg and your diastolic pressure (the bottom number) by 10 to 20 mm Hg. A German study revealed that garlic also lowers your cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fat). Look for a supplement that contains at least 3,600 micrograms of allicin (the active ingredient in garlic) per dose.
Vitamin C is another proven way to lower your blood pressure. One 10-year study showed that the lower your levels of vitamin C, the higher your blood pressure and risk of stroke. Another study found that taking as little as 250 mg a day cut the risk of high blood pressure by almost half - and it’s very safe to take much more. I usually recommend starting with 1,000 mg of vitamin C daily.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]
Similar Articles:
- It’s Fun to Know: Where to Get Your Garlic Fix - ETR health experts have been touting the health benefits of garlic for years. It’s a cancer fig…
- Love Your Lycopene - 65 million people in the U.S. have high blood pressure. That’s one out of every three adults. And wi…
- Onions and Garlic… “Powerful” in More Ways Than One - If you’re like me and enjoy the taste of garlic and onions - and you eat them often - you’re doing a…
- Slim Down With the “Stinking Rose” - Are you a garlic lover? If so, your stinky indulgences may be a boon to your weight-loss efforts. A …
- Cloves Against Cancer - You may want to think again before you say "Hold the garlic." Especially if you’re concern…
- The Effect of Sunshine on Aging - If you need some incentive to spend time outside in the chilly months, how about this: It may help y…
- Drizzle to Drop Blood Pressure - You’ve likely heard that the Mediterranean diet is good for your heart and your brain. Now new …