Strokes and High Blood Pressure
Quick Review from last Week: What is a Stroke Stroke: blood supply to the brain is severely limited or cut off With no blood to carry oxygen to them, brain cells will die A heart attack is when blood supply to the heart is cut off Most strokes are caused by a clot in a vessel carrying blood to the brain Some strokes occur when an artery ruptures or blood vessel in the brain breaks This is an aneurysm or brain hemorrhage
Increased Risk of Stroke or Heart Attack Men Waist circumference over 40 inches HDL below 40 Triglycerides in excess of 150 Blood sugar level in excess of 100 Blood pressure in excess of 140/90 Women Waist circumference over 35 inches HDL below 50 Triglycerides in excess of 150 Blood sugar level in excess of 100 Blood pressure in excess of 140/90 Cholesterol is NOT a risk factor!
The Real Causes of Heart Disease and Stroke Smoking any tobacco product or chewing tobacco A diet high in refined carbohydrates causing high blood sugar and insulin resistance Consuming any form of sugar Omega-6 fatty acids. An imbalance of the omega-6 ratio to omega-3 fatty acids Stress. Find ways to reduce stress with herbal adaptogens, meditation, prayer, or any form of relaxation that reduces your tension and stress Lack of exercise. You need to do something. At least get out and walk 30 minutes a day or use some form of stationary exercise equipment and get moving. See my article, Terry s Exercise Plan on www.terrytalksnutrition.com Drinking alcohol in access. Limit your alcohol intake to one or two drinks daily
Reducing Risk of Stroke Up to 80% of strokes are preventable One of the best ways to reduce risk of stroke is to get blood pressure down DID YOU KNOW? People with high blood pressure are 4-6 times more likely to have a stroke Blood pressure is the measurement of the force of blood pushing against the artery walls as it moves through the body Just like too much water pressure in a hose can damage the hose and cause it to spring a leak, high blood pressure can damage arteries and cause a heart attack or stroke
Normal Blood Pressure Systolic: pressure of blood against the arteries when the heart contracts 120 80 Diastolic: pressure of the blood against the arteries when the heart is at rest
How Does High Blood Pressure Cause a Stroke? Chronic high blood pressure makes blood vessels stiff hardening of the arteries This increases risk of plaque formation and narrowing of the arteries Plaque and narrowed arteries are usually followed by a heart attack or stroke Reducing your blood pressure lowers the risk of stroke by as much as 40%
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure None 28% of Americans have high blood pressure and don t know it That is why it is The Silent Killer
High Blood Pressure is Serious If you have high blood pressure there are things you can do to reduce it without using medications HOWEVER make sure you work with your doctor because this is not an issue to ignore!
Natural Ways to Reduce Blood Pressure Go for a walk people who took a brisk walk every day reduced blood pressure by 8 points Eat some dark chocolate -.5 oz daily of dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) reduced blood pressure in 18% of participants in a recent clinical trial Drop the pounds a 10 lb weight loss can reduce blood pressure by 10 points!
Salt versus Sodium Most Americans consume 2 or more times the daily recommended intake of sodium You don t need to necessarily need to cut back on salt you need to cut back on sodium Salt is actually sodium chloride. It is excessive amounts of sodium that leads to Fluid retention Which increases blood volume Which increases blood pressure Which puts strain on the kidneys, heart and blood vessels and makes them work harder Causes hardening of the arteries and plaque formation Leading to heart attack or stroke
Reduce your sodium intake! Only 15% of the sodium Americans consume comes from the salt shaker Sodium is found in processed foods as sodium chloride OR as: monosodium glutamate sodium benzoate sodium bicarbonate sodium saccharin sodium nitrite Number one source of sodium for kids: pizza Most experts recommend intake of about 1500 mg of sodium daily Number one source of sodium for adults: chicken and chicken mixed dishes (chicken pot pie, for example) Processed foods high in sodium include: Canned soup (890 mg) Frozen prepared meals (850-1000 mg per serving) Processed meats (450-500 mg per serving)
Potassium: How Does it Work? Potassium helps keep sodium levels in check In women with high blood pressure, those who consumed plenty of potassium cut their risk of a stroke by almost 40% Very similar findings were reported in an earlier study women who increased potassium intake reduced risk of dying from a stroke by 40% Effect of potassium may be greatest in people who have problems reducing their sodium intake Potassium rich foods: bananas, sweet potatoes, prunes and raisins
Olive Leaf Mechanism of action Antioxidant: protects the walls of blood vessels Vasodialator: causes blood vessels to relax so that blood can pass through more easily Specialized, standardized extract clinically tested to reduce blood pressure lowered systolic pressure by 11 points and diastolic pressure by 5 points no significant adverse effects standardized to 18% oleuropein
Hibiscus: How Does it Work? Mechanism of action Contains high levels of anthocyanins Natural ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme) enzyme which causes blood vessels to contract and blood pressure to increase Clinically shown to reduce blood pressure 7 point drop in systolic pressure in people with mild hypertension 14 point drop in systolic pressure in people with severe hypertension Comparison test with the prescription mediation lisinopril Better reduction than the drug, with no side effects
Curcumin: How Does it Work? Curcumin Reduces vascular oxidative stress one of the primary causes of high blood pressure Reduces levels of systemic inflammation Inflammatory cytokines C-reactive protein
Vitamin D A recent study found that blood levels of vitamin D reduce blood pressure, and therefore the risk of heart attack or stroke In fact, for every 10% increase in vitamin D levels, the risk of high blood pressure went down 8% Why? The exact relationship isn t known but it may be that low vitamin D levels lead to thickening and stiffness of the artery walls, which raises blood pressure. Low vitamin D is also associated with decreased insulin sensitivity, which triggers excessive insulin release. High insulin levels are associated with high blood pressure.
Other helpful natural supplements Omega-3 fatty acids, salmon phospholipid complex Pomegranate juice or pomegranate supplements containing powdered extract and pomegranate oil CoQ10 Garlic D-ribose L-carnitine Magnesium Niacin Tocotrienols Indian gooseberry
Summary To reduce risk of stroke Make dietary changes reduce intake of sodium filled processed foods, and increase consumption of potassium and fresh foods Get blood pressure down olive leaf/hibiscus and curcumin; vitamin D Look at other lifestyle changes you can make Stop smoking Lose weight Get blood sugar levels down Get moving increase exercise