25 supplements for high blood pressure

1) Magnesium: It’s long been known that magnesium relaxes blood vessels and improves arterial blood flow. That makes sense, because it’s a natural calcium channel blocker—similar in action to a category of anti-hypertensive medication. In a recent study, magnesium supplementation showed a modest effect on blood pressure, lowering both systolic and diastolic readings by around two points.
 2) Taurine: One of the reasons I use magnesium taurate for my hypertensive patients is because taurine itself has blood pressure lowering effects. In a recent study, 1.6 grams of taurine lowered systolic blood pressure by 7 points, diastolic by 5 points. To get that much taurine, you’d have to consume lots of mag taurate capsules, so consider adding L-taurine, 500 mg, 2 or 3 caps per day to your magnesium regimen.
3) Potassium: When it comes to blood pressure, it’s not about how much sodium you consume; rather it’s your sodium to potassium ratio.Most Americans get too much sodium from processed foods and not enough potassium from fresh fruits and vegetables. Potassium supplementation has been shown to significantly lower blood pressure, particularly in African Americans. The problem is, the amount of potassium in supplement pills is limited, for safety reasons, to just 99 mg; Studies demonstrating potassium benefits use 1000 to 2000 mg per day. Instead of swallowing numerous pills, consider that a banana delivers around 450 mg; fresh-squeezed orange juice around 475 mg; an avocado offers a lower carb alternative yielding 430 mg. A half tsp of Now Foods potassium powder provides around 1 and 1/2 grams, but check with your doctor first if you have impaired kidney function or are taking a medication that can cause you to retain potassium.
4) Peptides: Fish peptides derived from bonito are natural ACE-inhbitors, mimicking the effects of popular drugs. So, too, are milk peptides derived from casein.
5) CoQ10: A must for high blood pressure; a recent meta-analysis concluded that “coenzyme Q10 has the potential in hypertensive patients to lower systolic blood pressure by up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by up to 10 mm Hg without significant side effects.”
6) Vitamin D: Low D (and vitamin K) have been associated with hypertension but a recent study failed to show that supplemental vitamin D was effective at lowering blood pressure.
7) Olive polyphenols: Olive oil, rich in hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein, is the business end of the Mediterranean diet’s protective effects against heart attacks and strokes. A study showed polyphenol-rich olive oil lowered blood pressure compared to a control intervention of refined olive oil. Olive leaf extract supplements contain concentrated olive polyphenols.
8) Aged garlic extract: A recent study showed that a dosage of two capsules daily containing 480 mg of aged garlic extract (Kyolic) significantly lowered systolic blood pressure by 12 points compared with placebo—an effect comparable to many blood pressure medications.
9) Omega 3: Fish oil can modestly decrease blood pressure. Provision of greater than 2 grams per day of EPA/DHA was required to reduce diastolic blood pressure.
10) Grape seed: Grape seed extracts (GSE) contain powerful vasodilator phenolic compounds that lower blood pressure in subjects with the metabolic syndrome.
11) Pycnogenol: French maritime pine bark extract (pycnogenol) has potent endothelium-relaxing effects; patients taking it were able to reduce their dosage of blood pressure medications.
12) Melatonin: Pre-bedtime administration of melatonin (2.5 mg) has been shown to reduce nighttime blood pressure.
13) Hawthorne: Traditionally used for heart disorders, especially congestive heart failure, Hawthorne has also been shown to lower blood pressure.
14) ALA + ALC: The combination of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) may ameliorate hypertension by reducing oxidative stress and enhancing mitochondrial function in the heart and blood vessels.
15) Theanine: Anxiety and stress contribute to high blood pressure; l-theanine provides a non-sedating, non-addictive alternative to pharmaceutical relaxants.
16) Nitrates: Dietary nitrates from beet juice, spinach and lettuce support the production of nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator. Consumption of beet juice has proven to have anti-hypertensive effects. Powdered beet juice and greens supplements are said to confer similar benefits.
17) Arginine: It appears that supplemental arginine is effective in lowering blood pressure in salt-sensitive hypertension, but is less effective in essential hypertension.
18) Citrulline: Some believe citrulline is an even more potent vasodilator than arginine, but studies show you’d have to take a lot (6 grams!).
19) Hibiscus tea: Daily consumers of hibiscus tea saw their systolic blood pressure lowered by an average of 7 points.
20) Tocotrienols: Part of the vitamin E complex family, there are 4 natural tocotrienols. In animal studies it was found that antioxidant supplementation of gamma-tocotrienol prevented development of increased blood pressure.
21) Resveratrol: According to a recent study “The natural polyphenolic molecule resveratrol is an interesting candidate for the treatment of hypertension, as it mimics numerous molecular and biological effects of calorie restriction.” Results in humans demonstrated that resveratrol augmented the anti-hypertensive effects of medication.
22) EGCG: A meta-analysis of studies concluded that green tea lowers blood pressure moderately.The active ingredient in green tea is EGCG.
23) Cocoa polyphenols: Diabetic subjects consuming 25 grams of dark chocolate per day for 8 weeks achieved significant blood pressure reductions with no deterioration in blood sugar control.
24) Pomegranate: Pomegranate juice consumption inhibits serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity and reduces systolic blood pressure. Whether standardized extracts of pomegranate deliver equivalent benefits is a question for further research.
25) Berberine: Noted for its anti-diabetic effects, berberine was found to reduce blood pressure in diabetic rats.

Perimenopause, uggghhh

Ok, i'm 47 now.  Wasn't looking forward to this but I think I've entered perimenopause.  Been hot a lot at night.  Yes, its summer but really hot.  More so when I drink alcohol.  Been sleeping with an ice pack hot.  And whats worse, my feet gets real hot.  Lately its been mostly the left foot, and the restless leg which is also on the left has also been mildly back.   Suck and suck. Sometimes my left foot also hurts, i'm starting to think it's all a nerve thing.  Maybe a mild peripheral neuropathy.   Basically nerve damage in my extremities.  Which apparently is worse at night.  Which it has been.  Just GREAT.  Day 2 of no alcohol.   We'll see if things are better tonite.   Belly's been getting bigger too.  And gained a few pounds.  Last weigh-in was 115.  Plus side, I guess i can go donate blood now.  BP's been high lately.  I keep thinking if donating blood and getting a fresh supply might help.  Having taking my meds daily either but i was hoping the daily beet root would be kicking in soon.  Maybe just wishful thinking.  Considering trying ALCAR and maybe ALA (alpha lipoic acid).

Piriformis Syndrome

Towards the end of work on Sat. 6.15.19   I start getting this pain in the upper part of my right butt.  Not sure but it could be piriformis syndrome, part of the sciatica family.  Stretched and applied trigger point therapy and felt better on Monday and after my chiropractor on Tuesday I feel almost normal.  Woke up Wednesday morning and the pain had returned.  This time more pain in lower back, not as much pain in my butt, but also pain above my right knee.  Walked Roscoe and split one log.  Pain got worse so I laid down for 30min.  Upon waking, the pain was pretty bad.  Put butt on tennis ball, helped a little.   I should probably work on the trigger point thing everyday.  Hurts to sit so driving kinda sucks.  We'll see how I am at work tomorrow.  

Internet says if it doesn't get better in a few weeks.  Most likely caused from sitting a lot.  Just need to work on strengthening hip area after it gets better.   Had thought about hiking to tram next Wed for my bday but gonna skip that and maybe do it in the fall.

Causes

Tension and tightness in the piriformis muscle can cause the muscle to spasm. Like muscle tension in other areas of the body, the causes vary.

Causes can include:

• an injury, such as a fall, a blow to the area, or a car accident
• overuse, such as from frequent running, excessive exercise, or over-stretching
• a sedentary lifestyle, especially with long periods of sitting
• changing from a sedentary lifestyle to more frequent exercise
• buttock muscles wasting away  (Ha ha)

https://familydoctor.org/condition/piriformis-syndrome/

Annual Wellness Exam & Ovarian Cyst

Went in to the doctor to get a wellness check so get my bloodwork done for the Vivarae app.  Most of the lab came back within normal range except my cholesterol was high. I had hoped all the walking I've been doing would of brought it into normal range.

Dr. Gilda pressed around the pelvic area and noticed that it "kicked back", not sure what that meant but told her it hurt (I thought cuz she was pressing on it.)  Pain in the pelvic area had kinda been there off and on for a while, I thought it was part of the menstrual thing and maybe the sharp pain happened when I ovulated so I really didn't think it was anything of be concerned about.  Gilda ordered an ultrasound just to be safe, of the pelvic area and abdomen.  (Ultrasound date: April 24, 2019)

Results: I have a 2.5cm ovarian cyst on the right ovary, and a 1cm on the left.  The right side usually hurt more so that made sense to have a bigger cyst.  Ovarian cysts are normal in a person whose still on their period.   Also, the cervix appeared slightly bulky and there was a small amount of fluid in the endocervical canal.  Gilda wants a pap smear done to check the cervix thing.   And another ultrasound in 3-6 months to see if it's gone away or gotten bigger.  If pain gets worse, and go in for ultrasound sooner than later.  The abdomen ultrasound showed liver, spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, aorta, kidneys normal.

Ovarian cysts... Very common, happens in 10% of women, most often times there are no symptoms and go away on their own.  If the cyst is larger than 5cm, then they either take it out or try to treat with birth control pills.  It sounds like cysts happen because there is extra estrogen or the extra estrogen is not removed from the body.  Extra estrogen also causes heavy bleeding during periods which I've been having for a couple years now, a possible sign that my body is changing and entering menopause.

Home treatment:

To avoid: Alcohol (continuous intake increase estrogen), caffeine (can disrupt hormones), wheat products, sugar. Yikes!

To consume: Green vegetables/cruciferous (releases excess estrogen), eggs (detoxify liver with sulfur), fiber (decreases reabsorption of estrogen), fermented foods (metabolize excess estrogen).

Web browsing led to Cycle Syncing, how to eat and exercise based on which of the four cycles you are in.

https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/guide-to-cycle-syncing-how-to-start#for-nutrition

Occasional Hand Swelling and Joint Pain, and misc updates

This has been going on for a while.  So I'm going to start logging what I ate etc when this happens and see if there is a common link.  Still not sure if it's osteoarthritis or rheumatoid, or lately I've been thinking I prolly have both.  Hip has been hurting but it's also been 8 weeks since my last chiro appt, going tomorrow so hoping it'll get better.  

Cold is a lot better, still coughing occasionally but not too bad.  Pain in chest area comes and goes, hoping Chip will put it back in again and it'll stay this time.  Sometimes the pain in the chest gets pretty bad where I start wondering if there's something wrong with my heart.  It's a scare I get sometimes.  

Broke two things this past week, hit a glass jar against sink faucet and broke, and dropped a plate in sink.  Just remember dropping things months before my stroke.  Gotta be careful.   

Today around dinnertime my right hand swells again.  Middle finger had pain and hard to bend.  Not red nor hot this time, first two joints have pain. Took pic.  Next time I have to go to doctor for BP meds I'll ask if I can get tested or if I should see rheumatologist. 

Today...

Mid-AM:  Leftover chopsteak and rice.  

Lunch: Tuna sandwich with side salad (Ranch dressing), coffee (with vanilla creamer)

Mid-Afternoon: Iced tea with peach syrup.  Eat up remaining chopsteak.  Two pieces of Dove dark chocolate

Dinner:  Salad (QP dressing), spinach quiche (w/tomato and swiss cheese) & rice, and red wine. 

Around 9:30pm:  Tangerine

Activity:  Went for walk with Paula in town (3.5 miles) and then small house loop with Roscoe.  Cleaned on top of fridge and dusted.  Cleaned new toaster oven for lib in AM.   Cleaned lib in AM.

BP around 9 PM 145/100 (90).  Been trying to take BP meds almost daily.  Wondered if BP reading (if high) relates to hand swelling.

Right heel hurting after waking in AM, sitting for a while, and a little after I start my walk.  Possible mis-aligned hip pain contributing plantar fasciitis coming back? 

Lingering Cough & Subluxated Rib

The Friday before xmas 2018, I had a fever at work.  Next day I start coughing.  Bad coughing.  It lasts a few weeks before I go see a doctor. She says I have sinus infection and gives me antibiotics.  Told her about my chest pain which I thought was my lungs hurting from all the coughing.  Turns out I had popped a rib. Had Chip push it back in but it keeps coming out since I am still coughing.  Not as much, but still coughing.  So far he has pushed it back in four times.  Also been having shoulder blade pain on LEFT side so thought it was related to the popped rib. As that starts to get better the chest pain as decreased but not the shoulder blade pain.  Chip says that's from my chronic back issues.  I used to always have the pain on the RIGHT side.  I wonder why it's shifted to the left.  Will have to ask him when I go back in two weeks.  Had felt a lot better on my walk with Roscoe the other day that I jogged a little the last block.  Big mistake. It made my ribs really hurt.  So I guess I won't be running till this rib thing heals.  Rib that popped out was #3 in the front.  Cough has become less so for now won't go back to the doctor for now.

UPDATE 7/31/19. Had a chiroprator appt a week ago.  Rib still sticking out, though a lot less pain lately.  But he still has to push it in.  He thinks it could take like a year as the tendons/ligaments around it got stretched and loose.

UPDATE 1/3/20.  Chip is still having to push the rib back in at every visit (every four weeks) though he says its getting better.  Still coughing, some days very mildly, some days somewhat regularly. Around early November, had a bad coughing spell that lasted about 2 weeks.   Sometimes I wonder if there's something wrong with my lungs.

No Melanoma, just an irritated Seborrheic Keratosis

So good news, I don't have skin cancer.  Instead it was a common non-cancerous skin growth that can look like a wart, or skin cancer.  Despite their appearance they are harmless. It's something people can get as they get older, thus often called "barnacles of aging."  They can grow anywhere, most often on the chest, back, head, or neck.  They range in color and may have a waxy surface.  You can have just one or several.  They are not contagious.   The exact cause is unknown.  Most generally develop over age 50 and increase in number with age.