Lowering Your Blood Pressure: The Options

Can apple-cider vinegar really lower blood pressure? According to fans of vinegar, this magical substance cures everything from acid reflux to warts, cancer and arthritis to bad breath. So what's the truth? Are you wasting your time forcing down the bitter stuff or can a shot of apple-cider vinegar a day really lower your blood pressure? Here what the experts have to say.

Apple Cider Vinegar Studies

Not only do everyday people like you and me wonder if the claims about vinegar are true, but researchers and scientists are curious too. The Central Research Institute and the Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies at Kyoto University wondered the same thing.

In particular, these scientists wanted to learn the effects, if any, that vinegar had on high blood pressure and performed a study(1). The study used four-week-old male rats. At the beginning of the study all the rats were cared for under the same conditions for six days. Afterward, for eight weeks, one-third of the rats continued on the same food and water program. One-third received acetic acid daily and the final third rice vinegar.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers reported significant reduction in blood pressure among both the rice vinegar group and the acetic acid group. Of course, more studies on vinegar would provide more proof and researchers recommend studies using human subjects, but the outlook is positive.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar comes from crushing apples and squeezing out the liquid. Afterwards, added yeast begins the fermentation process and begins turning the sugars in the liquid to alcohol and then into acetic acid.

Acetic acid is the organic acid that gives vinegar its bitter taste and is what researchers and scientist credit with making vinegar an effective blood pressure lowering agent.

According to www.Apple-Cider-Vinegar-Benefits.com, one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of honey in a glass of water twice a day can lower your blood pressure. Both vinegar and honey have the mineral magnesium in them. Magnesium works to relax the blood vessel walls and help you achieve normal blood pressure.

If you're interested in trying apple cider vinegar as a natural way to quickly and easily lower your blood pressure, talk to your doctor. Although vinegar is a completely natural ingredient, it's never wise to self-diagnose. Talk to your doctor to be sure you won't have any reactions with any other medications.

(1) Kondo S, Tayama K, Tsukamoto Y, Ikeda K, Yamori Y. 2001. Antihypertensive effects of acetic acid and vinegar on spontaneously hypertensive rats. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry 65(12) 2690-2694. http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bbb/65/12/65_2690/_article/-char/en

Posted by Henry at 9:42 PM | Permalink

At least 25% of American adults have high blood pressure. After a diagnosis of high blood pressure, most people begin taking blood pressure medicine. But did you know that one of the best ways to lower your blood pressure is with exercise?

Thirty percent of people with high blood pressure are sedentary. By including exercise in their battle against high blood pressure, they can once again have normal blood pressure.

Exercise Lowers Blood Pressure

Everyone claims exercise lowers your blood pressure, but does it really? According the researchers at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, exercise can lower your blood pressure as much as 4 mm Hg. (1) Researchers and medical doctors agree this is significant.

The researchers at Tulane, analyzed 54 studies involving 2,419 subjects. In the studies, researchers divided the subjects into the following groups: high blood pressure, normal blood pressure, overweight, and normal-weight subjects. After using aerobic exercise to increase physical activity, all subjects lowered their blood pressure by at least 4 points.

What Kind -- How Much?

Aerobic exercise is any exercise that increases your need for oxygen and when it comes to this type of exercise, you have several choices. Some of the most popular are walking, bike riding, jogging, and swimming. Whichever type of exercise you choose, you need to get your heart rate up and exercise for 30 minutes five times per week.

To lower your blood pressure even more, consider exercise your natural drug. For exercise to become as effective as a drug, you need to exercise one hour per day. For faster results, you should try walking or jogging. You'll not only see results faster with these weight-bearing exercises, but you'll also be building stronger bones.

Research proves exercise can lower your blood pressure. But as always, take your current physical condition into consideration before you start exercising. If you've been sedentary for a while, start slowly, working your way up to longer exercise times. And of course, get your doctor's approval before beginning any exercise program.

(1) Annals of Internal Medicine April 2, 2002;136:493-503

Posted by Henry at 9:37 PM | Permalink