Magnesium cream found to successfully treat high blood pressure without resorting to dangerous prescription medications

Using a magnesium cream may serve as an alternative or an add-on to drug treatment against high blood pressure, a study in PLOS One revealed.

According to the researchers at the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K., only 86 percent of the general population meet the recommended magnesium intake. The health experts noted that the essential mineral boosts immune function and heart health.

The scientists also stressed that adequate magnesium levels help prevent the onset of metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by a combination of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

To carry out the study, the researchers teamed up with the Centre for Magnesium Education and Research in Hawaii to examine a group of participants who were given either a magnesium cream or a placebo. The participants were instructed to apply two five ml spoonfuls of cream each daily for two weeks.

The experts then collected the participants’ urine sample after 12 to 14 days. The results showed that volunteers who applied magnesium cream exhibited a significant increase in magnesium levels in the blood. The scientists did not observe a similar increase in those who applied the placebo cream.

The findings may show potential in alleviating hypertension, which puts people at an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and vascular dementia. Hypertension currently affects 75 million Americans and 16 million people in the U.K.

“This study is the first to look at the absorbency of transdermal magnesium creams in human subjects, so is a significant step in determining whether or not these creams could potentially be used as an alternative to oral supplements. Our initial findings indicate that magnesium creams could well be a viable and effective alternative to taking oral magnesium supplements in tablet form,” study author Lindsy Kass told Daily Mail online.

“Low magnesium intake has been shown to cause many health problems, including high blood pressure and cardiovascular issues, so these creams could potentially be a good way to contribute to the increase in magnesium levels and therefore help in reducing the associated health problems. Many people do not like taking pills or have difficulty ingesting them, whereas a cream could be used easily on a daily basis – for example by rubbing it into the skin after showering,” Kass added.

However, the research team noted that these findings warranted further investigation.

Previous study shows magnesium intake promotes heart health

The recent findings on magnesium’s efficacy as a topical treatment were reflective of previous studies demonstrating the mineral’s cardiovascular benefits.

For instance, a meta-analysis published in December 2016 showed that a diet rich in magnesium may reduce the odds of developing heart disease and diabetes.(Related: Magnesium can improve heart health and prevent heart attack deaths (Opinion).)

As part of the study, a team of Chinese researchers pooled data on dietary magnesium intake and chronic disease prevalence from 40 studies published between 19999 and 2016.

The results showed that people with the highest dietary magnesium intake were 10 percent less likely to develop heart disease, 12 percent less likely to have a stroke, and 26 percent less likely to develop diabetes than those who had lower magnesium levels.

However, increasing magnesium levels by up to 100 milligrams a day helped reduce the odds of these adverse events. The research team noted that raising magnesium levels by the said amount slashed the risk of heart failure and stroke by 22 and sevent percent, respectively.

The health experts also said that increasing magnesium intake may result in a 19 percent reduction in diabetes risk and a 10 percent decrease in all-cause mortality risk.

“Increasing dietary magnesium intake is associated with a reduced risk of stroke, heart failure, diabetes, and all-cause mortality, but not CHD [coronary heart disease] or total CVD [cardiovascular disease]. These findings support the notion that increasing dietary magnesium might provide health benefits,” the researchers wrote in BMC Medicine.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Reuters.com

Journals.PLOS.org

BMCMedicine.BioMedCentral.com

Fruits and vegetables found to lower blood pressure, says new study

Touted as a “silent killer” by the American Heart Association, some 85 million Americans – or one out of every three adults – suffer from high blood pressure. Since there are usually no obvious symptoms, nearly 20 percent of these people don’t even know they have blood pressure issues.

If left untreated, high blood pressure (also called hypertension) can be dangerous and cause damage to your body in many ways, raising the risk for cardiovascular diseases such heart attack and stroke. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hypertension is the leading cause of an estimated 51 percent of deaths due to stroke and 45 percent of deaths caused by heart disease. But there is hope to improve these numbers, and it isn’t coming from the pharmaceutical world. Instead, the answer can be found in the produce section of your local grocery store. (RELATED: Find more info about how to protect your heart at Heart.news.)

High blood pressure is often a result of unhealthy dietary and lifestyle habits. While there is no magic cure to treat hypertension, making some simple dietary changes can help reduce, or even eliminate, your need for prescription drugs and help you live a long, healthy life.

Too much sodium in the diet has always been a blood pressure malefactor. While limiting the amount of salt used at meal times will have a tremendous effect on balancing blood pressure levels, new research has found that eating potassium-rich vegetables and fruits could be effective in lowering blood pressure naturally.

“Decreasing sodium intake is a well-established way to lower blood pressure,” said Alicia McDonough, Ph.D., professor of cell and neurobiology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. “But evidence suggests that increasing dietary potassium may have an equally important effect on hypertension,” she added.

The importance of the sodium-potassium ratio

For the review study, McDonough delved into the literature to explore the possible effect of sodium and potassium on hypertension. The report, published in the April 2017 issue of the American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism, looked at previous population, interventional studies and molecular mechanism studies.

McDonough found that, regardless of the level of sodium intake, a higher intake of potassium was generally associated with lower blood pressure. Furthermore, some studies showed that not only is potassium crucial, but the sodium-potassium ratio also plays a significant role.

As it seems, our body uses sodium to control potassium levels in the blood. Proper potassium levels in the blood are essential to a normal heart, nerve, and muscle function. McDonough explained that when dietary potassium is high, the kidneys excrete more sodium and water, adding that eating a high potassium diet is like taking a diuretic. In conclusion, McDonough said that potassium is vital for keeping blood pressure stable. Though sodium is still an important factor, reducing salt intake alone may not be enough to control hypertension.

Standard American Diet (SAD) wreaking havoc on your system

Over the centuries our diet has changed tremendously. Our early ancestors relied on a diet high in fruits, root vegetables, beans, and grains. These foods are all high in potassium and very low in sodium. As a result, humans evolved to craving salty foods, according to McDonough. Hence why processed food companies add so much salt to their products. While being high in sodium, these convenient foods are also very low in potassium, which increases your chances of hypertension.

When potassium levels are limited, your body will use sodium retention to hold on to potassium, which can be compared to eating a high sodium diet, McDonough explained. As recommended by a 2004 Institute of Medicine study, adults should consume at least 4.7 grams of potassium a day to keep blood pressure in check and prevent sodium retention, kidney stones, or bone loss.

Foods rich in potassium include bananas, sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach, beans, and coffee. Because potassium is so important to our body, McDonough recommends policy makers help increase global potassium levels through plant-based foods, and add potassium values to food labels to help the public make better decisions.

Sources include:

ScienceDaily.com

MedicalNewsToday.com

AJPEndo.Physiology.org

Heart.org

Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure or also called hypertension is the main factor which triggers many dangerous health ailments including: heart stroke, heart diseases, chronic kidney issues, etc. Commonly, normal blood pressure ranges from 60 to 90 millimeters mercury. However, when you are going down with high blood pressure, this level may raise to 100 – 140 millimeters mercury. It is believed that high blood pressure is derived from not only internal but also external factors, including: genetic factors, aging process, obesity, stress, the lack of vitamin D as well as insulin resistance.

In fact, people can choose among various methods to lower blood pressure. Besides medicinal treatments, we may also make use of some natural ingredients which are available in our house kitchen to address high blood pressure.

Following are top 10 simple home remedies for high blood pressure which may take effects.

1. Lemon

In fact, lemon is one of the best home remedies for high blood pressure. Not only can lemon inhibit blood vessel hardening, this familiar fruit will also soften blood vessels and increase their flexibility. Thus, it is easy to understand that regular lemon consumption will keep blood pressure in check effectively. Moreover, the richness in vitamin C enables lemon to be a powerful antioxidant which can neutralize free radicals’ activities inside the body system.

Extract some lemon juice

Add a cup of water into the solution

Put some honey or a little salt into the mixture

Drink it every morning

2. Watermelon Seeds

Everybody loves watermelon. This fruit of summer is packed with an abundant source of energy which may save you from certain health issues. Not only watermelon fruit are useful, its seeds can also help with some problems including high blood pressure. By removing the rigidity in blood vessels, watermelon seeds may keep blood pressure in check and improving kidney functions effectively.

Crush watermelon seeds

Add them to a cup of boiling water

Leave it on 1-2 hours

Strain the solution

Consume this liquid everyday

3. Garlic

When it comes to natural home remedies for high blood pressure, people usually mention garlic. Thanks to the ability to promote nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide production, garlic may naturally relax blood vessels, leading to a stable blood pressure. You may simply include more garlic in your daily diet or drink garlic juice 2-3 times a week to witness considerable improvement in your problem.

Also, garlic can make contribution to Home Remedies for Oral Thrush and Home Remedies for Abscessed Tooth.

4. Banana

Obviously, banana lovers may feel so happy when hearing this news as they have one more reason to add their favorite fruit more frequently into their diet. In fact, banana can provide a welcome relief from annoying symptoms of high blood pressure due to its high content of potassium. Therefore, let’s eat at least 1-2 bananas daily to regulate your blood pressure effectively.

5. Sodium Intake

When dealing with high blood pressure, it is necessary that you reduce your sodium consumption. Facts have shown that sodium is harmful element which may trigger worse situation of high blood pressure. Hence, during the treatment for high blood pressure, you should stay away from processed foods and high salt consumption.

6. Celery

In case you find that these above mentioned home remedies for high blood pressure are not effective enough, you are highly suggested to try celery. According to scientific evidence, celery is an excellent source of phthalides – a valuable element which may reduce tension into artery muscles as well as improve blood flow into blood vessels. More than this, regular consumption of celery will prevent blood vessel constriction – a common issue which happens in high blood pressure patients.

Extract celery juice

Mix it with water with 1:1 ratio

Drink this solution each day

7. Coconut

In general, high blood pressure may easily cause people to deal with dehydration. And coconut water is a perfect choice to deal with high blood pressure. The perfect combination of potassium, magnesium and vitamin C is a good explaination for coconut’s great ability to supply water for the body system. Instead to drinking coconut water, you may also choose to use coconut oil in your diet.

8. Cayenne Pepper

If you can stand spicy taste of cayenne pepper, you can take advantage of it as one of the most effective home remedies for high blood pressure. By controling the formation of platelet in blood flow, cayenne pepper may support proper function of blood circulation effectively, leading to stable blood pressure. Commonly, the best way to consume cayenne pepper is to use it with soup or salad. Or else, you can drink water with small amount of cayenne powder each morning.

9. Onions

You may make a big mistake if you have ever thought that onions are only used to cooking. In fact, onions can do more than that. They are able to improve mood, reduce acne scars and especially turn into effective home remedies for high blood pressure. This effect is attributed to the appearance of quercetin – a powerful antioxidant flavonol in onions.

You may also learn more about effect of onions at Home Remedies for Scabies.

10. Honey

For long, people have been using honey as one of the best home remedies for high blood pressure.

Put 2 spoons of honey into water

Drop some lemon juice into the solution

Consumt this liquid everyday

Source:

https://authorityremedies.com/home-remedies-for-high-blood-pressure/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/

Top Foods to Avoid with High Blood Pressure

In America, almost one in three adults are living with high blood pressure, that’s why the topic of dietary recommendations for high blood pressure is becoming more and more popular these days. What causes high blood pressure? Normally not consuming enough vegetables and fruits can result in a high sodium intake and low potassium intake, which can contribute to developing high blood pressure. So with high blood pressure, you are recommended to have a diet low in sodium and fat, avoid these foods:

• Pickles

Pickles are super low in calories and fat, and are also high in vitamin K, which helps your blood clot after the injury, that’s great. But they are loaded with sodium, one medium pickle provides more than 570mg of sodium, that’s more than 1/3 of the daily recommended needs. So if you’re with high blood pressure, limit your pickle intake.

• Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is with several health benefits, including providing vitamin C and K, iron and a good amount of fiber, and it also boosts your immune system, but you should limit the amount you eat, or choose low-sodium brands, as a half cup of it has more than 460 mg of sodium, 19% of your recommended daily intake.

• Bacon

Bacon is not only delicious, it’s also like other pork products, contains B-vitamins (vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B12), vitamin D as well as the minerals zinc, iron and magnesium, which are all essential for a positive health body. But why most people feel afraid to eat it? As it’s super high in sodium, three slices contain around 270 mg of sodium and 4.5 grams of fat, so it’s wise to try turkey bacon for lower sodium intake instead of the salty&fatty pork bacon.

• Whole Milk

When you’re trying to build muscle, whole milk is your best choice, it provides more fat than you need, a one cup serving of whole milk contains 8 grams of fat. While if you are living with high blood pressure, try using 2% milk, or even better-skim milk, as the saturated fats whole milk contains are bad for you and may lead to heart disease.

• Donuts

People like donuts, for its sweet taste, but they are not good for your health. A single donut can provide more than 300 calories and 12 grams of fat, as they’re fried, means you’re getting lots of saturated and trans fat, which can increase your risk of heart disease.

• Ramen Noodles

Ramen noodles are popular among college students all over the world, as they’re inexpensive and so convenient. However, it’s not a healthy choice as they’re lack of nutrients and with lots of unhealthy components. One package of ramen provides 14 grams of fat, including 6 grams of saturated fat, and 1731 grams of sodium, more than 70% of the recommended daily needs! In fact, the flavor packet contains most of the sodium, so to reduce sodium intake, it’s better to not add the flavor packet.

• Alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol may raise your blood pressure to unhealthy levels, and alcohol can damage the walls of blood vessels. For people with high blood pressure, avoid alcohol totally or drink in moderation. Moderate drinking is generally considered to be:

• One drink for men age more than 65 per day
• Two drinks for men younger than age 65 per day
• One drink for women of any age per day

A drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.

If you have high blood pressure, limit eating these above foods and focusing on low-sodium foods can help. Some good choices are: potassium-rich bananas, salt-free seasonings, potassium-packed white potatoes, fresh fish, nutrient-packed lima beans, iron-rich spinach, omega-3 fatty acids-rich flaxseed.