Re: blood pressure control

[Guest guest]

--- In , " radioreceiver2003 "

<radioreceiver2003@y...>

wrote:

>

> Concerning your blood pressure lowering recommendations, it is very

> interesting but I started drinking pomegranate juice regularly two

> weeks ago - about 2 liters a week.

>

> I also started taking everyday 2 fish oil tablets (from 2 different

> manufacturers in case one brand is not up to stuff) during the last

> couple of weeks as well. This is in addition to regular fish meals

> (one a day on average) that I have been consuming for years.

>

> I also increased my garlic intake from 2 cloves to 4 a day.

>

> And, for years, I don't take add any salt to my cooking, and avoid

> canned soups, salted nuts (but not always), processed foods that have

> high salt content.

>

> Does anyone have any other recommendations?

>

> My blood pressure level is about 130/75 despite regular exercise,

> great diet, and no major weight problem. For the record, my

> chloresterol level is fantastic, my CRP is good, my homoceistine is

> under control with vitamin b supplementation, but my bloody blood

> pressure refuses to go down. The only thing that I cannot control

> which is a risk factor is my age: I am 54 years young.

>

> Any more help out there?

>

> Rad

In another response to this question, I suggested evaluating your

sodium:potassium ratio, rather than just lowering sodium intake.

It also occurs to me to ask whether any of your supplements contain

licorice. It has been implicated in increasing blood pressure (e.g. below).

-

J Hum Hypertens. 2001 Aug;15(8):549-52.

 

Liquorice-induced rise in blood pressure: a linear dose-response relationship.

Sigurjonsdottir HA, Franzson L, Manhem K, Ragnarsson J, Sigurdsson G,

Wallerstedt S.

Department of Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Ostra, Grona Straket 8,

413 45

Goteborg, Sweden.

To clarify the dose-response and the time-response relationship between

liquorice

consumption and rise in blood pressure and explore the inter-individual variance

this

intervention study was designed and executed in research laboratories at

University

hospitals in Iceland and Sweden. Healthy, Caucasian volunteers who also served

as a

control for himself/herself consumed liquorice in various doses, 50-200 g/day,

for 2-4

weeks, corresponding to a daily intake of 75-540 mg glycyrrhetinic acid, the

active

substance in liquorice. Blood pressure was measured before, during and after

liquorice

consumption. Systolic blood pressure increased by 3.1-14.4 mm Hg (P < 0.05 for

all),

demonstrating a dose-response but not a time-response relationship. The

individual

response to liquorice followed the normal distribution. Since liquorice raised

the blood

pressure with a linear dose-response relationship, even doses as low as 50 g of

liquorice

(75 mg glycyrrhetinic acid) consumed daily for 2 weeks can cause a significant

rise in

blood pressure. The finding of a maximal effect of liquorice after only 2 weeks

has

important implications for all doctors dealing with hypertension. There does not

seem to

be a special group of responders since the degree of individual response to

liquorice

consumption followed the normal distribution curve.

PMID: 11494093 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]