Don Colbert - The New Bible Cure for High Blood Pressure: Ancient Truths, Natural Remedies, and the Latest Findings for Your Health Today

A S PART OF Gods great love and favor in your life, He has graced the world with everything you need to be healthy. The Bible says, He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth (Ps. 104:14).

God has provided what your body needs to be healthy and fit. But too often our hectic eating habits, poor food choices, and nutrient-depleted foods rob our bodies of the benefits God intended. Even so God has still made provision for us, for He has promised to supply all of our needs. The Bible says, My God shall supply all your need (Phil. 4:19). God is well aware of the time and circumstances in which we live, and in His great love for us He has provided for our care.

You may be thinking, But how does this relate to supplements? Arent these made by man? They are, but the knowledge and understanding, as well as the materials, are all given by God. The Word of God says, The earth is the LORDs, and all its fullness. The world and those who dwell therein (Ps. 24:1).

Even though much of the food we eat doesnt totally supply the vitamin and mineral requirements of our bodies, God has graced our world with the know-how to make up the lack. And when it comes to high blood pressure, supplements can make all the difference in the world.

Lets take a look at some supplements that are an essential part of your Bible cure for high blood pressure.

Taking supplements can greatly strengthen your bodys ability to battle the devastating effects of free radicals. You probably dont realize it, but right now your cells are fighting a molecular atomic war. At this very moment free radicals are bombarding your body, creating molecular havoc. Let me explain.

Free radicals are unstable molecules that damage healthy cells like a kind of molecular shrapnel, creating chain reactions of cellular destruction. Free radicals cause oxidation. When metals such as iron are oxidized, rust is produced. When you cut an apple in half, it begins to turn brown within a few minutes due to oxidation. Free radicals are generated in our bodies simply by breathing. Normal metabolism creates free radicals referred to as reactive oxygen species. Certain types of food will create excessive free radicals, including hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, and trans fats; deep-fried and pan-fried foods; excessive polyunsaturated fats, which are usually present in salad dressings; excessive sugar and processed foods; and excessive intake of red meat and processed meats. Smoking, exposure to pollution, and inflammation all increase free radicals. Free-radical damage also contributes to hypertension and atherosclerosis.

When high blood pressure goes untreated for too long, your arteries lose their elasticity and actually begin to form plaque. The hypertension causes shearing forces that injure the lining of the arterial walls, causing the buildup of even more plaque. More and more plaque builds up until arteries eventually become blocked or the plaque ruptures forming a blood clot causing a heart attack.

Thats why antioxidants are critically important. Like Patriot missiles, they quench many of these free-radical reactions and protect the lining of the blood vessels from further plaque buildup. Lets look at some of these powerful defenders.

Coenzyme Q10(CoQ10) has several benefits for the cardiovascular system that help lower blood pressure and normalize heart contraction and rhythm. It also helps improve energy production at the cellular level by improving mitochondrial function. The mitochondria are like tiny energy factories inside each cell. Heart muscle cells have the most mitochondria because they never stop working and fat cells have the least mitochondria. Individuals with hypertension, or high blood pressure, are often deficient in coenzyme Q10.

Coenzyme Q10 is found in foods such as fish, especially sardines and mackerel. (See Appendix B regarding the mercury levels in these fish.) It can also be found in peanuts, soy oil, whole-grain germs, and organ meats such as heart, liver, and kidney, as well as beef (but use caution with consuming these meats).

Research has shown that coenzyme Q10 reduces blood pressure. In one study subjects experienced significantly improved systolic and diastolic pressure and an overall improvement of heart function. Some were able to completely stop their blood pressure medication four months after starting supplementation with coenzyme Q10.

As we age, CoQ10 levels decline, so older persons should always be checked out to determine potential CoQ10 deficiency. I commonly check CoQ10 blood levels on elderly patients with heart disease. Certain medications used for cardiovascular conditions actually deplete the body of coenzyme Q10: thiazide diuretics, beta blockers, clonidine, methyldopa, and especially cholesterol-lowering agents such as statin medications (statin) and fenofibrates.

I recommend the active form of CoQ10 (ubigquinol) 100 milligrams two times a day. (See Appendix C.)

L-arginine is an amino acid that improves blood flow and improves the activity of the endothelial cells. Endothelial cells or the endothelium is the layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels and is very thin, only one cell thick, and very fragile. When the endothelium is well nourished, optimal amounts of nitric oxide is produced by these cells. Nitric oxide, or NO, helps maintain the elasticity of all blood vessels and especially the arteries. NO is also a signaling molecule that signals arteries to dilate, which helps to lower ones blood pressure. L-arginine is converted to NO in the body; however, one cannot consume adequate amounts of L-arginine from food alone. Arginine is present in red meat, chicken, fish, soy nuts, beans, and dairy.

The typical dose of L-arginine to lower blood pressure is 2 to 3 grams or more twice a day, in the morning and at bed time. (See Appendix C.)

This is another amino acid that is very similar to L-arginine and is also present in red meats, chicken, and fish, but it is also present in melons, especially watermelon and highest in watermelon seed. L-cirtulline is converted in the body to L-arginine, which increases the production of NO. When L-arginine is combined with L-citrulline, NO output is actually increased. There is an L-citrulline/L-arginine recycling pathway that boosts NO production beyond when taking either L-arginine or L-citrulline alone. This is the reason I recommend that these two amino acids be taken together. The typical dose of L-cirtulline to lower blood pressure is 200 to 1,000 milligrams a day, but remember it works much better if combined with L-arginine. Watermelon seed is very rich in L-citrulline. (See Appendix C.)

Traditionally olive leaf extract has been used as an antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral treatment. Olive leaf supplements have been recommended for everything from nasal congestion to bowel problems. The active ingredient in olive leaf is oleuropein.

Oleuropein has been shown to modulate the core cause of high blood pressure: arterial resistance or stiffness. One study showed that people with hypertension could experience reduced systolic blood pressure by an average 11.5 points mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure by 4.8 pointsin just eight weeksby taking olive leaf extract, in a dose of 500 milligrams twice a day.

HibiscusPeople with high blood pressure (hypertension) can lower their blood pressure by drinking a tea made from a standardized extract of hibiscus flower every day, according to a study published in Phytomedicine.

Hibiscus flowers have a fruity taste that makes hibiscus popular as both hot and cold tea. Studies have demonstrated that they have a diuretic property and have also found mild blood vessel-dilating effects. Several trials using hibiscus extracts have suggested that hibiscus can lower blood pressure in people with hypertension.