High blood pressure is the main cause of disease and death
in industrialized societies. In the U.S. alone, nearly one
million people die from stroke or heart failure annually,
despite the fact that
high blood pressure, or hypertension, is considered an easily
controlled condition. Although prescription drugs have produced
mixed results, good evidence suggests that lifestyle and diet
alterations can effectively reduce hypertension.
The effectiveness of combating hypertension with a specialized
diet was evaluated in a recent study in the Journal of
Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. Researchers
wanted to investigate the effects of water-only fasting on
blood pressure. After initially eating only fruits and vegetables
for two-to-three days, 174 hypertension patients (with a minimum
blood pressure of 140/90) consumed only distilled water for
10 days. Then, for approximately one week, subjects followed
a vegetarian diet during a refeeding stage, to slowly re-accustom
their bodies to food again.
Nearly 90% of patients reduced their blood pressure to less
than 140/90 in the three-week period, regardless of how high
their blood pressure had been. On average, BP reduction was
37/13, and was greatest in more severe cases. This is “substantially
in excess” of the combined effects of a vegetarian diet, alcohol
and sodium restriction, and exercise. All those who began
the study on hypertension medication were able to discontinue
use by the end of the study.
This study supports the theory that blood pressure can be
dramatically reduced through simple, short-term diet modifications,
without drug use. Talk to your doctor of chiropractic to get
more information on preventing hypertension through a healthy
diet and exercise, and visit https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/nutrients.html
for more information on proper nutrition.
Reference:
Goldhamer A, Lisle D, Parpia B, et al. Medically supervised
water-only fasting in the treatment of hypertension. Journal
of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, June 2001:24(5),
pp. 335-339.
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