THE GREATEST MEDICINE OF ALL… IS TEACHING PEOPLE HOW NOT TO
NEED IT
The REAL cause of high blood pressure?
Written by Marc S. Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D.
In most slap-dash, haphazard medical offices, doctors can diagnose high blood pressure (BP)—and saddle you with a lifetime prescription for a potentially dangerous drug—within a matter of minutes.
Yet, they rarely pinpoint or explain the underlying cause. And far too often, they’ll label your condition as “essential hypertension,” meaning they don’t know why it’s high.
But emerging research suggests that an undetected deficiency in one key MINERAL could be the culprit behind high BP—for MILLIONS of people.
And the worst part? One of the mainstream’s first-line drugs to treat high BP causes your stores of this mineral to plummet!
Fortunately, you can easily test for—and correct—this common deficiency. Here’s everything you need to know…
A deficiency in Magnesium can cause BP to skyrocket
Experts estimate that about 75 percent of Americans don’t get enough magnesium daily. And that’s a real concern, as it plays a key role in hundreds of biological functions. Especially those involving your cardiovascular system.
In fact, research suggests that low magnesium is a MAJOR CAUSE of high BP. But even if your magnesium levels fall within “normal” limits, most people with high BP will STILL improve with magnesium supplementation.
Here’s why magnesium is so essential for cardiovascular function…
- It relaxes the smooth muscles in the walls of arteries, which lessens resistance of blood flow and lowers BP
- It lessens the sensitivity of muscle and nerve cells, which helps keep BP down.
- It helps regulate and balance norepinephrine (also called nor-adrenalin), a stress hormone, and serotonin, a “feel-good” neurotransmitter.
- It helps trigger the release of nitric oxide, which your body needs to keep arteries open, allowing for greater flow and reduced pressure. In fact, doctors routinely give angina patients nitroglycerin tablets to rapidly open coronary arteries and reduce chest pain. And this old, highly effective, and fast-acting drug works by boosting nitric oxide!
Granted, most newer BP drugs on the market work in the same way as magnesium—by improving blood flow and lessening tension in the arteries. Except, unlike magnesium, they also cause all kinds of serious, short- and long-term side effects. Especially angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
Plus, even the older, generic BP drugs have their fair share of problems…
In fact, as you may recall, I declared my own independence from BP drugs—in consultation with my personal physician—more than two years ago on July 4, 2019. We made that decision based on growing concerns about the cancer-causing chemicals contaminating many popular, generic BP medications at the time.
Beans
Cacao
Fish and meats
Green leafy vegetables
Nuts (such as almonds, cashews, pecans, and walnuts)
Pumpkin seeds
Seaweed
You can also increase your magnesium levels by enjoying a
soothing Epsom salt bath. Or better yet, go for a swim in the ocean, as the
natural saltwater contains magnesium and other mineral salts, too. Together
with the sun shining down on you, that’s a double prescription for health and
well-being!
My Comment:
There are many other safe, effective, natural approaches to
lowering your BP and protecting your heart. If you are interested in learning
more just send me a note and I can provide more information. My favorite magnesium
supplement is "Min-Tran" made by Standard Process. It is a combination of calcium
and magnesium in the proper balance. And Min-Tran is the only supplement that uses
the natural plant form of calcium called Calcium Lactate, which your body can
use without needing to convert it into a useable form that your body can
utilize. The other forms of calcium that are used in virtually all other
supplements are cheap, but do not work well in your body.
The “off-limits” food that can reduce your risk of Type II diabetes
I always advise you to cut out sugars and reduce carbs (such as refined, white flour) to help keep your blood sugar under control. But with the holidays coming up, it can be quite a challenge to cut out grains completely.
But there’s some good news. According to a new study, eating certain types of grains won’t result in excess blood sugar. In fact, eating them may actually help reduce your risk of developing Type II diabetes.
This finding goes against the wildly popular Keto and Paleo diets, which cut out entire food groups and essentially demonize all grains. But as it turns out, certain grains can actually support healthy blood sugar — and overall good health — by introducing diversity to your GI tract.
How the right morning toast can reduce diabetes risk by 30 percent — or more
The new study involved nearly 55,000 participants, ages 50 to 65 at the outset, in the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health cohort.
The researchers calculated the participants’ reported intake of whole grains (oats, rye, and wheat) in grams per day. Then, they divided the participants into four groups, based on how many grams of whole grains they reported eating daily.
Those with the highest consumption ate at least 50 grams of whole grains each day. (50 grams is equivalent to eating about one slice of rye bread and a large bowl of oatmeal, for example.)
Over the next 15 years, a little more than 7,400 participants developed Type II diabetes.
But the group with the highest daily whole grain intake developed the fewest cases in this follow-up period. Furthermore, the lower the daily whole grain consumption, the more likely it was the participants would develop Type II diabetes.
Overall, among men, there was an 11 percent lower risk of developing Type II diabetes for each 16-ounce serving of whole grains consumed daily. Among women, there was a 7 percent lower risk of developing the disease for each 16-ounce serving consumed daily.
Furthermore, men seemed to get an even bigger boost than women by upping their whole grain intake…
In fact, men with the highest whole grain intake had a 34 percent lower risk of developing Type II diabetes than men with the lowest intake. And women with the highest intake had a 22 percent lower risk than women with the lowest intake.
Oatmeal, muesli (a mixture of raw oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit), rye bread, and whole-grain bread were all associated with a lower risk of developing Type II diabetes — regardless of gender.
The researchers mentioned other studies showing that consumption of three whole-grain portions per day is as potent as medications for controlling high blood pressure.
Of course, in Denmark, as well as Norway, Sweden, and Finland, they often eat delicious whole-grain rye breads. They also eat muesli or oatmeal with fresh fruit and natural yogurt in the morning. Since the study was conducted in Denmark, researchers had the unique opportunity to compare different kinds of whole grains.
By contrast, previous studies on whole grains had mainly been conducted in the U.S., where people primarily get their whole grain from wheat.
But as this study suggests, it’s important to eat different types of whole grains — not just whole wheat — as they contain different types of dietary fiber and bioactive substances. This diversity helps support the health of your GI microbiome — the environment in your GI tract where billions of healthy probiotic bacteria thrive.
In the end, this study confirms dietary recommendations to replace refined, white flour with whole grains.
Unlike refined, white flour (which negatively affects your blood sugar, weight, and overall health), whole grains — like oatmeal, bulgur, couscous, rye, and wheatberries — positively affect your health.
It even seems to help reduce your risk of developing Type II diabetes, which is a refreshing finding after reading so much about the overhyped, but restrictive, Keto and Paleo diets.
What makes whole grains so much better than refined grains? First of all, they have a rich bran layer on the outside, which is packed with B vitamins and other nutrients. Inside the bran layer is the “endosperm,” which consists of a starchy carbohydrate with only limited protein and vitamin content.
Inside the endosperm is the “germ” core, which contains more B vitamins as well as vitamin E, bioactive botanical phytochemicals, and healthy essential fats. Thus, why it’s sometimes called “whole wheat germ.”
By comparison, processed, refined flour mills away the bran and removes the germ — leaving a refined powder of starchy carbs without the nutritional benefits
A new approach to grains this holiday season
In your baking this holiday season, opt for whole grains instead of refined grains like white flour — and make sure they’re organic. You should look for a product that says “100 percent organic whole wheat” on the package.
I add that stipulation because 95 percent of the wheat grown in the U.S. is genetically modified (GM) and contaminated with glyphosate, also known as Roundup. This pesticide and known human carcinogen poisons your GI microbiome and probably much more.
For breakfast, you can also opt for some healthy oatmeal porridge with steel-cut oats, blueberries, cinnamon, and cranberries, for many added health benefits. Cinnamon lowers blood sugar, and blueberries benefit both short- and long-term memory.
You can also add blueberry powder to your baking, oatmeal, yogurt, or other dishes when the fresh berry is not in season. The most potent health benefits are found in blueberry powders with rose hips, baobab, and rooibos.
Until next time, stay healthy and happy
JD Roma
The information on this blog is provided for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical care, and medical advice and services are not being offered. If you have, or suspect you have, a health problem you should consult your physician (preferably a Naturopath).
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