Page 5 - HOH

Wednesday 13 november 2019 HEALTH
A24

Blood, Salt and Tears

rhea, overuse of diuretic drugs, or too drastic studies is that people suffer from many unneces-
a salt free diet. The symptoms generally mirror sary side effects, among them impotence and
those of dehydration which include apathy, an increased risk for hearth disease, just what
confusion, nausea, and fatigue. Test subjects you are trying to avoid. Additionally, some
in clinical studies on salt and blood pressure people have an imbalance where the body
consume standard table salt. Additionally, re- does not excrete sodium. For these individuals,
searchers did not adjust for characteristics that diuretics can actually make the problem worse
might have predisposed subjects to hyperten- by also lowering potassium levels.
sion, including high rates of alcohol consump- The World Health Organization has listed hyper-
tion, high body mass index, very low potassium tension, or high blood pressure, as one of the
excretion, and dehydration. Unrefined sea salt conditions treated effectively by acupunc-
is a much healthier choice than common table ture. In many cases high blood pressure can
salt. Natural sea salt contains about 80 mineral be brought under control through changes in
elements that the body needs. diet and lifestyle. Lifestyle factors may include
Because high blood pressure rarely has any caffeine, alcohol intake, stress, lack of exercise,
symptoms, the only way to know if you are at and smoking. Attaining ideal body weight is
risk it is to have it measured. I recommend that perhaps the single most important recommen-
everyone have their blood pressure taken while dation we can make to lower BP.
lying down in a stress-free environment. Blood Dietary problems include the modern diet of
pressure values can be pushed higher by pain, low-fiber, high sugar, high saturated fat and in-
By Carlos M Viana, OMD-Oriental anxiety, including the stress of visiting the doc- sufficient intake of magnesium, vitamin C and
Medicine, CCN-Board Certified tor, sometimes called the white coat syndrome, essential fatty acids. Specific dietary factors
Clinical Nutritionist or some medications. include high sodium to potassium ratio. Natu-
Blood pressure (BP) comes in two numbers. ral sea salt, not the highly processed table salt
There is a high and low number usually writ- readily available, will not harm you if your in-
SANTA CRUZ - President John F. Kennedy in a ten as a high/low. The high number represents take of potassium and water is balanced. Fresh
speech given at the dinner before the Ameri- the systolic BP and is the pressure of the heart fruit is a good source of potassium. Drinking
ca’s Cup Races of 1962 said “All of us have in pumping your blood. The low number repre- enough clean water is critical for nearly every
our veins the exact same percentage of salt in sents the diastolic BP and is the pressure your bodily function. Dietary supplements can also
our blood that exists in the ocean, and, there- blood pushes against on the walls of your ar- provide support, but it’s a good idea to check
fore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in teries when your heart is not pumping or is at your personal needs with a certified clinical nu-
our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when “rest.” Normal blood pressure should range be- tritionist.
we go back to the sea -- whether it is to sail or to tween 100/70 to 120/80. If your BP is higher than If this is not enough, we look at metabolic im-
watch it -- we are going back from whence we these numbers, you have a greater risk of de- balances in the body. At Viana Natural Heal-
came.” Wise words and physiologically correct. veloping cardiovascular disease, problems with ing Center, we do hair analysis to test for im-
Salt is the spark plug of our metabolic system. your heart and or arteries. We describe your risk balances and toxins contributing to these and
Although, medical researchers have associ- as moderate if you pressure is around 140/100. other health problems.
ated eating an excess of salt with high blood Severe risk is 160/115, or more and a physician Get The Point! Hopefully, everyone will realize
pressure, not having enough salt has its own should be consulted immediately. blood pressure problems are more than an ex-
set of health problems. Salt is essential for the Everybody should be aware of hypertension cess of salt. Identifying imbalances and coun-
prevention of muscle cramps and the twenty- and vascular disease which are heart and cir- seling on good dietary and lifestyle habits can
seven percent of the body’s salt which is in the culatory problems. The higher your blood pres- go a long way. In our home by the sea, there is
bones is absolutely vital to making the structure sure, the greater your risk of stroke, heart attack no chemistry set in our kitchen. We drink plenty
of bones firm. Osteoporosis, in a major way, is a and heart failure. Hypotension or low blood of clean water, use only natural sea salt, pres-
result of salt and water shortage in the body. Vi- pressure can result in loss of consciousness. Al- sure lowering, fresh garlic, good omega, virgin
tal for maintaining sexuality and libido, salt also lopathic medicine commonly treats blood pres- olive oil, and gladly cry salty tears while cutting
helps prevent varicose and spider veins. sure problems with pharmaceuticals. Several our onions to flavor our food. The facts on salt
medical studies have monitored people taking are another of the many dietary misconcep-
Hyponatremia is a lack of sodium in the blood blood pressure lowering drugs, typically diuret- tions you have heard. Call so we can help you
caused by excessive sweating, persistent diar- ics and beta-blockers. The conclusion of these put the spark back in your plugs.q