Page 15 - HOH

A24 HEALTH
Wednesday 10 april 2019

Deteriorating junc Treating Blood Pressure

Problems [hypertension]

the brain causes a stroke and in the heart blood vert the cholesterol into a healthier bile, clinical
vessels that are blocked or broken can cause tests have looked at the benefits of red yeast
a heart attack. When the largest artery in the rice to treat other cardiovascular disorders, in-
body, the aorta, is torn or ruptured, traumatic cluding hypertension, high blood pressure.
aortic rupture is a life- threatening condition. With low, weak blood or low blood sugar, hy-
Blood pressure problems should not be ignored poglycemia, the body tightens or constricts the
and should instead, if possible, be treated with blood vessels to increase oxygen and glucose
natural supplements. movement. Constriction of the blood vessels
Clinically, I have found that there are many rea- is the body’s way to raise the blood pressure.
sons that produce high blood pressure, weak By narrowing the passage in the blood vessels,
blood, or anemia, high cholesterol, pre- diabe- blood flows more slowly to the organs and the
tes, stress, tight blood vessels or liver problems. arms and legs. I prescribe Biotin supplementa-
Fortunately, we can treat many of the different tion to reduces systolic blood pressure by help-
reasons that develop hypertension with natural ing arteries be smoother and able to relax more.
dietary supplements made from organic food. Mari Watanabe-Kamiyama reported in the Brit-
Low blood count reduces your blood’s ability ish Journal of Nutrition that biotin has beneficial
to carry oxygen through your body. To com- effects on hypertension and the frequency of
pensate, your heart starts beating faster and stroke.
stronger. Blood pressure rises. The human body Biotin is one of the B complex vitamins that help
needs vitamin B12 to make red blood cells, the body convert food into energy.
nerves, DNA, and carry out other functions. The The word biotin comes from the ancient Greek
average adult should get 2.4 micrograms a word “biotos,” which means “life” or “suste-
day. Like most vitamins, B12 can’t be made by nance.” B vitamins, and specifically biotin, help
the body. Instead, it must be gotten from food keep your skin, hair, eyes, liver, and nervous sys-
or supplements. In older people, B12 deficiency tem healthy. Biotin is also a crucial nutrient dur-
has been linked to dementia. This deficiency ing pregnancy, as it’s important for embryonic
has also been linked to other neurodegenera- growth.
tive disorders such as multiple sclerosis and Par- When a new patient has blood pressure of 140
kinson’s disease. over 90 or more, I do a blood test to check for
Individuals who experience even slightly re- Insulin resistance (pre-diabetes). The National
duced levels of vitamin B12 also tend to have Diabetes Information Clearinghouse reports
elevated homocysteine levels. Homocysteine high blood sugar contributes to high blood
By: Dr. Carlos Viana is an amino acid used normally by the body in pressure. One of the proposed uses of the herb
making energy and making muscles. Elevated milk thistle is to lower blood sugar levels, which
Hypertension, high blood pressure is a risk fac- concentrations in the blood are thought to in- may ultimately cause a decrease in blood pres-
tor associated with heart attacks and strokes. crease the risk for heart disease by damaging sure. Mayo Clinic states animal and laboratory
Blood pressure readings involve two number, the lining of blood vessels and increasing the research found milk thistle may be capable of
one above the other. The top number, which is risk of blood clot formation. Always make sure lowering high cholesterol levels. If this is true, milk
also the higher of the two numbers, measures you are taking a B complex with your B 12 or thistle may help lower blood pressure by elimi-
the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats, other B’s. They work best together. nating excessive cholesterol within the arteries.
that is, when the heart muscle contracts. The When I studied and worked as a Traditional Chi- For centuries natural physicians have used milk
top number is called the Systolic number. The nese Medical doctor in Shanghai one of our thistle to help the liver detoxify.
bottom number, the Diastolic, which is also the principle natural medicines was rice that had Get the Point! Years ago, nutritionists would take
lower of the two numbers, measures the pres- a yeast or fungus growing on the grains. The your blood pressure, have you eat one food
sure in the arteries between heartbeats (when yeast called Monascus purpureus, turns the rice and check your blood pressure ten minutes
the heart muscle is resting between beats and a red color. Called Red yeast rice, it has a long later. If your blood pressure rose more than ten
refilling with blood). history of use as both a food and a medicine points, that food was considered to be intoler-
in China. Red yeast rice contains natural mo- ant, or not good for you. The food – blood pres-
I consider abnormal blood pressure to be more nacolin K, which has properties very similar to sure connection is well established. Thankfully,
than 140/90. Like an overinflated tire or bal- cholesterol-lowering prescription medications we can use natural food dietary supplements
loon, that can rupture, a burst blood vessel in known as statins. Besides helping the liver con- to help control our blood pressure naturally.q