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| Written by Thomas Cowan, MD |
| September 30 2000 |
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Question: I am a 45-year-old man in relatively good health, maybe 20 pounds overweight, a little stiff, a little tired. I have recently been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure). My doctor found that my blood pressure is in the 150-160/95-100 range over a number of visits. He has suggested that I go on blood pressure medicine, which he indicated may be for the rest of my life. Is there any way to threat this condition without using drugs? Answer: This question comes up often in my practice. The long answer could fill a medical textbook. The short answer begins with a definition of hypertension—which has changed a number of times during my 20-year career in medicine. In medical school we learned that the top or systolic number was normal if it was less than 100 plus the age of the patient. Thus 170 would be normal for a 70-year-old man. The bottom or diastolic number was considered normal if it was under 90. About ten years ago, a number of studies seemed to show that the bottom number was more important than the top number in predicting adverse outcomes such as stroke and kidney disease. For years physicians mostly ignored the systolic pressure and focused on normalizing the diastolic pressure but lately a few studies have shown that both numbers are important for predicting outcomes. Also, we no longer say that 100 plus the patient's age is normal; rather, 140 is said to be the safe limit, regardless of the age of the patient. The issue of whether hypertension needs to be treated has also vexed researchers for many years. If the pressure of the blood inside the arteries is too high, leading to kidney damage and stroke, it would seem that we should try to lower blood pressure. But the studies show that while it is clear that having normal blood pressure is better for your long-term health than elevated blood pressure, lowering pressure with medicines does not demonstrably improve the outcome. Furthermore, many of the drugs in use to treat hypertension have unfortunate side effects. Diuretics cause the loss of valuable electrolytes (minerals), thereby predisposing the patient to cardiac arrhythmia. Beta-blockers alter lipid levels and can worsen the tendency to type-II diabetes, which can lead to the same adverse outcome as elevated blood pressure. Similar problems have been found with calcium channel blockers and even with the new ACE inhibitors. High blood pressure is, therefore, best treated without drugs. If we consider the fact that in this condition, the circulation is working too hard to nourish the cells, then it seems reasonable that some of the causes include excess weight, electrolyte imbalances, lack of exercise, fluid overload (due to poor kidney function), stress and fatty-acid imbalances. The last cause usually involves deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids and too much trans fat in the diet. These trans fats replace saturated fats in the cell walls with the result that they become too stiff. These imbalances must be corrected and maintained for the life of the patient. In practical terms, this means following the diet recommended in Nourishing Traditions with its emphasis on traditionally prepared whole foods; the use of mineral-rich Celtic sea salt; and a supplement of omega-3 fatty acids, usually in the form of a small amount of flax oil. Restriction of carbohydrates, as outlined in The Schwarzbein Principle, will help with weight loss and will also lower insulin levels, thereby helping your body eliminate excess fluid and burn excess fat. A regular exercise program is important. Finally, studies have repeatedly shown that the regular practice of some sort of meditation or relaxation response can be very successful in treating hypertension. The classic work in this field is still The Relaxation Response. Following these guidelines at least 90 percent of my patients have successfully lowered their blood pressure without resort to drugs.  This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2000.
Dr. Cowan is the author of The Fourfold Path to Healing (New Trends Publishing), a companion book to Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. He a board member of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a regular contributor to our "Ask the Doctor" column and the Foundation's quarterly journal, and has lectured throughout the US and Canada. He has three grown children and currently practices medicine in San Francisco where he resides with his wife Lynda Smith Cowan. His book The Fourfold Path to Healing is now available from Amazon.com and NewTrends Publishing. Visit Dr. Cowan's website at fourfoldhealing.com.
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HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
written by ADLINE GUILLORY, Mar 26 2012  I NEED HELP WITH MY BLOOD PRESSURE.I AM NEW TO THIS.
raw milk lowered my BP significantly, as did K supplementation
written by jpatti, Nov 11 2011
2-3 years, I was on ever-increasing does of ACE inhibitors and beta blockers with no real difference in my BP.
Adding raw milk to my diet at a time when my prescriptions were expired, my BP came down halfway to normal. Later, I began supplementing K-dur, aiming for a serum level of 4.0-4.3. For me, it takes a LOT of K to achieve that. I've been a T2 diabetic for over 2 decades, and insulin causes potassium loss.
Mr
written by Mozzy, Nov 25 2010
I've taken Hawthorne Berry before, to great effect. I've also recently been taking 1t Cayenne Pepper a day in hot water. If anyone has any comment on that please respond.
Regards Mike
high blood pressure
written by Leonard J Veight, Jun 06 2010
Iam a 57 year old male with hypertension,I would like to get off the beta blocker prescribed to me.I read your Article sept. 30 2000 on high blood pressure ,I would like to know if the Schwarzbein Principal is a separate book or is it in nourishing traditions book also the same question about the relaxation response where can I get these books.In conclusion Iam following a Weston A. Price Diet at present and I am on an exercise program as I am about 40 pounds overweight and I also have sleep apnea. When can I get off the medicine, If I follow the diet you described in nourising traditions , also can I Eat fermented breads, Please Reply I am desperate.
high blood pressure written by julie crowson, May 17 2010
my mom has had very high blood pressure and cholesteral and she is 85 even with actoes and cardizam high blood pressure pills whats with that? she is still a live.. i find this odd.. because mom has had it sense she was in her 40s and doing fine. but the pills mad her legs and feet weak.
thank you, julie
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| Last Updated on Friday, June 05 2009 18:05 |
Thomas Cowan, MD, discovered the work of the two men who would have the most influence on his career while teaching gardening as a Peace Corps volunteer in Swaziland, South Africa. He read Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price and a fellow volunteer explained the arcane principles of Rudolf Steiner's biodynamic agriculture. These events inspired him to pursue a medical degree. Cowan graduated from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in 1984. After his residency in Family Practice at Johnson City Hospital in Johnson City, New York, he set up an anthroposophical medical practice in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Dr. Cowan has served as vice president of the Physicians Association for Anthroposophical Medicine and is a founding board member of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
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