One of the most common reactions to being prescribed blood pressure medication by your doctor is to head straight home and start researching on the internet. With this wealth of information at our fingertips, checking on the benefits and side effects of common prescription medications is a proactive way to safeguard our health.

MORE HARM THAN GOOD?

The purpose of blood pressure medication is simple: regulating blood pressure to protect the health of the heart But in 2015, University of Alabama Birmingham researchers uncovered shocking information about run-of-the-mill blood pressure meds, showing that anti-hypertension medications could increase stroke risk by as much as 248 percent. Lead study author Dr George Howard, professor in the Department of  Biostatistics at the I-JAB School of Public Health, insisted that the best mode of treatment is preventing hypertension in the first place.

Researchers have discovered that blood pressure medications may be a mere Band-Aid. Northwestern University researchers confirmed in 2015 that patients taking antihypertensive medications still had a higher risk of heart disease. The people who fared best in the study kept their blood pressure in check without requiring medication in the first place, compared to those who took blood pressure medication and later learned to regulate blood pressure levels. Uncontrolled blood pressure, of course, posed the highest risk.

The news about blood pressure medication isn’t all bad. A 2016 study published in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation found two classes of blood pressure meds to be associated with a 16 percent reduced risk of heart attack and stroke in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. But a few positive studies don’t change the fact that blood pressure drugs are often mis-prescribed and have even been shown to have the opposite effect — by raising blood pressure, in some cases. It has never been more important to get blood pressure under control.

YOUR HEART HANGS IN THE BALANCE

There are millions of people in the Western world struggling with high blood pressure, which may lead to heart attack, stroke and the failure of other vital organs. And yet, cutting out inflammatory processed foods that are typical of the Western diet may have an immediate effect on the health of the heart. A healthy diet has been proven to reduce the risk of high blood pressure among new mothers who had gestational diabetes during pregnancy.

Eating really healthy foods is the foundation of heart health, and targeted nutrition can fill in the gaps. The protein amino acid L-arginine is known to promote healthy blood flow, with the potential to strengthen the cardiovascular system and regulate blood sugar levels. Taking vitamins D3 and K2 together can help to usher excess calcium out of the body to prevent the calcium build-up that can lead to heart attack. Powerful enzymes like Serrapeptase and Nattokinase taken in combination can reduce inflammation and regulate the arteries, circulatory system, cardiovascular system, and blood pressure levels.

As Canadian researchers confirmed in 2011, making simple, everyday lifestyle changes like this could add a decade or more of healthy years to your life.

All references can be found at www.naturallyhealthynews.com