About 10 days ago, I went to my doctor for a check up, the nurse took my blood pressure; “146/96,” she said. (I thought, “She’s wrong. I’ll just have the doctor re-take it when he gets in here.”) “Hey Phil, your nurse got too high of a reading on me. I don’t have high blood pressure. I think she let the mercury drop too fast, so she didn’t get an accurate reading. I’ve never had high blood pressure.” “Maybe it was because it was the nurse that made your blood pressure rise,” he said with a smile. “Take it again, Phil.” The doctor obliged.

“Ladd, I just got 166/94; you have an auscultatory gap that starts at 166, drops off, and picks back up around 144. The nurse didn’t hear the higher number, but yeah, you got high blood pressure; but, I’m not going to treat it. ”

“You’re darn right, you’re not going to treat it! I DON’T have high blood pressure! I take the BEST Nutritionals in the world, you know that, and I know what they do! Take it again!” I insisted.

“Ladd, you’re upset ….if we take it now, it will be over 200; do you want that? And, if you dropped a few pounds …” “Hey, I just started to drop some pounds …again, and I just started back with my exercise program as well. I take my nutritionals faithfully, I don’t take prescription drugs, AND, I DON’T have high blood pressure! We’re going to talk about something else for a few minutes, and then you’re going to take it again, and then I’ll prove to you that my resting blood pressure is just fine.”

Two minutes later: “128/74 …. Ladd, that’s great. Wow, what a difference! You’re fine!?!” The nurse comes in, “I didn’t think a man of your size and age would ….oh, ..I mean, … well, …yeah, …you’re blood pressure looks great (forced smile), …that’s great.” (I smiled back) Very light-heartedly I said, “Hey, I’ll be back in 3 months, and you’ll see even more evidence on the labs and the scale of just what true health the best nutritionals in the world can provide!”

Here are just a few nutrients that help maintain a healhty blood pressure (along with maintaining a healthy weight, exercise, and a proper diet):

MAGNESIUM:
Extensive research has shown that magnesium is essential to maintain a healthy blood pressure. The National Institutes of Health have recognized magnesium’s critical role in supporting cardiovascular function. Because magnesium is not always plentiful in our foods, and we don’t always eat correctly, supplementation may be the most effective way to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Eur J Public Health. 2004 Sept;14(3):235-9 Circulation. 1989;80(5):1320-7 Drugs Exp Clin Res. 1978;4:49-53

The recommended intake of magnesium to maintain vascular health is 400 to 1000 mg/day (consider at least 400 mg).

alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) and N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC):
ALA with magnesium is able to help maintain a healthy blood pressure, even among diabetics. This occurs because these nutrients all increase glutathione levels, which protect bio-mechanisms that regulate arterial tone. ALA with acetyl-L-carnitine help maintain blood pressure. J Clin Hypertens.(Greenwich.). 2007 Apr;9(4):249-55. Hypertension 2002 Feb;39(2):303-307 Eur J Pharmacol 2001 Jul;20;424(2):121-129 Journal of Hypertension 2000, Vol 18, Iss 5, pp 567-573

QUERCETIN:
Studies have demonstrated the ability of the bioflavanoid antioxidant, quercetin to help maintain a healthy blood pressure. High blood pressure is a well-known risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
J Nutr. 2007 Nov;137(11):2405-11 Br J Pharmacol 2001 133:117-24 Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2008 Nov;11(6):733-40

GRAPE SEED EXTRACT:
Polyphenol antioxidants from grape seed extract of at least 180 mg/day (and possibly from other sources, such as the olive extract) also helps to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Siva B, et. al, Effect of polyphenolics extracts of grape seeds (GSE) on blood pressure (BP) in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). FASEB. 2006;San Francisco, CA. Clin Sci (Lond). 2004 Nov;107(5):513-7

Co-Enzyme Q10:
Co-Enzyme Q10 provides a myriad of health benefits, including helping to maintain a healthy blood pressure when taken at the level of at least 100 mg/day, …sometimes requiring 200 mg/day. Mol Aspects Med. 1994;15(Suppl):S265-72 J Hum Hypertens. 1999 Mar;13(3):203-8 Mol Aspects Med. 1994;15(Suppl):S257-63

FISH OIL:
Fish Oil, in the dose of 1400 mg of EPA and 1000 mg of DHA/day is associated with maintaining a healthy blood pressure, in addition to a healthy heart. Hypertension. 2006 Feb;47(2):296-308 Circulation. 1993 Aug;88(2):523-33 N Engl J Med. 1989 Apr 20;320(16):1037-43 Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 1991 May;18(5):265-8 Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Nov;70(5):817-25

Vitamin D:
Vitaimn D deficiency contributes to high blood pressure, diabetes, and inflammation—all of which increase cardiovascular risk. Vitamin D3 in the dose of 1000 to 6000 IU per day (and higher for some people) helps to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Jun 11;167(11):1159-65 J Nutr. 2005 Nov;135(11):2739S-48S J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2005 Jun;96(1):59-66 J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Apr;86(4):1633-7 Am J Hypertens. 1995 Sep;8(9):894-901 J Cell Biochem. 2003 Feb 1;88(2):327-31

Vitamin C:
Vitamin C at the dose of at least 1000 mg per day (preferrably higher) may help maintain a healthy blood pressure. J Hypertension, 2000, Vol 18, Iss 4, pp 411-415 Epidemiology. 1992;3:194-202 Lancet. 1999;354(9195):355-64 Circulation. 1998;97:2222-9

Of course, all these nutrients provide multiple health benefits besides helping to maintain a healthy blood pressure!

I get this question all the time, because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin.  If you have not already done so, please go to the “In the News” section of this website and please read my article on vitamin D.   That should answer this question adequately. 

Although vitamin D is fat soluble the level that has been shown to be very effective in maintaining health (decreasing the risk of heart disease and cancer) is between 1000 and 10,000 IU.   Vitamin D also helps with many other health situations as well.  As I mentioned in my article, vitamin D does not seem to approach toxic levels until you consume 50,000 IU per day or more.  That is why I suggest one does not supplement with more than 10,000 IU of vitamin D per day …unless instructed by their own physician.

Personally, I take 5000 IU of vitamin D per day, and I advocate that every adult consider taking at least 1000 to 2000 IU per day.  (Children can safely take 400 to 1000 IU per day; however, one needs to discuss supplementation with their physician …a physician who is keenly aware of the benefits and high safety level of vitamin D.)

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is associated with abnormal pap smears, cervical dysplasia, and cervical cancer.  Certain strains of the virus are more likely to cause cervical cancer than others; however, a person is likely to aquire numerous strains of HPV, and the more sexual partners one is exposed to (directly or indirectly) the more HPV strains to which one is exposed.   At least 60% of both men and women have been exposed to and/or are carriers of HPV; that percentage increases signficantly with direct or indirect exposure to additional sexual partners (past or present).  

HPV can express itself within weeks to months of exposure, or may remain dormant and not cause problems until decades later.  Once a man or woman has the virus they have it for life.  It may not ever cause problems, but screening a woman with a pap smear is critical for cancer protection.   HPV is almost the entire reason yearly pap smears are done on women.  There are very few other causes of cervical dysplasia or cancer.  Cervical dysplasia (or abnormal pap smears) is a very common condition, an issue I dealt with daily when I practiced gynecology.  (With men, HPV is usually not a problem, but may be expressed by genital warts or penile cancer, and a good phyical exam is usually enough to detect this early.)

Cervical dysplasia (pre-cancerous condition of the cervix) and cervical cancer are conditions that cause much distress to the women who are diagnosed with this condition, and prior to the vaccine there were only a few things one could do to influence the expression of the virus.  We know that oxidative stress (emotional and physical stress, cigarette smoking, and a depressed immune system) increases the liklihood of HPV expressing itself and causing cervical cell abnormalities.  Alternatively, a healhty immune system, decreased stress, and antioxidant vitamins are associated with a decreased risk of HPV expression.  (In my practice I saw complete regression of cervical dysplasia and carcinoma-in-situ using high dose grape seed extract, in combination with a full-range vitamin and mineral supplement program.  At the same time, I treated the disease according to standard of practice, …e.g., LEEP cone biopsy, etc.)

The quadrivalent human papilloma virus (HPV4) vaccine has been widely available for about a year or so, and about 25% of girls aged 13 to 17 have received at least one of the three doses necessary to immunize against this common virus.   The time to immunize girls against the virus is BEFORE any sexual activity begins.  Therefore, it would be prudent to vaccinate a girl between the ages of 11 and 12.  This is not a tacit endorsement of teen sexual activity, but a preventative health issue.  (Once a woman has contracted HPV, which could occur even with first sexual contact, the time for vaccination is past.)

Cervical cell abnormalities can occur at any age.  I am in favor of this vaccine, as actively protecting women to decrease the risk of a women contracting cervical dysplasia and cancer can only be a good thing.