How stress, minerals and sugar affect your blood pressure
Aneurisms, haemorrhagic strokes
If the walls of the aorta or other large blood vessels become weak they can swell or bulge out (balloon) in places and form what is called an aneurysm. This is usually a problem caused by high blood pressure. During the early stages blood may begin to leak from the walls and so blood clotting will take place. Severe damage is caused if the aneurysm bursts. It has to be treated by surgery and blood clotting factors will have to be controlled (bypassed). Using anticoagulants may exacerbate blood leakage. This increas¬es the risk of strokes because blood can leak into brain tissue. Blood is toxic to the brain and the surrounding cells weaken and die. This adversely affects brain function.
High blood pressure and Syndrome X
We all think high blood pressure is immediately a reason to rush off to a cardiologist. But before you do, investigate insulin resistance because high blood pressure is an early symptom – a warning about insulin resistance! Even before high blood sugar levels are detected, blood pressure rises. It is a precursor to syndrome X or the insulin resistant cavalcade of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, secondary diabetes and serious weight gain. All of these factors affect cardiovascular disease. Insulin resistance makes one retain sodium and it inhibits the uptake of magnesium – the mineral that keeps blood vessels relaxed and flexible. So it is excreted by the kidneys instead. Levels of insulin and leptin increase and this also raises levels of uric acid. Uric acid blocks the relaxing effect that nitric acid has on blood vessels. Nitric acid also requires Vitamin B 3 to activate it. But high blood sugar levels block the action of all our B vitamins that we need to protect our blood vessels, including B6, B12 and folic acid needed to control homocysteine. Without nutritious foods that supply the raw materials required for insulin function such as chromium, zinc and vanadium insulin resistance sets in. Medications that are given to treat high blood pressure need to be justified in such cases. They do not supply the nutrients we need to maintain insulin sensitivity. They don’t supply nutrients for keeping normal blood pressure within healthy limits namely magnesium, potassium and Omega 3.
Salt is not the cause of all our ills
Some recent studies on the dietary causes of cardiovascular disease imply that our sodium intake is minimally related to blood pressure and perhaps even inversely related to cardiovascular risk. It has more to do with highly-refined carbohydrates. That includes “natural” fruit juices rich in fructose. The sugar we consume aggravates insulin resistance and that in turn, causes the sodium retention. It is not consuming too much salt that is bad because the body can easily excrete the excess. But if we are insulin resistant the sodium is not excreted. Cutting out salt or lowering the intake will not treat the cause – that of insulin resistance.
Treating insulin resistance helps to lower blood pressure!
We worry about our salt intake but any excess of sodium in proportion to potassium is normally excreted by the kidneys. We circulate about two litres of sodium bicarbonate around the kidneys as it is also used to keep the small intestine alkaline. The salt we eat provides chloride to help us top up on stomach acid and sodium to buffer acidity. So what is the problem with eating salt? Potassium is also needed to keep it in balance. The hormones aldosterone and renin control the ratio between salt and potassium.
Most people think salt is a toxic substance but that is debatable. We consume salt and need it to stay alive – but we need the same amount of potassium to maintain the balance between them. A healthy potassium status (from eating our vegetables) requires enough sodium to keep it in balance. We begin to crave salt when we need it for a good reason. Salt is also used to keep stomach acid strong and to provide sodium because it is one of our most important alkalizing minerals to maintain blood pH.
Insulin resistance can cause too much sodium
People who think salt is bad are usually unaware that the body excretes the sodium we don’t need. But if we are insulin resistant it does the opposite and we then suffer from too much sodium. However, potassium can only maintain the correct balance if it has enough sodium. If not, we lose potassium and magnesium by cutting out or severely restricting salt. Rather use potassium chloride mixed with regular salt to lower sodium. Some people are successful with a low carb / high protein and fat diet because they still take insulin medications. But if we suffer from chronic and almost constant stress and “burn” body fat and muscles the are converted to glucose anyway. So they still cannot be used as fuel unless insulin sensitivity is restored. Here are supplements that work better than taking insulin. Please discuss them with your practitioner as alternatives.
• Chromium Picolinate – 200 mcgs a day. This increases insulin sensitivity and helps to burn fat and turn it into muscle. Or take the simple one called GTF (glucose tolerance factor)
• Calcium D pantothenate called Vitamin B5 (500 mg) helps to con¬vert sugar, fat and protein into energy It helps to make cortisone.
• The amino acid: L-carnitine. It is also a heart-strengthening nutrient that can help for angina and congestive cardiac failure.
• Vitamin D3 (2000 iu – 5000 iu is now what some doctors prescribe) To control cancer, weight, heart health and immune boosting.
• Cinnamon powder – 1 – 2 grams per day can work like insulin.
• The herb Coleus Forskholii has a direct link to blood sugar and fat burning. It can also effectively lower blood pressure.*
• Zinc, calcium, magnesium, manganese, chrome and vanadium are all required to make insulin. A loss of taste or craving more sugar is due to a zinc deficiency.
Use the above supplements when you are insulin resistant and see how your weight comes down and your blood pressure.
