Outsmarting the "Silent Killer"

Do you have high blood pressure? If so, you’re not alone. Hypertension has reached epidemic proportions in our country currently affecting nearly 75 million Americans.

Slick advertisements for blood pressure lowering drugs bombard you every time you turn on the TV or open a magazine. But given the poor track record of the prescription meds used to treat hypertension, it’s high time we approach this health condition from another angle: correcting the underlying factors that contribute to high blood pressure in the first place.

I’m not just talking about consuming too much salt or your family history, the latter of which you just cannot do anything about. Instead, I’m referring to addressing the five causes of high blood pressure you can control…

1. Insulin resistance: At least 50 percent of all people with hypertension have an underlying condition called insulin resistance. Marked by elevated levels of insulin in the bloodstream, insulin resistance is also associated with increases in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and elevations in cholesterol and triglyceride levels. A healthy diet and exercise will help control insulin resistance as well as hypertension. You also need to get on a good nutritional supplement program that includes a potent multivitamin and mineral supplement with high doses of magnesium, calcium, and antioxidants.

2. Nutritional deficiencies: Inadequate intakes of potassium, antioxidants, magnesium, calcium, essential fatty acids, and B-complex vitamins have all been linked to increased risk of hypertension. The only way to get optimal levels is to take a high-potency daily multivitamin and mineral supplement and add additional nutrients as needed to fill in the gaps.

3. Obesity: One of the most significant risk factors for hypertension is obesity (being at least 20 percent above your ideal weight). It raises your risk of high blood pressure three-fold. Often, losing weight is enough to normalize blood pressure. A prudent diet and regular exercise are the best ways to achieve normal weight.

4. Dehydration: Chronic dehydration contributes to hypertension by causing the body to hold onto sodium. This increases blood volume and thus blood pressure. Make a point of drinking a minimum of eight and preferably 10 to 12 glasses of pure, filtered water every day. This surprisingly simple step can truly make a difference in blood pressure control.

5. Inactivity: The human body is wired for exercise, and a sedentary lifestyle is a significant contributor to hypertension, coronary artery disease, and other cardiovascular ailments. Exercise improves every single aspect of cardiovascular health, blood pressure included.