hypertension

Each year Americans make 275 million visits to their doctors. One out of every 11 visits is high blood pressure. Nine times out of ten they leave with a prescription for a drug. More prescriptions are written in this country for hypertension than for any other disease.

Hypertension is so common today that we tend to think of it as an inevitable price we must pay for growing old. Studies of people whose blood pressure remains low as they age, however, have revealed these people share certain characteristics.

Their diets are low in fats, cholesterol and salt, and high in fiber. They eat whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, and their intake of processed and refined foods is minimal. Their body fat levels are low, and they get plenty of exercise.

In countries where the intake of salt, fats, and cholesterol is low, hypertension is unknown. In many cases, people in their 80's have the same blood pressure as teenagers. These are the same countries where strokes and heart attacks are few and far between. This is not because these people are genetically favored. When people from these lands move to other countries and take on diets high in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt, their blood pressure levels shoot right up.

When we suffer atherosclerosis, in our bloodstream, the deposits that clog up our arteries narrow the channels, thereby, increasing the resistance against which our blood flows, raising our blood pressure. Hypertension is the announcement that the circulatory system is not well.

The conventional medical response is all too often to simply prescribe drugs to silence the alarm, while doing nothing about the problem the alarm is trying to draw to our attention.

Lowering blood pressure without doing something to improve the health of the cardiovascular system is like turning off the fire alarm and going back to sleep, without fixing what set it off in the first place. In addition these drugs have disturbing side effects. The Beta Blockers (propanolol, metoprolol, nadolol, atenolol, etc.) often make patients feel fatigued and listless. The diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide, other thiazides, clorthalidone, flurosemide, spironolactone, etc.) raise blood cholesterol levels, and double the risk of fatal heart attacks. And the blood vessel dilators (apresoline, hydralizine, etc.) have a wide range of common and unpleasant side effects, most commonly producing impotence in males. The blood vessels are expanded to the point that the blood supply simply cannot engorge the penis and produce an erection.

Females experience a decrease or total loss of sexual interest with blood vessel dilators. These drugs do have a part to play in hypertension treatment, since they do bring down the blood pressure, which can be life saving. But would it not be a far greater service to show patients that by changing their diets they can accomplish the same results without all the disturbing side effects? Then these drugs can be used with discretion in a transition period, as a temporary bridge to a healthier life.

The same foods that raise blood cholesterol levels also raise blood pressure levels. High blood pressure is almost invariably accompanied by high blood cholesterol.

Eggs, whole	550	-	-
Kidney, beef	375	-	-
Liver, beef	300	All grains	0
Butter	250	All vegetables	0
Oysters	200	All nuts	0
Cream Cheese	120	All seeds	0
Lard	95	All fruits	0
Beefsteak	70	All legumes	0
Lamb	70	All vegetable oils	0
Pork	70	-	-
Chicken	60	-	-
Ice cream	45	-	-

Your blood Cholesterol level is directly influenced by your cholesterol intake.

Cheese is amongst the highest foods in salt content; and the dairy industry is America's second leading seller of saturated fat, tipping its hat only to the meat industry. The association between foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol, such as dairy products, and high blood pressure, has been established and documented in literally hundreds of rigorous studies. Hypertension patients can get almost immediate relief from some of the problems of high blood pressure when they cease to consume saturated fats and cholesterol. Saturated fats cause blood clotting elements in the blood, called "platelets," to stick together, forming clumps that slow down the flow of blood. These clumpings cause the blood pressure to rise sharply within hours of a meal rich in saturated fat, and account for the many heart attacks that occur within hours of rich meals.

One study reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found the blood pressure levels of vegetarians to be "significantly less" than the levels found in meat eaters, even when the data had been adjusted to compensate for any conceivable advantage the vegetarians might have had from their generally lesser intake of salt, alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee. The study's author attributed the difference in blood pressure readings to: "intake of animal protein and animal fat."

This information is not having an easy time finding its way into the public awareness. The meat and dairy industries do not like what has been learned.

But it is not only the meat and dairy industries. The incentive for those who would educate the public is small. In a drug - oriented culture fond of instant results with a minimum of effort, it's an uphill battle all the way. If you come up with a drug that lowers blood pressure, you can make millions of dollars. But if you want to show people how to eat so their blood pressure won't become elevated in the first place, enthusiasm dwindles.

There are millions of Americans at this very moment suffering profoundly from the consequences of high blood pressure. This is specially tragic, because it is so thoroughly needless.

Normal blood is slightly alkaline, with a pH between 7.3 and 7.45, thus giving rise to its mildly salty taste. A pH of less than 7 is acid, while one more than 7 is alkaline. If the pH of the blood dips below its normally weak alkaline level and becomes acidic, acidosis arises. Acidity is classified as an expanded or yin condition. (See yin-yang). When the pH factor of the blood moves into the high pH range, the more yang condition of alkalosis occurs.

Daily diet is the principal determinant of the blood's relative acidity or alkalinity. Whole grains, vegetables, beans, and sea vegetables are the most centrally balanced foods and produce strong, healthy blood that is neither too acid nor too alkaline. Through the network of capillaries, this strong blood - neither too thick nor too thin - is distributed to the cells and tissues of the body, including the brain cells, creating harmonious day-to-day, month-to-month, and year-to-year health, a bright outlook, and vitality.

More expansive yin foods and beverages such as sugar , white flour, fruits, juices, milk, soft drinks, coffee, black tea, alcohol, and artificially processed and chemicalized foods, though in some cases extremely alkaline, thin the blood and make it more acidic. Contractive, overly yang foods, including meat, eggs, poultry, cheese, fish and refined salt, are extremely alkaline and may thicken the blood, making it more alkaline, or may change into their opposite quality (acid) and in most cases serve to weaken it.

THE MODERN DIET

FOODS WHICH ARE MORE YANG

Many of the foods being consumed at present on a regular basis are more yang than those included on the standard diet we recommend. These products, which many people are eating daily, include:

- Eggs
- Meat (beef, pork, lamb, and others)
- Poultry (chicken, turkey and others)
- Salt: Salt is often used as a preservative in order to prevent the putrefaction of meat and other animal products. Products like ham, bacon, hot dogs and others are often preserved in this manner, and salt is often added after they have been cooked. In case salt is not used, chemicals are added to prevent putrefaction. These produce an opposite, or yin effect. If we consume products such as these on a regular basis, our intake of salt tends to be too large.
- Cheese

FOODS WHICH ARE MORE YIN

The following products, all of which are being consumed regularly, are more yin than those included on the standard diet we recommend:

- Chemicals (additives, sprays, fertilizers, drugs, medications, etc.)
- Sugar
- Chocolate
- Honey, maple syrup, and other simple sugars
- Saccharine and other artificial sweeteners
- Soft drink and other artificial beverages
- Tropical and semi-tropical fruits such as organges, grapefruit, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, papayas, etc.
- Vegetables of tropical or semi-tropical origin including potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, avocadoes, etc.
- Vegetables which produce an acidic effect such as asparagus, spinach, beets, zucchini squash, green pepper and others
- Industrially produced artificial vinegar
- Dairy products which are industrially processed and chemically treated such as milk, butter, cheese (for example, cottage cheese, cream cheese and others) and yoghurt
- Refined flour and grain products
- Spicy condiments and seasonings such as catsup, mustard, pepper, red pepper and others
- Alcohol
- Commercially produced tea and coffee
- Aromatic teas which have a stimulant effect like mint or peppermint teas.

The body compensates for momentary imbalances in the blood by several mechanisms. For example, when we exhale, excess acids are discharged in the form of carbon dioxide. The liver and kidneys filter toxins and excess acids from food and drink and discharge them through urination, respiration, and perspiration. The blood also contains a variety of buffers, such as sodium bicarbonate, which serves to neutralize acids. The autonomic nervous system also releases hormones that further regulate the balance of minerals and electrolytes in the blood and offset any momentary imbalances. In this way, the blood can maintain a weak alkaline condition despite occasional consumption of extreme foodstuffs. So long as the amount of excess is light to moderate, normal discharge mechanisms such as urination, bowel movement, respiration, and perspiration can handle toxins or excess waste that enter the circulatory system. However, if the quantity of excess is large and continuous, the body is not capable of discharging it smoothly, and various abnormal processes begin.

Today, for example, we all tend to overeat. We consume foods from geographic and climatic environments vastly different from our own. We eat local produce in seasons during which it does not naturally grow in our own area. We enjoy party food every day rather than just on special occasions. These imbalanced practices can trigger a variety of abnormal discharge mechanisms in the body.

The force that circulating blood exerts against artery walls is measured as blood pressure. Consumption of imbalanced foods and beverages, especially excessive yin substances but also overly yang items, can cause elevated blood pressure and lead possibly to stroke, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, kidney failure, peripheral artery disease, or other serious circulatory condition. Systolic pressure - the pressure of the heart when pumping - is determined by the volume of the blood pumped by each stroke, the heartbeat, and the elasticity of the aorta and other large arteries near the heart that receive the full force of the ejected blood. Diastolic pressure - the pressure of the heart at rest - is governed by the resistance to the flow of blood from the arteries to the capillaries, where the nutrients and gases essential to cells and tissues are transported. The mechanism by which high blood pressure develops, especially the relationship between blood pressure and diet, is not completely understood by modern science.

Traditional Oriental medicine, however, provides some insight into this process, indicating how excessive dietary factors can affect one or more of these functional blood pressure determinants (cardiac output, heartbeat, elasticity of arteries, and resistance of arterial walls), raising or lowering either systolic pressure or diastolic pressure, or both. The consumption of excessive yin foods and beverages such as sugar, sweets, refined flour, milk, light cheese, tropical fruits, spices, stimulants, and certain tropical vegetables can produce a significant elevation in blood pressure.

In the digestive system, simple sugars from many of these foodstuffs are broken down into glucose and stored in the liver as glycogen. When the amount of glycogen exceeds the liver's storage capacity, it is released into the bloodstream in the form of fatty acids, or triglycerides. This fatty acid is stored first in the inactive places of the body such as the buttocks, the thighs, and the midsection and is a primary cause of overweight and obesity. Then, as these more peripheral areas become saturated, excess fatty acid becomes attracted to deeper, more central organs such as the heart and kidney, which gradually become encased in a layer of fat and mucus. This accumulation can also penetrate the inner tissues, weakening the normal functioning of the organs, causing blood vessels to lose their elasticity, and diminishing diastolic blood pressure.

In the bloodstream, fatty acids adhere to plasma and red blood cells and make them sticky. The red blood cells must normally bend and fold in order to pass through the tiny capillaries. If the red blood cells are encased in fat, they will stick together, clump, and clog the capillaries, depriving the cells of oxygen and raising both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

The intake of excessive yin factors also influences the sympathetic nervous system, which extends from ganglia in the vertebrae region of the chest to the blood vessels of the stomach, liver, kidneys, and other vital organs. Stimulation of these nerves releases yin hormones that produce a rise in diastolic pressure. Other hormones and substances in the kidneys, adrenals, and endocrine system can also affect blood pressure levels. Fluctuations in blood pressure can also be caused by the repeated consumption of meat, eggs, poultry, and other excessively yang substances. The saturated fat and cholesterol from these foods constricts arterioles, the small arteries connecting the arteries and capillaries. This hardening is an example of arteriosclerosis and involves differing degrees of narrowing, thickening, or closing or the artery walls. As a result of diminished contractive power, resistance to blood flow in the capillaries will increase, forcing diastolic pressure to rise. As diastolic pressure rises, systolic pressure also rises to maintain equilibrium.

The intake of extreme yang factors can also harden the aorta and larger arteries, including the coronary arteries of the heart itself. As these large vessels rigidify, they loose their normal flexibility and cannot distend when blood is ejected from the left ventricle. To compensate, the systolic pressure against the walls of the artery will increase. In this type of hypertension, arteries lose their ability to contract between heartbeats, and diastolic pressure consequently falls. This form of high blood pressure is more commonly observed in middle-aged or elderly persons.

If the person with high blood pressure continues to take extreme foods and beverages, especially sugar, soft drinks, coffee, and other excessively yin items, the heart may become swollen and loose that it no longer has sufficient contractive power. As a result, blood pressure often becomes dangerously low, producing what is called hypotension. Strain and overwork on the part of the heart muscle can lead to irregular or fluttery heartbeats. Hypotension can also lead to the excessive accumulation of fluids in the body, congestive heart failure, or sudden death. Low blood pressure can also be produced by an excessively yang way of eating, which causes the heart to become so contracted and tight that it slows down and pressure diminishes. In modern society, low blood pressure from this cause is not so common as that from excessively yin factors. However, it can arise, and when it does needs to be properly evaluated to make correct dietary adjustments slightly emphasizing the quality of food opposite to the underlying cause.

Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of most heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral artery disease and is the most common cause of death in modern society. Atherosclerosis occurs when deposits of hardened fat and cholesterol build up in the inner linings of artery walls and obstruct the flow of blood transporting oxygen and nutrients to the brain, heart, kidneys, or lower limbs. As this plaque continues to accumulate, the diameter of the blood vessels narrows, impeding the flow of blood, increasing blood pressure, and causing partial or total obstruction of the artery.

If oxygen is cut off in a part of the brain, the result is a stroke. If one or more coronary arteries is deprived of oxyen, the result is the death of a portion of the heart muscle. This is called a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. If a blood clot forms around an atherosclerotic deposit, it is called a thrombus, and if a blood clot breaks off it is called and embolus. Floating through the bloodstream, and emblus may eventually become lodged in the smaller arteries of the brain, lungs, legs, or other region. Sometimes this is fatal, as often in the case of the head. Other times, as in the case of the feet, gangrene may set in, requiring amputation.

A hemorrhage or abscess also may form. Hardening of the arteries is considered a predominantly yang disorder because it constricts and narrows the blood vessels and is caused primarily by the overconsumption of meat, eggs, poultry, dairy food, and other animal food. However, the growth of fatty deposits in the arteries is an expansive yin phenomenon and one that is accelerated by the consumption of excessive yin foods and beverages. Moreover, the added strain put on the circulatory system by hardened arteries tends to enlarge and swell the heart. As the heart labors under demands for oxygen, the heartbeat and blood pressure tend to rise, and a larger volume of blood is pumped to constricted blood vessels and other organs.

(Source: Michio Kushi /Alex Jack - Diet for a strong Heart
A Diet for a New America - John Robbins,)

ANIMAL FOOD	PLANT FOOD
Cholesterol content (in milligrams per 100 gram portion)	Cholesterol content (in milligrams per 100 gram portion)