From The Inside Out Mag.
For Personal Healing, Spiritual Growth & Development

by Christian Goodman

Blood pressure medications frequently make nasty side effects such as dizziness, cramps and pains. Unbelievably, some blood pressure medications can actually create a heart attack and stroke. Those are some very serious side effects!

But there are many natural ways to lower blood pressure. For example, last year a study published in the medical journal Hypertension reported that two cups of beet juice a day can reduce blood pressure by 10 points with no side effects. Well, okay, drinking beet juice might give a slight pink color to your stool or urine, but that's hardly a worrisome side effect, especially compared to heart attack or stroke.

"Our research suggests that drinking beetroot juice, or consuming other nitrate-rich vegetables, might be a simple way to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, and might also be an additional approach that one could take in the modern day battle against rising blood pressure," said lead author of the study, Professor Amrita Ahluwalia of the William Harvey Research Institute at Barts and The London School of Medicine.

Phytochemicals are abundant in beets and this will help your reduce hypertension, fights cancer and helps in digestion. The medications you take for hypertension will not function this way. The good thing about beetroot is you can buy them for a few dollars without any doctor's prescription.

Suzy Cohen, author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist, says, "Beets even look like hearts, if you think about it. They lower blood pressure by increasing levels of nitric oxide in your blood vessels. The anti-platelet action of beets reduces risk for blood clots. Beets can dissolve inorganic calcium deposits that clog up your pipeline. Beets can lower total cholesterol and triglycerides by 30 percent and 40 percent, respectively, while increasing those good HDLs. Has your statin done that for you?"

Beets are also rich in folic acid and other antioxidants that reduce inflammation and improve heart disease. The red color of beets comes from betacyanin, a phytochemical that is a powerful cancer fighter. Another medical study showed that beet fiber helps to eliminate toxins from the body. Yet another study showed that beets increase the number of CD8 cells (cancer-fighting cells) in the colon.

The easiest way to eat a lot of beets is to invest in a juicer. Select bright organic beets for juicing and mix them with apple juice and/or other vegetables. Note that beets are high in oxalic acid and should be avoided by those with kidney stones, gout, or osteoporosis. Do not mix broccoli or other vegetables high in calcium with beet juice, as oxalic acid and calcium do not digest well when combined.

If you have high blood pressure, try to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables to get the benefit of phytochemicals and fiber. Avoid processed foods and high-fat foods.

Exercise does not have to be vigorous. Another key to reducing blood pressure naturally is Regular exercise. Simple set of easy exercises are developed by the Natural health researcher Christian Goodman, which can lower blood pressure naturally in just minutes a day.