Is High Blood Pressure Giving You Higher Blood Pressure?

The most commonly diagnosed medical condition in the United States is high blood pressure, which is called “hypertension” in medical jargon.  Guess what?  That means multiple blood pressure medications are among the top 10 most commonly prescribed drugs. Of course these medications are needed sometimes, especially in emergency situations.  However, these medications can cause undesirable side effects.  At Oasis Family Medicine, we find it’s better to address the underlying causes of high blood pressure.

First, why should you be concerned about high blood pressure? Because high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, diabetes and peripheral vascular disease.

Check THIS out… 30% of the population has high blood pressure, and ANOTHER 30% has pre-hypertension. 

Diet and lifestyle changes are the most effective approach according to study after study after study after study after study… you get the drift :)

Instead of treating symptoms with drugs, address the actual causes of high blood pressure for better health that is lasting.  Studies have shown that lifestyle changes alone can reduce risk of heart disease by a dramatic 90%!  How much was that?! 90%!  

Regular exercise is one of the best ways known to control high blood pressure. Other important factors include a whole foods diet rich in plant fiber and low in sugar and sodium, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and managing stress.  Managing stress is very important and is beneficially managed through activities like yoga, meditation, walking, and laughter.

At Oasis Family Medicine, we look for WHY the person has high blood pressure rather than simply at what can be done to lower it; it’s a person-centered approach, versus a disease-centered one. Aside from the lifestyle habits just mentioned, other factors to consider include genetic predispositions, nutritional deficiencies, and environmental triggers, such as:

• Deficiencies in nutrients like potassium, taurine, biotin, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin B1, choline, magnesium and CoQ10.

• Too much sodium without balancing it with other minerals, especially potassium.

• Magnesium deficiency. Most people (around 70-95% of the U.S. population) are deficient in magnesium, which can help relax the blood vessels.

• Toxic levels of certain heavy metals, especially mercury.

• Chronic systemic inflammation.

• Elevated blood sugar, including diabetes and pre-diabetes.

• Hormonal imbalances can lead to high blood pressure.

We at Oasis Family Medicine address the ROOT CAUSE of high blood pressure by addressing these factors.  Word of caution: Please don’t just go buy all of the aforementioned nutrients and expect them to work as they must be in the right form and balanced appropriately with other nutrients to obtain optimal benefits.

I hope you found this useful and as always, please feel free to help a friend or family member by passing this video along to someone who might have high blood pressure, or even pre-hypertension.

Again, if you want to make sure you get these helpful health tips on a weekly basis, please subscribe to this blog or this video. Be sure to watch at 2:50 where I mention some key nutrients!

Medical Disclaimer: Information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Yoshi Rahm, DO. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. 

Do not use the information provided in this article for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this article.

Information provided in this article and the use of any products or services related to this article by you DOES NOT create a doctor-patient relationship between you and Yoshi Rahm, DO or any other physician featured in this article. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Epsom Salt & My Favorite Mineral

My favorite mineral is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body.

My favorite mineral keys over 300 physiologic reactions in the body.

My favorite mineral is demanded by every cell in the body or the cell will die.

My favorite mineral has become woefully lacking in the food supply due to modern soil depleting methods.

My favorite mineral is now woefully lacking in about 80% of Americans.

Can you guess what my favorite mineral is?

My favorite mineral is Magnesium.

What does Magnesium help the body achieve?

• Strong bones by giving both rigidity & flexibility to them thereby preventing osteoporosis
• Strong teeth
• Hormonal homeostasis
• Nervous system health (decreases stress, promotes restful sleep, decreases pain, lessens concentration problems like ADHD, lessens brain fog)
• Cardiovascular health (regulates blood pressure, lessens congestive heart failure, decreases coronary artery disease, enhances circulation, balances out calcium in the body so as to decrease arterial calcification)
• Decreases strokes
• Prevents and reverses kidney stone formation
• Decreases asthma severity
• Decreases allergies
• Decreases constipation

What are the four most common medical complaints I see in my office that are quite likely due to a deficiency of Magnesium in the body?

• Migraine headaches
• Heart palpitations
• Muscle cramps/spasms
• Insomnia

What depletes magnesium in the body?

• Caffeine
• Sugar (it takes almost 30 molecules of magnesium to metabolize a single glucose molecule)
• Alcohol
• Birth control pills
• High blood pressure medications
• Diuretics
• Insulin
• Some antibiotics
• Sweating (i.e. from exercise)

Are you deficient?  As I mentioned above, my favorite mineral is woefully lacking in about 80% of Americans.  So, chances are ‘yes’.

Magnesium, unfortunately, is lacking in our foods and water and when it is taken orally, it is often not absorbed well by the gut, especially if you have gut dysbiosis (unbalanced gut bacteria) or are deficient in Vitamin D.

How can you get magnesium?

Leafy green vegetables are one of the healthiest ways of getting magnesium from your food.

Assuming you have good kidney function it is almost impossible to overdose on magnesium when taken orally, so start low and slowly increase until your symptoms resolve and/or you get loose stool, at which point you should back off slightly until bowel regularity is achieved.  This is the point that your body tissues and blood will become nicely saturated with magnesium.  I find that chelated Magnesium glycinate is usually the best tolerated by people for oral consumption.  Most other forms will give uncomfortably loose stools long before enough gets into your blood stream to achieve meaningful benefits.  Many people do well with a product called Natural Calm.

Transdermal magnesium can be gotten from magnesium oil or lotion rubbed on the skin or from a magnesium salt bath.  This is great if one’s digestive system is not working optimally as the gut is bypassed with this method.

This brings me to Epsom Salt.  Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate.  Unless you are allergic to Epsom salt, it should be in almost every household for its many uses, since it can be used for things like:

• Relaxation & Improved Sleep – add 1-2 cups of Epsom salt to a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes.
• Aches & Pains (either acute or chronic) – add 2 cups to a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes.
• Headache Relief – add 2 cups to a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes.
• Relief for Sunburn, Itchy Skin, & Bug Bites – 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt dissolved into 1 cup of water then cool then spritz onto the skin or use wet compress on skin.
• Splinter Removal – soak in concentrated Epsom salt water to pull the splinter out.
• Laxative (for occasional constipation) – a teaspoon of Epsom salt dissolved in water can help.
• Facial wash – add a dash of Epsom salt to your normal face cleanser to help exfoliate skin while giving it nourishing magnesium.
• Smooth skin – for healthy smooth skin, ½ cup Epsom salt mixed with ¼ cup olive oil or coconut oil, then in the shower scrub mixture into skin.

So there you have it.  Now you know my favorite mineral and why I like Epsom salt so much.

Medical Disclaimer: Information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Yoshi Rahm, DO. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. 

Do not use the information provided in this article for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this article.

Information provided in this article and the use of any products or services related to this article by you DOES NOT create a doctor-patient relationship between you and Yoshi Rahm, DO or any other physician featured in this article. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.