Finding the Root Cause of Hypertension and 4 Natural Treatments

Hypertension every day affects more people recently, I have had several patients in my office who have been on inappropriate blood pressure medications for different reasons.

Medication given to Alex didn’t seem to be working. Basic testing showed that he was given the wrong medication. We found the underlying cause, so the kidney medication didn’t work. His problem was not in the kidneys; it was the adrenals that caused vascular constriction, His blood pressure was consistently around 200/100 morning and evening, except for two nights when it was 120/75 – normal! I asked about that, and he said, “Yeah, I noticed that. I don’t know, except that it seems to happen whenever I have wine with dinner.” He hadn’t told me this, so I asked him to drink wine and check his blood pressure. It was normal. He asked, “What am I supposed to do? Become a wino?” No. Given a different medication, Alex’s blood pressure is normal. Ultimately, he would do much better to reduce stress and get off the medication.

In another case, a cardiologist prescribed blood pressure medication to an 87-year-old woman and she started getting dizzy spells. She almost passed out a few times because her blood pressure dropped too low. I recommended she get off the medication and she did, and within three days, it was back to normal. However, when she went back to her cardiologist, he gave her another blood pressure medication – and the same thing happened. After stopping the drugs, I had her monitor her blood pressure for a couple of weeks. The blood pressure in the morning was higher, around 160/78, but the evening blood pressure was in the range of 140/75.

This brings up a very important point. The ideal blood pressure in young men (where all the original studies were done) is around 120/75. But as we age, the blood vessels are less compliant, and we need more pressure to get adequate circulation. This means that for people over 70, the ideal blood pressure is usually 140/75.[1]. The 87-year-old woman’s blood pressure was perfect in the evening when her cortisol was low. However, the blood pressure medications caused her to get hypotension (low blood pressure) which is more dangerous than hypertension (high blood pressure).[2]

Sometimes blood pressure is only high in the office. I make sure all my patients who have a potential problem with blood pressure take their blood pressure morning and evening for at least two weeks before diagnosing hypertension. (That’s 28 readings 😊.) If the blood pressure is normal sometimes, then we can ask the question, “Why?” Really, if the blood pressure is normal when you are quiet and relaxed, you don’t have a blood pressure problem. You only need to be concerned if your blood pressure is continually elevated.

There are hundreds of different conditions that can raise blood pressure. For this reason, most doctors will not look for the cause, and they will call it “essential hypertension.” Then they will randomly pick a blood pressure medication to give. If that doesn’t work, they will add another without stopping the one that didn’t work. It’s kind of a ridiculous system all the way around – from start to finish. Most people are not aware that they really have “secondary hypertension,” so this requires an explanation.

Primary Hypertension

“Essential Hypertension,” also called “primary hypertension,” is what most doctors diagnose when someone has elevated blood pressure. That means they don’t know what is causing it. One of my professors in medical school used to tell us, “It’s idiopathic. That means we’re idiots because we don’t know what causes it.” The fact is, there is no such thing as primary hypertension, which would mean it’s just high for no reason. Doctors who use the diagnosis of “primary hypertension” are not doing their work to find the cause. There is ALWAYS a reason, which means all hypertension is secondary.

Secondary Hypertension

“Secondary hypertension” refers to high blood pressure caused by an underlying condition. Some common causes include:

• Nephritis, inflammation of the kidneys
• Sleep problems such as sleep apnea
• Hormone imbalances
• Tumors or cancers
• Medications, including over-the-counter like decongestants
• Thyroid disorders
• Vascular diseases of kidneys, brain, or aorta
• Brain diseases
• Autoimmune disorders
• Genetic conditions
• Metabolic derangements like diabetes
• Lifestyle issues such as diet
• Supplements
• Toxins
• Sensitivities to environmental chemicals

As you can see, there are hundreds of things that might cause hypertension. This is why doctors diagnose “primary hypertension;” it’s too hard to find the cause. However, just scanning the list, it would be important to know if you have hypertension due to cancer, a neuroendocrine tumor, kidney failure, toxicity, or brain disease. Finding the underlying cause is the only way to resolve the issue.

One way to look at high blood pressure is to start with the first level of why the pressure goes up. There are four basic categories:

1. Inflammation
2. Metabolism
3. Stress
4. Vasoconstriction
5. Inflammation

Inflammation anywhere in the body may cause the blood pressure to go up. People with arthritis, colitis, and even gingivitis may have increased blood pressure. The substances that are produced with inflammation cause the local area to have enlarged blood vessels, which is why the area of inflammation gets hot, red, and tender. However, the rest of the blood vessels are constricted, increasing blood pressure.

The key to reducing inflammation is to find the underlying cause. Once you know why, you can take appropriate action to reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure. Some common causes of inflammation include:

• Chronic infections such as mold, Lyme disease, Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), or even gum disease
• Arthritis, Lupus, or other rheumatoid conditions
• Deficiencies of antioxidants, or omega-3 oils
• Toxins such as heavy metals or mycotoxins (mold)
• Chronic allergies

How to lower inflammation:

First, the best thing is to find the source of inflammation and remove it. Sometimes it’s helpful to decrease inflammation with nutrients, at least on a temporary basis.
Supplements:

• Fish oil 2 grams of omega-3 oils daily
• Add Selenium 200mcg because it is a common deficiency [3]
• Turmeric 500mg twice per day (with black pepper)
• Boswellia 500mg twice per day

Metabolism

The primary metabolic problem that causes the blood pressure to go up is insulin resistance, or “pre-diabetes.” We believe that sugar is our primary energy source, but ideally, fat is. Human beings normally produce about sixty percent of their energy from fat. Fat is the perfect fuel for the day-to-day running of the metabolism. It is “low-octane,” meaning it doesn’t create a lot of heat or inflammation. But the ketone bodies that are produced from burning fat can also be used in the brain as a “low-octane” fuel. Excess insulin suppresses fat-burning metabolism, causing less energy, and requiring the cells to use more glucose. Glucose is a great source of quick energy, but it also causes inflammation – raising the blood pressure.

Also, there are three organs that are very sensitive to energy production: kidneys, heart, and brain. The muscles and other organs are not so picky about their energy source. When these three do not have enough energy because they can’t burn fat due to high insulin, they cause a rise in blood pressure. For example, the brain feels a lack of energy and assumes it is because there isn’t enough oxygen due to a lack of blood flow, so it causes vasoconstriction in the body to increase blood flow to the brain. The only way the brain can get more nutrients (oxygen, glucose, fat, and so forth) is to raise the blood pressure. Kidneys also have this same issue, raising blood pressure to increase blood flow. Thus, people with metabolic syndrome just continue to have hypertension despite medications to lower blood pressure.

Blood pressure medications are like putting a bandage over a melanoma skin cancer. Sure, you don’t see it, but it’s still there – and growing! Worse, the blood pressure medications starve the tissues (brain, kidneys, heart) for energy by decreasing blood flow, which may cause more damage.[4]

How to improve your metabolism:

Diet: A change in diet is essential. Change from carb (sugar, or glucose) to fat-burning metabolism by restricting sugars. Avoid the taste of sweets. Eat only 2 meals per day, breakfast and lunch, and skip dinner. (no food after lunch)

Fasting is a great way to cleanse from a glucose metabolism. When we don’t eat we stop making insulin and the body naturally changes to a fat-burning metabolism. Some people prefer to fast for one day a week. Others do three days once a month. Do what works best for your lifestyle to have an empty stomach as much as possible.

Supplements:

• Take Chromium 200mcg per day (add Vanadium 50mcg)[5]
• Get enough Vitamin D – about 5,000 to 10,000 IU per day[6]
• Berberine 800mg twice per day
• Exercise. The best exercise is the one you like. It is good to change, using different methods such as the following:
  • HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) 30 minutes 5 x per week. This is a great way to improve your insulin sensitivity.
  • 10,000 steps per day
  • Gym, weights, Pilates, and so forth.
  • Yoga
  • Running

Stress

When people are under stress, the adrenal glands make norepinephrine and epinephrine, causing vasoconstriction. Both affect blood vessels, but they work on different receptors of the body.[7]

• Epinephrine mostly affects the heart by dilating blood vessels and the lungs by dilating the airways
• Whereas norepinephrine causes more vasoconstriction, raising the blood pressure.[8]

While the adrenal glands make four times as much epinephrine (adrenaline) as norepinephrine, chronic stress changes this ratio. Over time, high levels of cortisol cause less epinephrine and more norepinephrine to be made.[9]

This has the effect of causing high blood pressure. Unless this cause is addressed, the effects of stress and hypertension will not be resolved, even if blood pressure is controlled with medications.

What to do to lower blood pressure:

The primary thing to do is to change distress into eustress. Two people can be in the same stressful situation, but only one is distressed. One way to change distress to eustress is to look at every situation as a learning experience. Another is to be grateful for everything and everyone in your life. Many have found “The Serenity Prayer” helpful: Lord, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the strength to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Supplements:

The following supplements can replace blood pressure medications for those who are stressed and have excessive adrenal output:

• Ashwagandha lowers stress hormone levels (use according to the label)
• Phosphatidylserine (PS) 100mg twice daily
• Exercise daily in the morning before eating
• Sleep from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM
• Skip dinner (no food after 3:00 PM)
• Eat breakfast by 8:00 AM

This program rejuvenates your adrenal glands, giving you a good circadian rhythm, which will increase your stress tolerance and change the norepinephrine to epinephrine ratio.

Vasoconstriction

Ultimately, blood pressure elevation and constriction of blood vessels are related. As we discussed, inflammation, metabolic problems, and stress all cause vasoconstriction, but for different reasons. There is also a separate category of vasoconstriction because there are other reasons that constrict blood vessels not listed above.

For example, toxins of various kinds may raise blood pressure. There is evidence that heavy metals [10], dioxins [11], NO2, SO2, and other toxins can raise blood pressure. Nutrient deficiencies such as CoQ-10, potassium, and magnesium, are all associated with hypertension [12]. Also, a lack of exercise falls into this category.

Those who do not have specific causes such as pre-diabetes, stress, or inflammation, may want to seek the cause by looking for toxins, nutrient deficiency, or genetic abnormalities. Most of the genes I have found that raise blood pressure cause a toxic build-up of some waste product, such as homocysteine, or nutrient deficiency such as B vitamins.

The treatment for this is: adequate nutrition, detoxification, cleanse, and exercise.

Nutrition: In these cases, it might not be sufficient just to have good food. Some will need special nutrients like methyl folate instead of folic acid, or P5P instead of pyridoxine (Vitamin B6). This is because genetic abnormalities often require pharmacologic dosing, which may be ten times what a normal person needs.

Exercise. The exercises described above will help with this kind of hypertension.

Cleanse and DETOX:

The best detox program is long-term fasting. This can take the form of a “cleanse” such as a drink like sixteen ounces twice per day of fresh vegetable juice, or broth, but is ideally just water – and no food. A cleanse such as the “master cleanse” normally goes for about 30 days, but some do shorter times. It may be important to consider low blood sugar, dehydration, and the fact that you will lose about a pound of fat per day (some people don’t want to lose 30 Lbs). This has worked very well for most of my patients who have hypertension due to toxicity.

Remember, that if you are not eating, you may want to avoid medications that lower blood sugar or blood pressure because they might cause hypoglycemia or hypotension. This would cause dizziness, fatigue, and even headaches.

Supplements:

• L-arginine is an amino acid that helps make Nitric Oxide to dilate blood vessels. Citrulline is made into arginine. The best way is to take Citrulline 2 grams twice per day.[13]
• Antioxidants such as fruit and vegetables.
• Bioflavonoids including fruit and vegetables, and horse chestnut seed extract.
• Beetroot contains nitrates that relax blood vessels.[14]

Finding the cause

Once the basic level is known, then detailed tests can discover the actual underlying cause. The long list under “secondary hypertension” above can be further detailed to specific causes. For example, kidney disease might be from a narrowing of the artery that feeds the kidney, or an autoimmune disease – these have very different treatments. Also, some might be toxic on mercury while others are toxic on fructose. These are also treated very differently. Thus, the treatment should be dictated by the underlying cause.

One way you know you have the right cause is the treatment will work. When people are given treatments that don’t work, they simply have the wrong cause. Seeking the underlying reason for hypertension is essential because blood pressure is only a symptom of many different illnesses that could lead to problems. Just lowering blood pressure without dealing with the cause does not fix the problem. However, finding the cause and lowering your blood pressure is not an easy task. It may require the help of a physician who is experienced in finding the root causes. This outline will give you some ideas of where to start, and what to do about it.

 

Sources:
[1] Hypertension targets in the elderly; British Medical Journal BMJ Posted on November 9, 2010; https://blogs.bmj.com/heart/2010/11/09/hypertension-targets-in-the-elderly/
[2] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-blood-pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20355465
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8360873/
[4] https://www.healthline.com/health-news/common-medications-can-damage-kidneys#Which-common-medications-can-damage-kidneys?
[5] https://www.americansportandfitness.com/blogs/fitness-blog/chromium-the-hidden-helper-in-glucose-metabolism#:~:text=Chromium%20is%20an%20important%20mineral%20that%20is%20involved,glycogen%20%28the%20form%20of%20carbohydrate%20stored%20in%20muscles%29.
[6]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6016376/#:~:text=Several%20mechanisms%20have%20been%20proposed%20to%20explain%20the,receptors%20in%20muscles%20and%20liver.%205%20%E2%80%93%207
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537259/
[8] https://www.ezmedlearning.com/blog/beta-receptors
[9] https://healthmatters.io/understand-blood-test-results/norepinephrine-epinephrine-ratio
[10]https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.121.17295#:~:text=Heavy%20metals%2C%20including%20arsenic%2C%20cadmium%2C%20mercury%2C%20and%20lead,whereas%20results%20have%20been%20mixed%20for%20other%20metals.
[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6367997/
[12] https://www.dietvsdisease.org/4-nutrient-deficiencies-every-high-blood-pressure-patient-needs-to-know/
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6683098/
[14] https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/how-can-you-use-beets-for-better-blood-pressure