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Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) |
Numerous studies report the benefits of a wide range of drugs to treat hypertension. Debate exists on how much to lower systolic (to 140 or 130 or 120?) and diastolic (to 90 or 80 or 70?) pressure. Studies indicate that lowering hypertension with drugs can prevent deaths from stroke and heart attacks over the short term, but do not assess the consequences of using these drugs for more than 20 years. Currently, 120/80 is considered "normal;" > 140/90 requires treatment.
Dr. Siguel's research indicates that most hypertension is caused by suboptimal membrane composition (not enough EFs) that hardens arteries and forces the heart to pump harder or faster to send more blood to the farther parts of the body. Because high blood pressure means the blood pushes harder against the blood vessels (which are already "stiff" and "brittle"), high blood pressure increases the likelihood that a vessel in the brain will break, causing a stroke. Also, because the heart feeds itself while it is not pumping (between heartbeats), increased heart rate decreases blood flow to the heart and can lead to more heart attacks. Higher pumping force by the heart means the heart muscle cells contract with a stronger force, thereby closing the heart vessels that feed them. Think of making a tight fist for a long time: if you press very hard, you will partially obstruct the vessels that feed your fingers and they will become numb. Thus, lowering blood pressure improves blood flow to the heart, and reduces chances of breaking a brain artery (having a stroke).
Unfortunately, there is a price to pay. Lower blood pressure means that tissue near the end of the arterial tree does not receive blood. The arteries ("pipes") do not have enough blood pressure to send blood there (this is the usual situation when hypertension is caused by atherosclerosis). The result is slow death of organs like the kidney and brain. Dr. Siguel proposed that the current epidemic of kidney disease and decreased brain function with age is caused, in part, by treating hypertension with drugs. Drug treatment may save lives over the short term, but may cause more diseases over the long term.
Instead, Dr. Siguel proposed a treatment high in natural foods and essential fats. A diet treatment, known as DASH, incorporates some of the principles proposed by Dr. Siguel. However, compared with DASH, Dr. Siguel emphasizes more natural foods (including lean animal foods) and fewer processed foods (including breads, pasta and cereals). For patients with deficiencies or imbalances of EFs, Siguel suggests correcting such abnormalities with individualized mixtures of oils.
Portions of this section have been excerpted from the book "EFAs in Health and Disease" (how to order, table of contents, references, notes, excerpts).
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© 1998 Edward N. Siguel. All rights
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modified 1/15/00 |