Dear Dr. Cutler,

I have recently been told that not only do I have high blood pressure, but it is classified as the type known as benign essential hypertension which is incurable and will require lifelong medication to control it. Living the rest of my life on medication is not acceptable to me and I can’t help but believe that there are less toxic methods to tone down my blood pressure. Do you have any advice for me?

—Mitchell D.

Dear Mitchell,

Up to 95 percent of hypertension cases are known as benign essential hypertension which means there is no known cause. And medical literature will commonly tell you that essential hypertension is considered an incurable disorder that requires lifelong medical management. But that is simply not true. High blood pressure, whatever the root cause, is a sign that your body is getting out of balance.

Staying on blood pressure medications forever is certainly not a good option, and the key to regulating your blood pressure naturally and getting off the medications is through lifestyle changes. Consider these natural ways to help get your blood pressure under control…

• Eliminate foods that are low in nutrient density from your diet including packaged, sugary, greasy and highly preserved foods like fast foods and soda. Replace them with nutrient-rich whole foods such as leafy and colored vegetables and fruits, with lesser amounts of starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn and beans.
• More than 50 percent of your diet should be foods in their raw form. Raw whole foods have higher levels of fiber, nutrition, enzymes and antioxidants than cooked foods.
• Change from processed table salt to natural sea salt. Common table salt causes swelling inside your vessels and raises your blood pressure; however, sea salt does not raise your blood pressure because of its healthier chemical composition.
• Take herbal medicines to help regulate your blood pressure. Check with your local health food store for the best brands of hawthorne berry… ginkgo biloba… dandelion leaf tea—a mild diuretic… fresh ginger tea—made by boiling six slices of ginger in 2 cups of water, cooling it and then adding stevia and fish oil and niacin—both of which reduce heart problems.

All the best!
Michael Cutler, M.D.