Healthy ‘Blood?

Ever want to know what it takes to build up your blood, and feel like the ‘Hulk”? Want to pump up those red blood cells and get those veins bulging again? Well, stay tuned. You are on the right track.

When it comes to getting better blood supply, and building those red blood cells up to ‘Hulk’ proportions, the best place to start is with amino acids. Amino’s are the building blocks of all proteins, and can also help bring down blood pressure. Two super agents that can arrest essential hypertension (high blood pressure with no known cause), are L-tryptophan and taurine. It is suggested that about 3 grams daily is a very effective dosage, and is now available once more over the counter.

Until recently, it was thought that the amount of taurine needed was quite large (but safe), around 6 grams daily, but it has recently been found that when used in conjunction with other nutrients and botanicals, that you only need about 1 to 2 grams daily.

If you are looking for a little more ‘pop’ for your money, then look to L-arginine to do the trick. It has gained some considerable notoriety lately as the precursor to nitric oxide (NO), which is a blood vessel metabolite. It has been found to improve male sexual function, and also improve heart function in congestive heart failure cases. This same blood vessel dilating effect also has been found to lower blood pressure.

Our body also creates other metabolites (precursor) materials. And directly supplementing the body with extra quantities of these metabolites can have a more effective reaction than supplying just the precursor materials. A prime case for this is with coenzyme Q-10, as our bodies produce less and less the older we get. Q-10 aids in metabolism in every cell in the body, and is found in greatest quantities in the mitochondria, the “energy engines” of the cells. It is a bit expensive, but it’s important, and only a small amount (50-150 milligrams daily) for anyone with high blood pressure.

Another metabolite that helps in lowering blood pressure is docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. It’s an Omega-3 fatty acid, a metabolite of the essential fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid. As little as 4 grams daily can help lower blood pressure a significant degree.

There are foods out there that undoubtedly your doctor will tell you to stay away from, if you have high blood pressure. But then there are certain foods and herbs that can also help. Garlic may not be the best before a date night, but is helpful in lowering blood pressure. A lesser known herb that is an important botanical is powdered olive leaf. The capsule form is the only way it is available in the US, and you should take 500 milligrams four times daily. Just remember that like most other substances I list here take three to four months to build up in your system to be truly effective.

Another herb that has been used for centuries in ailments like fevers and snakebites is sarpaganda, or more commonly known in western medicine as ‘rouwolfia’. It was discovered by chemists that were searching for  a single-ingredient, patentable, FDA-“approvable” drug treatment, when they managed to isolate one active ingredient in sarpaganda – reserpine. Most of the products available these days combine this herb with others also useful for heart problems. It is mostly found in Ayurvedic medicine, and is handled by their practitioners.

One other complication often found in people that have high blood pressure is hypothyroidism, which is often missed even by the most up to date testing procedures. Some signs of this condition are low body temperature, dry skin, and slow ankle reflex. Heavy metal build-up is another often overlooked cause of high blood pressure. Even with careful testing, it can be missed, because blood tests are virtually useless. Hair testing isn’t much better than blood tests. If the hair test comes back negative, it doesn’t mean you are home free. The best way to test for heavy metals is a chelation test. It’s been shown that more than 50% of people with high blood pressure show significant amounts of heavy metals with this test.

For more information or advice, you can find a physician from one of these groups;

The American College of Advancement in Medicine: (800)532-3688, www.acam.org

The International College of Integrative Medicine: (866)464-5226, www.icimed.com

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine: (316)684-5500, www.aaem.com

The American Academy of Naturopathic Physicians: (866)538-2267, www.naturapathic.org

Most of the diet and supplementation listed here is safe to use, with or without a doctors direction, and even if you don’t have high blood pressure or it doesn’t run in your family, it can’t hurt to take preventive actions, and in most cases can even help improve everyday function. So call an expert if you are in doubt of anything here. And for improving your lifestyle or financial standing, or firing your boss, contact me. I can take you on a journey to improve your wealth, as well as your health. So stay tuned, and stay fit.