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In 1978, at age 35, medical journalist Kowalski ("The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure") suffered a heart attack and later underwent two coronary bypass surgeries. In this book, he relates how he lost weight, quit smoking, managed stress, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol levels and avoided medications and their side effects.
Kowalski also recommends ways to monitor blood pressure, combat the metabolic syndrome that leads to heart disease and diabetes (abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and triglycerides, insulin resistance, inflammation, etc.) and raise levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. He provides basic diet and exercise guidelines, details the components of proper electrolyte balance (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium) and describes potent natural remedies including: niacin, arginine, pycnogenol, CoQ10, Omega 3, and grape seed extract to name a few.
There are also sections on children's health and risks and a review of current prescription drugs for those who must take them. Readers will gain a hopeful perspective on the future from the author's experiences.
First, in order to lower your blood pressure without drugs, you should first know your blood pressure.
He suggests taking an aspirin and a melatonin pill just before bedtime each night to help you relax and to help keep your blood pressure down while you sleep.
"What I really recommend is a home blood pressure monitor. It's no more expensive than bathroom scales," he said.
Kowalski discusses five secret weapons.
The first is a tomato extract called lycomato. Kowalski said that in two separate studies, "Patients in several studies took one pill (of lycomato) a day and it brought their blood pressure down eight to 11 points."
Kowalski said the next step is to have a nightly cup of cocoa -- not the mixes, but real cocoa filled with polyphenols -- and the darker the cocoa the better. Just make it with milk and a little sweetener.
The third step in the process is to take arginine, an amino acid. Kowalski said it's a precursor to nitric oxide. "It relaxes the lining of the arteries called the endothelium, making it more flexible and pliable so that the blood can more easily flow through," he said. "The nitric oxide again causes the lining of the artery to expand and relax," he said.
He suggests taking an aspirin and a melatonin pill just before bedtime each night to help you relax and to help keep your blood pressure down while you sleep.
"What I really recommend is a home blood pressure monitor. It's no more expensive than bathroom scales," he said.
Kowalski discusses five secret weapons.
The first is a tomato extract called lycomato. Kowalski said that in two separate studies, "Patients in several studies took one pill (of lycomato) a day and it brought their blood pressure down eight to 11 points."
Kowalski said the next step is to have a nightly cup of cocoa -- not the mixes, but real cocoa filled with polyphenols -- and the darker the cocoa the better. Just make it with milk and a little sweetener.
The third step in the process is to take arginine, an amino acid. Kowalski said it's a precursor to nitric oxide. "It relaxes the lining of the arteries called the endothelium, making it more flexible and pliable so that the blood can more easily flow through," he said. "The nitric oxide again causes the lining of the artery to expand and relax," he said.
Kowalski said that because arginine is metabolized rapidly, he recommends a sustained release formula. But a warning comes with arginine. In Kowalski's book, he warned about a Johns Hopkins study of arginine and heart attack patients.
The fourth step on Kowalsi's list includes taking MegaNatural BP grape seed extract. The extract is sold under a number of brand names. Kowalski's book cited studies that showed an eight- to 11-point drop in blood pressure.
The fifth step on Kowalski's list was pycnogenol, an antioxidant made from pine trees. He said it's another nitric oxide producer.
Kowalski said people need more potassium to balance the sodium. Use potassium chloride instead of salt on your food. He said if people don't like the taste of it sprinkled on food, try cooking with it. "You won't taste it, and at every meal it becomes high in potassium to blunt the sodium," he said.
Kowalski said to take a niacin supplement, but make sure it is just niacin and not a derivative of niacin. Also make sure it is controlled-release.
The fourth step on Kowalsi's list includes taking MegaNatural BP grape seed extract. The extract is sold under a number of brand names. Kowalski's book cited studies that showed an eight- to 11-point drop in blood pressure.
The fifth step on Kowalski's list was pycnogenol, an antioxidant made from pine trees. He said it's another nitric oxide producer.
Kowalski said people need more potassium to balance the sodium. Use potassium chloride instead of salt on your food. He said if people don't like the taste of it sprinkled on food, try cooking with it. "You won't taste it, and at every meal it becomes high in potassium to blunt the sodium," he said.
Kowalski said to take a niacin supplement, but make sure it is just niacin and not a derivative of niacin. Also make sure it is controlled-release.
I found this book to be very helpful and interesting. I know that the statin drugs that the doctors are putting people on to lower blood pressure and cholesterol are instead killing us. I will be trying Kowalski’s suggestions to see how it works for me. The Blood Pressure Cure: 8 Weeks to Lower Blood Pressure is a must read.
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