Hypertension Basics – Who, Why and What?

One of the sites where I am published online is Suite101. They’re having a couple of contests right now, which has prompted me to get busy writing more articles. As hypertension is an issue that affects many in my family, I published an article yesterday on high blood pressure basics. I’m actually planning to do a series – home monitoring how-to, lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure, etc. – if my adult onset ADD doesn’t get the better of me and send me off in another direction! Hey – maybe I should do an article on that?

Anyway . . . What was I saying? Oh, yeah – there are a variety of blood pressure monitors available for home use. Some are designed especially for women, some have larger cuffs, and others even fit on your wrist! If you have hypertension or prehypertension, it is advised to monitor your blood pressure at home. Here are a few Amazon affiliate links to blood pressure monitors you might want to consider. Be sure to ask your doctor which type is best for you.

Developing the Daily Aspirin Habit

Saw an episode of Dr. Oz's new show where he was speaking on women’s health. He recommended aspirin daily – 162 mg (two baby aspirins) taken at breakfast with a half glass of warm water before and a half glass of warm water afterwards. Finally! Something I can actually fit into my existing routine!

Old Advice Didn’t Work

Due to my age and slightly elevated blood pressure, I’ve been trying to develop the daily aspirin habit for years. Quite a long time ago, I saw another Oprah where Dr. Oz indicated that to do any good for blood pressure, the aspirin had to be taken at bedtime. Well, that didn’t work for me. Not only was there no easy and logical place to slip aspirin taking into my regular evening routine, when I did remember to take it, it upset my stomach and disturbed my sleep. Not good.

New Advice to the Rescue!

The beauty of the new advice is how easy it is to implement. I’m a total creature of habit. I do exactly the same thing every morning that I’m home. I have a glass of water while my tea water heats. Then I have tea, breakfast and more tea - and all while at my computer. So now I have the baby aspirin on my computer desk where I can’t forget if I try and I take two aspirin right in the middle of the second round of tea. How cool is that?

But Will It Lower My Blood Pressure?

Good question. Maybe I misunderstood or am misremembering Dr. Oz’s previous advice. Maybe there’s been new research. Maybe the aspirin in the morning is for some other health reason, not blood pressure. Who knows? But at this point it doesn’t matter. I’ll just keep taking it and see what impact it has on my blood pressure readings, if any. At least now I finally have a way to easily incorporate it into my day.

Can You Really Lower Blood Pressure by Eating Chocolate?

Actually, the answer may be yes!

A study featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2007 showed that eating dark chocolate daily over the course of 18 weeks effectively lowered blood pressure – and without weight gain. Now is that good news, or what? But not just any chocolate will do – it has to be DARK, and only a small amount is needed. (Sad, I know.)

Dark Chocolate 101

Cacao is the name of the plant from which cocoa is made. Dark chocolate has a high percentage of cacao or cocoa, terms which are used interchangeably when labeling chocolate – so don’t get confused! For our purposes the chocolate needs to be at least 70% cacao. Unfortunately this means that Hershey’s Extra Dark (60%) and Cacao Reserve (65%), both of which are (readily available just about anywhere candy is sold, both fall short. But do not despair! There are plenty of options, just not the Hershey brand.

Dark Chocolate and Blood Pressure

So what’s the deal with dark chocolate and blood pressure anyway? Well, apparently there’s something in that chocolate that causes the release of nitric oxide that in turn causes blood vessels to dilate which increases blood flow. The other good news is that improved circulation has also been linked to improved memory! Now couldn’t we all use that as the years go by?

Consult Your Doctor

Let your doctor in on what you’re doing. Make sure you continue to take whatever blood pressure medications have already been prescribed. Do not even think about adjusting your dose without your doctor’s blessing! Remember that dark chocolate does not replace hypertension medications, but a little each day may help reduce blood pressure.

Putting it to the Test

To test whether dark chocolate will work for you -

• Buy some of the appropriate chocolate. Read the label to ensure it contains at least 70% cacao (or cocoa). Readily available options include DOVE® Extra Dark Chocolate (71% cacao), Ghiradelli Twilight Delight (72% cacao), and Lindt Excellence Intense Dark (70% cocoa) or Extra Dark (85% cocoa).
• Once you have your chocolate, check how many squares are in the bar and determine how long it will last. The amount to eat each day is only about ¼ ounce (yes, I was disappointed, too). For example, a 3.5-ounce Lindt bar with 10 squares (about ⅓ ounce each) will last 10 days.
• Enjoy one piece of dark chocolate each day. Sit down and relax. Play soft music, if you like. Really enjoy your chocolate!
• Buy more dark chocolate, as needed, and continue this experiment for 4½ months. Be sure to monitor your blood pressure on a regular basis and track your results.

More Info

A variety of information is available online. Just do a search for 'dark chocolate and blood pressure' and you should come up with the latest info.