Taking a vitamin D supplement along with calcium may be a more effective way for older women to lower their blood pressure than taking calcium alone.
In a study of women who were at least 70 years old, those who took calcium and vitamin D
more than women who were treated with calcium alone.
After 8 weeks, 81% of women taking both nutrients reduced their systolic blood pressure by at least 5 mm/Hg, compared with 47% of women taking only calcium.
Systolic pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading, measures pressure when the heart contracts.
The researchers explain that vitamin D is used by the parathyroid glands, four pea-sized structures that sit on the thyroid gland in the neck. These glands secrete a hormone that regulates the body's calcium levels.
Calcium, in turn, helps to regulate blood pressure, although the mechanism is not completely understood.
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2001; 86: 1633-1637
Calcium and magnesium can both be useful in lowering blood pressure. This has been known for some time. In fact, one of my first papers published in the medical literature (Calcium Supplementation in the Treatment of Hypertension. J Amer Osteo Assoc 85:104-107, 1985) was a review of the use of calcium and magnesium for the treatment of high blood pressure.
Vitamin D is certainly a useful adjunct to absorbing calcium as most of us who avoid milk and do not consume cod liver oil do not get nearly enough in the winter months. Additionally, many others even in the summer, will not obtain enough as they will not go outside for one hour of sunshine nourishment.
However, I rarely use calcium and magnesium now as a blood pressure treatment, as their effect is very mild and does not address the underlying cause. Additionally, one runs into the complication of putting the person into an imbalance of their mineral ratio.
I now use hair analysis to guide my use of these minerals for nearly all of my patients. You can review my publication in JAMA and details of how and which labs I use.
The primary treatment for hypertension is having a person make optimal food choices. Sugar, as well as grains, which convert to sugar are the primary mechanism that causes insulin to be released and it is the high insulin levels that are the major factor in elevation of blood pressure.
Stress is the other major mechanism and it can be helped with exercise. I have three therapists in the office who use a large variety of sophisticated energy balancing techniques which are profoundly effective at reversing the damage that stress has on the body.
However, I recently learned of a technique called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) that is quite effective and relatively easy to do and learn. It is a much simpler derivative of Dr. Roger Callahan's work with TFT (Thought Field Therapy).
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