Blood pressure is represented by a pair of numbers. The first is the systolic pressure, exerted by the blood when the heart beats. The second is the diastolic pressure, present when the heart is resting between beats. Many health factors, such as obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary choices contribute to high blood pressure, or hypertension. With the advice of a healthcare professional, supplements may play a part in the treatment of high blood pressure.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Italian researchers conducted a long-term study of omega-3 essential fatty acids on 111 subjects with untreated normal to high blood pressure. Participants took 2g omega-3 oils daily for one year. In the treated group, systolic blood pressure dropped an average of 2.7 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure fell an average of 2.7 mm Hg. Effects on diastolic blood pressure were more pronounced in older subjects. The study also found an average drop in heart rate of 4 beats per minute in the treated group. The study was published in the January 2010 "Clinical and Experimental Hypertension." Omega-3 fats are found in coldwater fish, flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, spirulina and walnuts.
Magnesium
A study conducted in Greece divided 48 patients with mild, uncomplicated hypertension into two groups that were matched for age and sex. All participants were advised to make lifestyle modifications and half the subjects were given 600mg daily of magnesium. Blood pressure was monitored for 12 weeks, during which the researchers noted that systolic pressure in the treated subjects dropped an average of 5.6 mm Hg compared to 1.3 mm Hg in matched controls. Diastolic readings fell 2.8 mm Hg in the treated group and 1 mm Hg in controls. The benefits of magnesium were consistent during daylight and nighttime monitoring. The findings were reported in the October 2009 "American Journal of Hypertension." Magnesium is among the nutrients found in green, leafy vegetables, seeds and beans.
Melatonin and Pycnogenol
Melatonin is a neurohormone and antioxidant routinely used by travelers to treat jetlag. Russian researchers divided 170 elderly cardiac patients into groups treated with melatonin alone or melatonin in combination with blood pressure medications. After 21 days, heart monitoring before and after the trial were compared. Data from the study, published in 2010 in "Klinicheskaia Meditsina," stated melatonin alone may reduce blood pressure, but better results occurred with combined therapy.
In Italy, scientists evaluated the effects of melatonin and pycnogenol, which comes from the bark of European coastal pine trees, on hypertensive rats. The experiment was published in the June 2010 issue of "Hypertension." Treated rats had a small decrease in systolic blood pressure and showed improved structure and function of arteries that was comparable to healthy controls but markedly different than untreated hypertensive rats.
References
- "Clinical and Experimental Hypertension"; Omega 3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Supplementation and Blood Pressure Levels in Hypertriglyceridemic Patients With Untreated Normal-High Blood Pressure; Cicero AF, et. al.; January 2010
- "American Journal of Hypertension"; Oral Magnesium Supplementation Reduces Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Patients With Mild Hypertension; Hatzistavri LS, Et. al.; October 2009
- "Klinicheskaia Meditsina"; Melatonin in the Combined Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases; Zaslavskaia RM, et. al.; 2010
- "Hypertension"; Effects of Melatonin and Pycnogenol on Small Artery Structure and Function in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats; Rezzani R.; June 2010
