When it comes to keeping blood pressure at a healthy level, there are literally hundreds of pharmaceuticals on the market available. Yet when it comes to the question of what can lower blood pressure, many people seek natural solutions because pharmaceuticals can have undesirable side effects.
Of course, depending on your health and how much you need to lower your blood pressure, natural solutions may or may not be the answer for you. However, the fact remains that there are natural solutions and nutrients out there known to keep blood pressure at healthy levels. In this article, we take a look at CoEnzyme Q10 (also known as CoQ10) and melatonin. Are these natural solutions effective when it comes to the question of what can lower blood pressure? Let’s find out.
What Can Lower Blood Pressure: Natural Solutions
Two natural nutrients most commonly used to support healthy blood pressure are melatonin and CoQ10. Let’s take a look at the effectiveness of each of these.
Melatonin
If you are at all familiar with the nutrient melatonin, you probably think of it as a sleep aid. That’s because it is a hormone, produced in the pineal gland, and released into the body mostly during the evening hours. Many people who suffer from jet lag or other temporary sleep disturbances take melatonin to regulate their sleep cycles. And just as melatonin is released in the evening hours for most people, blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic) drops during the evening hours, especially during sleep. However, this isn’t true for nearly 50% of people who have high blood pressure. For this group of people, blood pressure does not drop naturally during sleep hours.
Thus, researchers have focused on melatonin to find out whether it is effective at lowering blood pressure when given as a nutritional supplement. Studies reported in the Doctors Health Press indicate that only controlled-release melatonin has a noticeable effect on lowering both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Fast-release melatonin has no noticeable effect at all. So what can lower blood pressure naturally? Controlled-release melatonin only. Now let’s take a look at the effect of the nutrient CoQ10.
CoQ10
CoQ10 is a nutrient that is present in every single cell of our bodies, and is particularly concentrated in the heart muscles and gum tissues. This nutrient is essential to a youthful, healthy and vigorous lifestyle. According to studies reported in the Doctors Health Press, when the body stops producing as much CoQ10 later in life, the results can lead to aging, heart disease, and high blood pressure. A number of studies (randomized, crossover, and open label), again reported in the Doctors Health Press, have shown that patients with high blood pressure given supplemental CoQ10 showed significant decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
So what can lower blood pressure? CoQ10 has certainly been shown in studies to be an effective natural supplement for this common health issue.
How to Take Supplements
Although the supplements we describe in this article occur naturally in the body, it’s important to take them under the guidance and direction of a health professional. Don’t worry. Health professionals are becoming more and more aware of the importance and effectiveness of natural supplements. If your current doctor does not advocate natural solutions for your health issues and you truly want to try some natural solutions, seek a second or third opinion until you find a healthcare professional willing to work with you on a program you desire. That’s the goal of patient-centered care and, after all, you ARE the patient! Be a strong advocate for your own health and you will find that the results will keep you healthy and happy!
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