The natural way of dealing with hypertension is to eliminate the poisons from the system which cause it. The patient should always follow a routine of we1l-balanced diet, exercise and rest. Diet is of primary importance. The patient should start the process of healing by living on an exclusive fruit diet for at least five days and take fresh juicy fruits at five-hour intervals thrice in the day. Oranges, apples, Pears, mangoes, pineapple, papaya and watermelon are the best diet in such cases. Milk may be added to the fruit diet after five days. The patient can be given cereals in his food after 10 days or so.



Vegetables are also good for a hypertension patient and vegetarians have strikingly lower blood pressure. Vegetables should preferably be taken raw. If they are cooked, it should be ensured that their natural juices are not burnt in the process of cooking. Vegetables like cucumber, carrot, tomato, onion, radish, cabbage and spinach are best taken in their raw form. They may be cut into small pieces with a little salt and the juice of a lemon added to them so as to make them more palatable. The intake of salt should be restricted; in any case it should not be taken more than four grams or half a teaspoon a day. Baking powder, containing sodium carbonate, should also be avoided.

Garlic is regarded as one of the most effective remedies to lower blood pressure. The pressure and tension are reduced because it has the power to ease the spasm of the small arteries. Garlic also slows the pulse and modifies the heart rhythm, besides relieving the symptoms of dizziness, numbness, shortness of breath and the formation of gas within the digestive tract. The average dosage should be two to three capsules a day to make a dent in the blood pressure. According to a researcher at George Washington University in America, both: garlic and onion contain a great deal of adenosine which is a smooth muscle relaxant.

Celery is believed to have been used as folk remedy to lower blood pressure in Asia since 200 B.C. Dr. William Elholt, a pharmacologist at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine, has recently isolated a blood pressure reducing drug in this vegetable. The pressure lowering chemical is called 3-n-butyl?phthalide which gives celery its aroma. Dr. Elliot says celery may be unique because "the active blood pressure lowering compound is found in rather high concentrations in celery, and not in many other vegetables". He believes tha t the celery lowers pressure by reducing blood concentrations of stress hormones that cause blood. vessels to constrict. He suggests celery may be most effective in blood pressure linked to mental stress. The patient can take two stalks of celery daily with beneficial results.

Watermelon is another valuable safeguard against high blood pressure. It was proved in recent experiments that a substance extracted from watermelon seeds has a definite action in dilating the blood pressure. The seeds dried and roasted should be taken in liberal quantities.

Potatoes, especially if boiled, are a valuable food for lowering blood pressure. When boiled with their skin, they absorb very little salt. Thus they can form a useful addition to salt-free diet recommended for patients with high blood pressure. Potatoes are rich in potassium but not in sodium salts. The magnesium present in the vegetable exercises beneficial effects in lowering blood pressure.

The use of olive oil in diet may help lower blood pressure. A study by researchers at Stanford Medical School of 76 middleaged men with high blood pressure a few years ago concluded that the amount of monounsaturated fat in three tablespoons of olive oil a day could lower systolic pressure about nine points and diastolic pressure about six points. More remarkable, a University of Kentucky study found that a mere two-thirds of a tablespoon of olive oil daily reduced blood pressure by about five systolic points and four diastolic points in men.

The patient of hypertension should follow a plan of well balanced diet in which the constituents of food should be approximately in the following proportion: carbohydrate 20 per cent, protein 10 to 15 per cent, fat five per cent and fruits and vegetables 60 to 65 per cent. In this plan, one main meal should be based on raw foods, while the second main meal may consist of cooked foods. Meal should be taken slowly and in a relaxed atmosphere. Food should be well masticated as the process of digestion begins in the mouth. The dinner should not normally be taken late.

Exercise plays an important role in the treatment of hypertension. Walking is an excellent form of exercise. It helps to relieve tension, builds up the muscles and aids in the circulation of blood. As the blood pressure shows signs of abating, more exercise like bicycling, swimming and jogging should be taken.