In the late 19th century, it was believed that normal blood pressure was your age plus 100. It was observed that blood pressure increased with age due to the stiffening of the arteries, and it was just a normal part of aging. In the 1940s-1950, up to 160/100 was considered normal. In the 60s and 70s, that changed to 140/90. In the 80s and 90s, it was lowered to 120/80. Today, "normal" BP is considered under 120/80. It seems the medical community is obsessed with lower and lower blood pressure numbers. They will tell you the research has evolved, but I have a sneaky suspicion it's really about pushing pharmaceuticals, which is big business, though they would never admit it.
So what is normal blood pressure? I honestly don't think we really know. If high blood pressure can cause strokes, I wonder how it is that people doing deadlifts can spike their blood pressure to 300 to 400 (systolic) at a time with no ill effects. Granted, it's for very short periods of time. Still, it should suggest that high blood pressure in itself may not be a cause for concern. My suspicion is that there are other co-factors at play that we may not fully understand. Having said that, I think it's generally a good idea not to have sustained high blood pressure. But that begs the question: How high is too high? I don't know the answer to that. But I think it's unreasonable to suggest that older people should naturally have a BP below 120/80.
But if one wishes to lower their blood pressure, I'm always of the belief that natural is better. There is a cause-and-effect relationship to all things. If we can determine the cause, we can find the solution. There are at least five general causes of elevated blood pressure:
1. Electrolyte imbalance. This can be fixed by supplementation, particularly magnesium and potassium.
2. Hypothyroidism or sluggish thyroid. This too can be improved by supplementation of Vitamin A & D, selenium (2-3 Brazil nuts), iodine (with sea vegetables), and glandular thyroid if needed.
3. Insulin resistance. This is a very common one that can be fixed by restricting carbs, intermittent fasting, and supplmenting with ginger and berberine (which lower blood sugar levels).
4. Calcification of the arteries. This happens a lot with older people or who take calcium supplements. Take vitamin D3 with vitamin K2. It will remove the calcium from the arteries and put it back into the bones where it belongs.
5. Stress. This is also a common cause of elevated blood pressure. Daily deep abdominal breathing exercises will help, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy. L-theanine and ashwaganda (KSM 66) supplementation will help to lower the cortisol.
In general, living a healthy lifestyle (proper diet, exercise, adequate sleep, stress management, etc.) will go a long way towards normalizing BP and keeping you off medication. Feel free to add your own suggestions below.
So what is normal blood pressure? I honestly don't think we really know. If high blood pressure can cause strokes, I wonder how it is that people doing deadlifts can spike their blood pressure to 300 to 400 (systolic) at a time with no ill effects. Granted, it's for very short periods of time. Still, it should suggest that high blood pressure in itself may not be a cause for concern. My suspicion is that there are other co-factors at play that we may not fully understand. Having said that, I think it's generally a good idea not to have sustained high blood pressure. But that begs the question: How high is too high? I don't know the answer to that. But I think it's unreasonable to suggest that older people should naturally have a BP below 120/80.
But if one wishes to lower their blood pressure, I'm always of the belief that natural is better. There is a cause-and-effect relationship to all things. If we can determine the cause, we can find the solution. There are at least five general causes of elevated blood pressure:
1. Electrolyte imbalance. This can be fixed by supplementation, particularly magnesium and potassium.
2. Hypothyroidism or sluggish thyroid. This too can be improved by supplementation of Vitamin A & D, selenium (2-3 Brazil nuts), iodine (with sea vegetables), and glandular thyroid if needed.
3. Insulin resistance. This is a very common one that can be fixed by restricting carbs, intermittent fasting, and supplmenting with ginger and berberine (which lower blood sugar levels).
4. Calcification of the arteries. This happens a lot with older people or who take calcium supplements. Take vitamin D3 with vitamin K2. It will remove the calcium from the arteries and put it back into the bones where it belongs.
5. Stress. This is also a common cause of elevated blood pressure. Daily deep abdominal breathing exercises will help, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy. L-theanine and ashwaganda (KSM 66) supplementation will help to lower the cortisol.
In general, living a healthy lifestyle (proper diet, exercise, adequate sleep, stress management, etc.) will go a long way towards normalizing BP and keeping you off medication. Feel free to add your own suggestions below.
