Cold Showers

Definitely try the cold shower along with the cold bath. My wife knows this Russian secret for youth and longevity. This is it. I am more vigorous, awake, and relaxed after a cold shower or cold bath. Also, try the cold warm rotation method. Sit in the cold bath for a few minutes (yes, submerge your head for a few seconds) and then have the shower fairly warm and do this several times. WOW!!
Cornsilk Tea Lowers Blood Pressure

Dried corn silk (One tablespoon). One tea bag of green tea. 2 cups of bottled water. Bring water to a boil then remove from burner. Add teas cover with lid and allow to brew off of burner for 5 minutes. Strain with strainer into cup add honey to taste. This combination of tea relaxes, acts as a natural diuretic, and lowers the blood pressure. Dried corn silk tea can be found in health food stores and in the groc. stores that cater more to the Hispanic community. It is also called "Barbas de helote" meaning; beard of corn in Spanish. For an extra experience sprinkle into tea a pinch of fresh lavende r(purchased at health food stores or produce stores ) for aroma therapy while you sip your tea. The fragrance of lavender relaxes and soothes. Drink a cup in the morning or whenever you feel nervous.
Cream of Tarter, Lemon Juice

Hi, I read aubout Apple Cider Vinegar lowering Blood Pressure here but if that doesnt work for you try adding 1/2 lemon (use hand juicer) w/ 2 teaspoons of Cream of Tarter and half a cup of water; mix and drink it down... it taste great and it lowers BP. 3 days 2xs a day. Wait a couple of days and do it again if you still need to. susunweed is where I got this and it works.
Also taking ACV and lemons together is the same in their actions so its unnessary take both together.
Im looking for the rasin and gin cure for arthritis????? Does anyone know what it is?
Thanks, the GypsyGirl
(Coloma, Mi)
11/16/2009
Stargypsy, here's the gin and raisen recipe
1 box of white raisins (golden raisins) - can't be brown - have to be the golden raisins
1 bottle of gin (can be a very cheap bottle b/c you throw it out)
Put the raisins in a glass jar, and cover with the gin for 2 weeks (in a refrigerator). Drain the gin. Refrigerate. Eat 9 a day.
(Cleveland, Ohio)
05/05/2012
(Denver, CO)
02/28/2015
The raisins do need to be the golden (white grape) variety, and I found the best results with organic golden raisins from Sprouts or another natural food grocer. Use one pound of raisins and one pint of gin ( get the good stuff; cheap gin may not have real juniper berries in it). Spread the raisins in a big casserole dish so the layer is as thin as possible. Pour a pint of gin over the raisins and let it soak. May take 3-4 days. Should be like candied raisins when ready. One teaspoonful per day. Can eat with cereal or oatmeal.
Curry Leaf

Curry leaf (Murraya Koenigi Spreng) protects the liver and the liver cells and is even used as medicinal cure of certain liver diseases, the control of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol especially. It is an excellent culinary herb for fat reduction. Curry leaf not only makes a dish palatable but also adds flavour and nourishment too. Almost every part of the plant,its leaves, the root, bark, petals and fruits are all made use of either in cooking or medicinal purposes. Spicy curry leaves porridge is useful in the control of health problems. Even if stung by a snake, curry leaves porridge is commonly given to remove poison. It was considered a multi-purpose, all time herb.
Dark Chocolate

I had high blood presure for years and i heard a way to lower it. So i tried it. you get a bag of herseys kisses dark chocolate and eat two a day. And i bet your blood presuer will come down.The doctor had me on all kind of medican and none of it was working and i was misrable. But the chocolate really works.
(New York, USA)
06/09/2008
(Seaford, Delaware)
11/11/2009
(Phila, Pa)
11/11/2009
That is a first, I thought it would run it up, so if hershey kisses does the trick, what about hershey's chocolate bars, those i really love. how much should be ingested each day, if it's the bars instead of the kisses.will check back later.
EC: Typically the higher the percentage of cocoa in a chocolate bar, the better. You can find cocoa bars with 99% cocoa now - very strong and bitter!
(Thousand Oaks, Ca, USA)
11/12/2009
Hershey's is not going to cut it- not even close. There's so much junk in that stuff. Look up info on raw chocolate- you can google it and learn a lot of wonderful info on it and it can do wonders. It is considered one of the superfoods of the planet. Hence, why the Aztecs revered it for its power. It is available in Whole Foods if you have one near you or you can mail order it online from lots of the raw food sites. I have been using it now for about 2 weeks after being interested in this world ever since starting the mini beet protocol over a month ago.
(Los Angeles, CA)
12/27/2014

Chocolate "works" on BP through beta-blocker mechanism. Literature says dark chocolate works better because it's more concentrated, but also because milk proteins block the effect, so do not wash down dark chocolate with milk! About 1-2 ounces of 85% or 90% chocolate works for me, but that is a lot of chocolate. I get some mild effects with milk chocolate when I eat it simply because I like it!
(Idaho)
10/14/2021
Dark chocolate has magnesium and zinc. It's likely you were low.
Dark Cocoa Powder

For high blood pressure try raw dark cocoa powder. Not with dutch processing, because it removes the flavanols which are the key to lowering BP. The way to mix it is a cup of water in microwave for 1 min & 20 sec. if the water is too hot, it will weaken the flavanols. Add a heaping tablespoon of the cocoa powder.Also add cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon (the cinnamon helps with taste and any blood sugar issues you may have). High blood sugar may raise insulin which can raise BP. Add stevia for sweetness .Google Kuna indians and high blood pressure, also high blood pressure and raw dark cocoa. After several years of research, this has worked for me and I am 68 yrs old.
Deep Breathing
HI U OLE PATOOTS DOIN, , , , , , , , , , , , a while back I watched one of Dr. Shallenbergers videos on breathing. Learned from him that you should breath less and deeper using your diaphragm. I have always had a high pulse rate in the 80's and years ago had blackouts, which doctors said I was hyperventilating. I thought that was just bull but took their drugs to prevent and is the reason I now have osteoporosis and the reason a simple fall in '14 crushed my T 12 vertebrae.
Yesterday while waiting for the doctor to show up, because hospitals will not do a stress test unless a doctor is available. There I was, all hooked up, bored, and just watching the monitor. I decided to play a game. I began to change my breathing to see how that affected my pulse rate. Amazing, as Dr Shallenberger was right on point. I spent about 45 minutes raising and lowering my pulse rate just by the way I was breathing. I was able to take it down to the 60's or up to the 80's.
I guess this is what is known as bio-feed back.
I now think that the way we breathe is important to our overall health. Yep, you have to get oxygen, but you also have to maintain a certain amount of CO2 and you do that by breathing slower. I am just smart enough on this subject to be dangerous.
What is my point? The way you breath affects your overall health and I can't help you........... so READ.
=========ORH===========
(Boston)
08/29/2015
Deep Breathing

Worked Temporarily
Wondering if anyone has the same problem as I do. My blood pressure goes up at night, approximately 2 to 3 hours after I first go to sleep. It wakes me up and I cannot go back to sleep for an hour or so. The only thing that helps me so far, is to breath deeply for 3 to 5 minutes and then it lowers. I do have a prescription that I can take, if necessary. However, in the morning I feel like 'a train has run over me.' Thanks for any suggestions that may help me.
Shadel: If your bp is dangerously high I would request a different presc. med that you can tolerate well. I take Lisinipril w/ no bad side effects. This is a hunch on my part as to the cause of your bp spiking fallowing sleep. Sleep is a time that the body regulates homeostasis mechanisms, particularly hormones. You may want to have dr check or recommend an endocrinologist to check hormone levels. But for simplicity sake you may want to try taking some ACV twice daily to help metabolism and clean a possible clogged gallbladder (which causes excess estrogen in the bloodstream). Also, try taking 500-1000mg L-Methionine to help the metabolism of excess fat (how are your cholesterol levels?). Lemon juice is also good for improving digestion. If you have a portable mp3 player try to find or buy harmonic tones for lowering bp naturally. One I use is called "blood pressure lowering binaural beats"; I haven't done direct measuring but this harmonic does seem to help. Celery is recommended for bp lowering. A stick or two 2 hrs before bed might help.
(Nebraska)
11/18/2013
To Timh, Ky, USA. Have tried the vinegar and it gives me diarrhea. Thought maybe that would be the answer. I have also tried 12 to 15 different prescription drugs, including lisinopryl. Gave me so many side effects, like feeling faint to nausea. More or less given up on pre. drugs. I can and do take Atenolol, but it gives me insomnia at times. My cardiologist informed me 95% of prescriptions for hbp do cause insomnia. Still looking for the right answer; however, doing better each night. Taking Co-Q10 and Cardio complex and multivitamin. So, what is involved in seeing an endocronolgist? Thanks for your advice on this. Appreciated! Love Earth Clinic and so much information.
Shadel: Thanx for the additional info. Diarrhea from ACV admits some type infection or possibly parasitic infestation. Low tolerance to more than one prescription or otc drugs admits Liver/Gallblader dysfunction or disease. looks like liver inflammation which would show up on "liver panel" blood test. Excess estrogen would also indicate liver/gall dysfunction.
First, have a "liver function test" done by your dr and come back here for additional advise. Many people come here and get much help w/ liver disease as given the correct treatment the liver can regenerate healthy.
(Fountain Inn, Sc)
11/19/2013
Hello Shadel,
On any HBP issue, make sure you are getting three things; magnesium, potassium and natural (NOT synthetic) Vitamin E
500 mag
200 potassium
200 natural E ... start at low doses in E and slowly increase (over two months) to 300 then 400.
The HBP can be from thick blood; or tacky veins and arteries (all from a lack of E) or from lack of proper oxygen delivery (again lack of E). Or the HBP can be from a build up in veins and arteries of plaque. Think of a hose being squeezed at some point of blockage...it builds up pressure from the source to press the liquid through...well that is HBP and there is a reason for the pressure...the hose is blocked in some fashion. The heart itself could be a problem. Lots of possible "whys" to the pressure issue.
Natural E is my BASE for cardio help. Take those three with meals.
Also you note digestive issues with taking Apple Cider Vinegar. The opposite should be happening. ACV should be helping with that...so the post by Timh is helpful.
You also note the problem is worse when you lie down at night to sleep. Well, here's one take on that; you are not working the legs as you would during the day which could help circulate the blood BACK via the veins up to the heart. In other words the veins in legs are not working too well which lends credence that this is a circulation issue...Vitamin E to the rescue.
But given the possibility (without knowing more) I'd guess ... given the worsening at night... that varicose veins might be a matter to be addressed and a great addition would be "Horse Chestnut" which is famous for helping with that particular circulation problem too.
So I'd add that too to the three I listed. I've had great success with HC.
(Alpharetta)
10/05/2015
Deep Breathing and Water

I had suffered from High Blood Pressure for years, then after trying different meds, that would work for a while and then nothing, I decided to try going cold turkey and drop the meds completely. I would run 140/110 first thing on rising. Well I did some reading and found out that deep breathing and increased water consumption were natural cures. What did I have to lose? I took my BP 140/108, took deep long holding breaths, in thru the nose, hold 2,3,4,5, out thru the mouth like a straw. wait about 2 minutes and take BP again. It was 130/92. Wow! Did another set of deep breathing and then BP again, 121/82. I have been drinking 10 cups of water a day, plus other things like a cup of coffee or tea, a can of soda, and doing deep breathing several times a day. I am consistently running 120/78 anytime of the day. so if you have high BP, drink up and BREATHE!
(Ten Mile, Tn.)
02/05/2015
HI U THELMA, , , , , , , , , very interesting post. I too am doing deep breathing, but to keep my blood full of oxygen. Then I went to Vernon's web site to learn how he cured his cancer with baking soda and he went to this breathing thing . It is spooky and at first I thought it was a bunch of hooey. Now, I'm not so sure. Bill or Ted can confirm that baking soda intake will increase your blood oxygen.
What he said is that in this deep breathing you interact with people from your past. Ridiculous. I have not arrived, but I am having some dreams that are as if I were there and playing a part. My wife tells me that I am now talking in my sleep and it is usually about something in my past. Got to watch that. We only been married for 55 years.
Maybe some wormy Phycologist on this site can explain this to us. Not a deal. I just bring this up because of the deep breathing thing. We now use a humidifier with H2O2 in our bedroom. Like the other EC folks say, you sleep like a baby. I no longer snore and my nostrils are wide open.
OUT OF SPIT ======ORH=======
(San Fernando)
02/05/2015
Hi Robert Henry...I hope the following explanation of Vernon's oxygen euphoria (when he took the high daily dose of sodium bicarbonate) helps to clarify what was going on.
Even though the following explanation is to do with chemistry, I reckon that it's simple enough to understand. In the normal human respiration process or cycle, cells kick out the CO2 by converting it to carbonic acid. Next, it's converted to bicarbonate and released into the blood for safe transport to the lungs for expiration. When the bicarbonate reaches the alveoli in the lungs it gives up the CO2 and trades it for O2 because the bicarbonate ion is converted to water and CO2.
The next thing to understand is the blood concentration differential between the CO2 and the O2 levels in the blood. Please note that this CO2/O2 concentration gradient is critical and should always be in balance in the body. This balance isn't about amounts -- this is about proper ratios.
So if you suddenly increase the bicarbonate concentrations in the blood by taking large doses of baking soda then what happens? You are effectively suddenly increasing the CO2 content in the blood. This acts to disrupt the CO2/O2 concentration gradient or ratio in the blood. The body's regulation mechanism therefore kicks in because this situation is a no-no and it reacts by automatically absorbing more oxygen at a faster rate into the blood from the lungs to help re-balance this altered concentration gradient or ratio. Hence you get that oxygen euphoria feeling from the huge sudden increase in blood and cell oxygen that Vernon(who took huge amounts of sodium bicarb) mentions in his blog. This would also help to explain why taking baking soda in such large amounts helped against Vernon's cancer. Supplementing bicarb increases cell oxygenation and, as everyone knows, oxygen kills cancer.
You could also say that supplementing baking soda and water everyday actually helps to oxygenate the blood and cells to higher levels -- which also must inevitably act to increase your energy levels as well.
The deep breathing thing is also similar to the above. If you breath deeply in and out quickly for a long time this naturally increases expiration of CO2 and increases O2 intake into the blood. This is called hyperventilating. The deep breathing pulls more bicarbonate(CO2) into the blood at a faster rate than normal slower breathing. This, of course, also helps to alkalize the blood and also stimulates increased oxygen intake so same result as above. The oxygen itself is transported by a separate process to the cells via heme blood and so does not really participate in the alkalization effect.
(Ten Mile, Tn.)
02/05/2015
HI U BILL, , , , , , , , you really bug me. I am half smart and you totally smart. Thank you for this scientific explanation. I will have to cipher on this for awhile. Just glad that you are on our side and hope the EC folks appreciate your contribution to their health.
You are a hellava lot better man than I, to put up with some of the yack that you do.
Just drank a hot herbal tea with a large shot of magnesium and going to bed. I plan to breathe deeply and see what mischief I can get into in my dreams. Just hope I don't meet up with some New Orleans Voodoo woman .
Yo buddy =======ORH=======
Diatomaceous Earth in Lemon Juice

I read that diatomaceous earth would lower high blood pressure. About a month ago I started taking 2 tablespoons of DE in about an ounce of lemon juice (bottled lemon juice most of the time) and some water. My blood pressure had been 160/100 for years; 2 weeks ago my wife(RN) took my BP and it was 122/80 and tonight it was 112/68. Has anyone else tried this?
(Pomfret Center, Ct)
10/29/2010
(Smithfield, Pa)
03/20/2012
It should be emphasized that you want FOOD GRADE DIATOMACEOUS EARTH and not the stuff you use in a swimming pool filter.
Dietary Changes

If you have mysterious high blood pressure even eating right and exercising etc. check your diet for foods that are MAOIs, even mild MAOIs. There is a link between certain genetic anomalies and MAOIs causing high blood pressure.
Https://www.hormonesmatter.com/turmeric-mao-mutations-hypertension-ticking-time-bomb/
There is also research suggesting caffeine is dangerous to the heart and blood vessels during exercise, as well, because it constricts blood vessels when they need to be relaxed.
I prayed these past few nights that Father God would teach me what I needed to know to heal my husband's heart condition. My husband drinks tea of green tea, turmeric, meadowsweet, and ginger every single morning. They are all MAOIs. He has had high blood pressure for years. He resumed taking turmeric capsules the other day and his blood pressure went from 130/90 ish to over 200/100 again in just one day. He has not taken the turmeric capsules today and it is back below 200/100. Thank and praise to Jesus for answering my prayers.
Dietary Changes

I started noticing my blood pressure was no longer an issue whenever all the following three statements were true: 1) I was on a low carb, high fat (Atkins) diet, 2) I ate up to 100 g of protein per meal, and 3) My protein was from at least 2 sources, e.g. eggs and cheeses.
Then I looked it up; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20554123/ says, "proteins... can lower blood pressure in persons with essential hypertension... Deficiency in consumption of crucial nutrients such as proteins from meat origins... may underlie the etiology of the clinical course of hypertension."
Further, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12544662/ says, "in epidemiological studies, an increased intake of protein has been associated with lower blood pressure."
I hope this will help!
Dietary Changes

I was Dx with heart failure and had poorly controlled blood pressure. It ran 210/100 many days. Nothing helped.
Then I turned to low carb, high fat diet to lose some weight. My bp is now in the high normal range with no meds. Slowly I lost weight and at last Dr. visit was down 22 lbs which amazed me. I believe from my experience and that of my friends that carbs somehow effect BP in ways not yet appreciated.
Wanted to pass this along for others to consider.
(United States)
09/28/2019

I totally agree that low carb and high fat (Atkins diet) is the way to go! I have lost 37lbs in 2 months, lowered my blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, and I feel 100% better! 59 years old and ZERO medications! Not even a tylenol! Sometimes... no meds are the best meds! The old saying that "you are what you eat" is so true. Not just what you eat, but what you put in your mouth. Whether that be what you eat, what you drink, or the meds you take!
(California)
10/29/2019
Dietary Changes

I wish people would realize that animal fats and meat are not a plague on mankind. I used to get secondary high blood pressure. It would come on at any time. I exercised (walked to work every day about 2 miles). I got rid of it by nixing vegetable oils specifically corn, peanut, soybean and canola oils.
I also started eating a healthy diet, meaning ancient wisdom from our ancestors- eggs, meat with the fat, liver, soaked grains, no processed breads or foods etc. I did not do any vegan/vegetarian stuff. I drank raw milk and avoided all processed foods. And guess what? After about 5 months, my rheumatoid arthritis and secondary high blood pressure went away as if by magic. People have to look beyond what they are being told and realize that we are the sickest we've ever been. The usual 'eat lots of veggies great health and avoid animal fats for great health' is not true. I only mention the book because it's the most concentrated source for getting back your health. Please see Dr. Weston A. Price's research into indigenous peoples diets.
Dietary Changes, Electrolytes

I've done all of these natural cures for high BP, to little avail. It wasn't until I stopped eating sweets and started drinking electrolytes in my water that I started seeing an improvement in my high BP.