It's not about salt - that can cause water retention if your body is already in bad shape, but as
the below points out, it's all about free radical damage. Stay away from unsaturated fats and
oxidized cholesterol. Unrefined coconut oil and fruit Sould be the dietary staples for all humans -
this is basic biochemistry!! Link found between excess "free radicals," high blood pressure
UCI research finds antioxidant vitamins E and C increase nitric oxide, curb hypertension
Irvine, Calif., July 31, 2000 - A team of UC Irvine College of Medicine researchers has found that
high blood pressure can be induced-and brought back to normal-by changing levels of highly reactive
oxygen molecules called free radicals and nitric oxide, which currently is being studied for its
role in cardiovascular disease and other functions in the body. The study, which appears in the
August issue of Hypertension, is believed to be the first to prove that increases in free radicals
found in the diet and the atmosphere reduce levels of nitric oxide and can cause high blood
pressure. The research suggests that multiple antioxidants in the diet, including vitamins E and C,
may help prevent and treat certain types of high blood pressure.
Dr. Nostratola Vaziri, professor of medicine, and his team found that rats whose food contained
ingredients that caused "oxidative stress," a chemical imbalance linked to heart disease, had
lower amounts of nitric oxide and higher blood pressure than did rats with normal food. In
addition, the antioxidant vitamins E and C together helped to reduce blood pressure and reverse
oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress has been linked to heart disease, inflammation, Alzheimer's disease and a host of
other disorders. It is caused by the production of free radicals, which damage DNA and alter the
structure of key proteins.
"These findings tell us that oxidative stress produced by increased free radical levels induces
hypertension by lowering the levels of nitric oxide in the body," said Vaziri. "Lowering these
levels has resulted in hypertension, showing that nitric oxide is a key component to regulating
blood pressure. While antioxidants could help bring back blood pressure levels close to normal, they
could not fully restore blood pressure, indicating that these vitamins play a partial role in blood
pressure regulation."
Vaziri's team confirmed the role of oxidative stress and nitric oxide by following "Koch's
postulates," techniques designed more than a century ago by German microbiologist and Nobel laureate
Robert Koch. The postulates are a series of experiments that determine the existence of a suspected
disease-causing microbe, rule out other factors that could lead to disease and finally induce the
disease using the microbe.
In this case, Vaziri's group artificially lowered levels of a natural antioxidant chemical called
glutathione to produce oxidative stress. The glutathione-depleted rats showed significant reductions
in nitric oxide levels and significantly higher blood pressure. Oxidative stress was alleviated by
adding antioxidants vitamin E and C to the rats' diet, which raised levels of nitric oxide and
lowered blood pressure by as much as 50 millimeters of mercury (the traditional method of reading
blood pressure).
"This shows us that although hypertension is a highly complex disorder that can arise from a number
of causes, nitric oxide and oxidative stress play a major role in regulating blood pressure," Vaziri
said. "We think this study provides the first insight into the interaction between oxidative stress
and nitric oxide; we hope it could someday result in better treatments for hypertension and the
cardiovascular disorders that arise from it. Antioxidants are powerful regulators of blood pressure,
and our studies show that multiple types of these chemicals, found in a diet heavy in fruit and
vegetables, could help mitigate high blood pressure."
Hypertension is one of the most pervasive disorders in the United States, affecting about 50 million
people. It is estimated by the American Heart Association to have contributed to the deaths of
210,000 Americans in 1997 by bringing about heart disease, stroke and kidney disorders; in most
cases, its cause is unknown. Vaziri and his team are now looking at how blood pressure and nitric
oxide can be affected by other antioxidants and how diet can play a role in regulating levels of
free radicals and nitric oxide, thus affecting the regulation of blood pressure.
Vaziri's colleagues in the study included Xiu [censored], Fariba Oveisi and Behdad Rad of UCI.
Contact Andrew Porterfield
(949) 824-3969 [email hidden]