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Cocoa Powder for High Blood Pressure
Resistance is still high, but natural medicine breakthroughs in the world of conventional medicine are happening more and more frequentlyoften in unexpected places. A prime example is a newspaper-style journal called the Internal Medicine World Report. This publication is sent to over 100,000 internists and provides comprehensive coverage of clinical news from major medical conferences worldwide and from peer-reviewed journals.
It has a surprising number of articles deviating from the conventional.
Dark chocolate is good for you
The first article reported that dark chocolate is actually good for you. But this isnt news to our readers since weve been telling you about the benefits of dark chocolate since 2003.
According to this study published in Hypertension, eating approximately 3 ounces of dark chocolate (which contains flavonols) on a daily basis helps in a small but significant degree to combat high blood pressure, insulin resistance, blood vessel dilation, and LDL cholesterol in individuals with essential hypertension. The researchers referred to prior research that demonstrated the same effects in healthy individuals.
Of course, the article didnt take into consideration the adverse effects of the refined sugar in dark chocolate but you can. Skip the candy bar, buy cocoa powder, and sweeten it yourself.
The heart-health secret hiding in your toenails
Another article reported on a study from Johns Hopkins University. Researchers tested toenail clippings from two groups of men for chromium content: One group included 684 men who had just suffered from their first heart attack and the other was a control group of 724 men. Their conclusion: Toenail chromium concentration was inversely associated with the risk of a first myocardial infarction in men. These results add to an increasing body of evidence that points to the importance of chromium for cardiovascular health.
Although the research was done long ago and far away (1991 to 1992 in Israel and Europe), it appears that its finally safe to report it in a medical journal13 years later.
A step in the right direction
The final shock was an article on a study done in Oregon, in the US, a notoriously progressive university town. The study tested the effect that walking on simulated cobblestones has on physical function and blood pressure in older adults.
Even though the study wasnt double-blind, it was well done. It involved 108 adults between 60 and 92 without mobility-limiting conditions. Half walked on a cobblestone mat for 60 minutes three times a week for 16 weeks. The other 54 walked on regular surfaces for the same time periods. Measurements were made of balance, physical performance, and blood pressure in both groups before and after the 16-week period.
The researchers concluded: Cobblestone mat walking improved physical function and reduced blood pressure to a greater extent than conventional walking in older adults. Additional benefits of this walking program included improved health-related quality of life.
Now thats natural medicine research! Even if we dont know how it works (greater stimulation of acupressure points comes to mind), it shouldnt be a surprise that returning feet to their closer to natural function is good for the whole body.
Im looking forward to seeing what the IMWR will cover next. Even though it still contained quite a few articles that show us how far the medical mainstream has yet to progressalong with a full complement of advertisements for patent medicationsits a lot more open than most to the inevitable future of medicine and health care.
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