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Hypertension researchers at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center conducted a review of so-called “natural” products marketed as treatments for high blood pressure, finding that a couple of dietary supplements and herbal remedies seem to show promise, at least on an individual basis. For example, the supplement coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant enzyme involved in energy production, significantly reduced blood pressure. Potassium also helps lower blood pressure, whether it comes from the foods or from a supplement. Promising herbal remedies included mistletoe extract, which can be toxic at high doses, and Hawthorn extract. Some herbal remedies on the other hand – St. John's wort, ephedra/ma huang, yohimbine and licorice – seem to increase blood pressure.
"Nondrug Interventions for Treatment of Hypertension", Journal of Clinical Hypertension, August 30, 2011
British and Colombian researchers who looked at seven studies involving 100,000 people have found that consuming high levels of chocolate was associated with a 37 percent reduction in the risk of heart disease. The studies did not differentiate between dark or milk chocolate, and included consumption of chocolate bars, drinks, biscuits and desserts. But the researchers offered several caveats to their findings. More studies are needed to find out whether chocolate actually caused the reduction in heart disease risk or if some other unmeasured factor was involved. And they cautioned that commercially available chocolate is loaded with calories – around 500 calories for every 100 grams – and eating too much can cause weight gain, boosting the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
"Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis", British Medical Journal (BMJ), August 29, 2011
U.S. research among obese people with hypertension has found that eating potatoes every day – just plain potatoes cooked in a microwave – reduces high blood pressure without inducing weight gain. For the study, 18 hypertensive overweight/obese patients ate six to eight golf ball-size purple potatoes twice a day for 30 days. Purple potatoes were used because the pigment is rich in beneficial phytochemicals. According to the researchers, the average diastolic blood pressure dropped by 4.3 percent and the systolic pressure decreased by 3.5 percent. The majority of subjects took anti-hypertensive drugs and still had a reduction in blood pressure. None of the study participants gained weight. A similar test is planned for white potatoes, and similar results are expected.
"Potatoes Reduce Blood Pressure in People With Obesity and High Blood Pressure", News release, presentation, National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, August 29, 2011
U.S. researchers report that the risk of breast cancer was significantly reduced in mouse models of cancer when their diet was enriched with small amounts of walnut. The study compared a typical diet with a walnut-fortified diet over the lifespan of the animals: through the mother from conception through weaning, and then through eating the food directly. The amount of walnut used to feed the mice was equivalent to about two ounces a day for humans. The researchers said the walnut group developed breast cancer at less than half the rate of the group with the typical diet. And the number of tumors and their sizes were significantly smaller. "We were able to reduce the risk for cancer even in the presence of a preexisting genetic mutation," the researchers said.
"Dietary Walnut Suppressed Mammary Gland Tumorigenesis in the C(3)1 TAg Mouse", Nutrition and Cancer, August 11, 2011
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Psychopharmacology, July 20, 2011
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