Is Inflammation Driving Your High Blood Pressure? Find Out for Sure…

For many of you with hypertension (aka high blood pressure), a fire is burning intensely within you, which must be extinguished. Inflammation is the cause of many illnesses, and studies now point towards inflammation as a key trigger and driver for high blood pressure – the second biggest cause of kidney disease after diabetes.

If you haven’t already gathered, treating the cause of your illness is rule number one for healing yourself from renal disease (and any disease for that matter), so excuse me when I repeat myself 5 billion times on this one…

“Treat the cause, not the symptoms. Treat the person, not the disease.”

So when I came across this study, I just had to show you. The results weren’t just suggestive, they were straight out conclusive! (Study: JAMA December 10, 2010, Vol 290. No. 22 2945)

A group of researchers came together to observe whether C-reactive protein (= a marker of systemic inflammation) is linked to high blood pressure. C-reactive protein has already been connected with the increased likelihood of myocardial infarction (= heart attack) and stroke, so the dangers to the cardiovascular system are already well established. On a side note: inflammation has also been associated with the development of diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, dementia, increased aging, arthritic conditions, skin disorders, immune dysfunction, and many more.

The Setting

The study began by taking blood samples from 20,525 people with normal blood pressure. 7.8 years later they measured the same individuals again, and discovered that now a quarter of them had high blood pressure (5,365). C-reactive protein was then tested and shown to be significantly associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure.

They concluded, “C-reactive protein levels are associated with future development of hypertension, which suggests that hypertension is in part an inflammatory disorder.”

Interesting stuff? I think so. But what does it mean for you? Start quenching that fire with simple diet changes, and heal your hypertension and kidney disease. And you can’t go wrong even if you have no elevated levels of C-reactive protein (because the aim of the game is prevention… isn’t it?).

The Solution

I know all my readers are smart cookies (that’s why you read my blog :-)), so start putting into action the “yeah I know”. You know what I am talking about…

Authority figure: “Consume whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, protein, and good fats (fish, nuts, and seeds).”
You: “Yeah I know…”

Authority figure: “Remove inflammatory foods for example, sugar, refined foods, caffeine, alcohol, and saturated fats (animal fats).”
You: “Yeah I know…”

Authority figure: “Eradicate all known food allergens from the diet. The most common allergenic foods are wheat, dairy, peanuts, fish, eggs, corn, soy, tomatoes, and citrus. “
You: “Yeah I know…”

Authority figure: “Consume more vegetables in your diet daily. They are high in antioxidants that will reduce inflammation and offer a reprieve from symptoms.”
You: “Yeah I know…”

So come on, stop saying “Yeah I know” and start applying this stuff… because until you do, you don’t know. I hope you enjoyed the post on hypertension and kidney disease

Have a great day!

PS. Please leave a comment below. Thank you!