Over the last few months several facts about COVID-19 have emerged, and data from countries all over the world are filling in the blanks as to why some people acquire it and don’t even know it, some incur symptoms and then recover, yet others succumb to the virus.

And one of the biggest factors behind COVID-19 related deaths that has come out in the statistics is the presence of co-morbid conditions, most significantly high blood pressure!

Studies of death statistics from countries including Italy and the US are showing that more than 99 percent of COVID-19 fatalities occurred among people who had underlying medical conditions!

And out of those that died, a whopping 76.1 percent had high blood pressure, along with 35.5 percent with diabetes and 33 percent with heart disease.

It ain’t no surprise

As disturbing as the above numbers are, it’s not surprising that high blood pressure is associated with the vast majority of COVID-19 fatalities.

Having high blood pressure never paints a rosy picture!  Uncontrolled high blood pressure is the number one cause of heart disease and stroke, plus it raises your risk of heart failure too.

It increases the workload on your heart muscle, which may result in damage to the arteries supplying the heart with oxygen, leading to a heart attack.

The potential concerns venture beyond your heart too.  High blood pressure can also damage small arteries, such as those serving your kidneys and eyes.  Eventually this can result in kidney failure and vision loss.

And last but not least, high blood pressure also increases your risk of dementia!

Keep yours under control—naturally!

Now more than ever it’s essential to keep your blood pressure under control!

The good news is, there are several simple measures you can take to help lower your blood pressure, safely and naturally.   

Let’s start by addressing your diet—specifically, salt, potassium and sugar:

Salt—is it always the bad guy?

Salt can cause your body to retain water, which can increase your blood volume and drive up your blood pressure.  That’s why most doctors recommend a low salt diet.

But salt is also a necessary electrolyte that actually helps normalize your blood pressure and stabilize irregular heartbeat too!

It also helps extract acidity from your body’s cells; it helps balance blood sugar levels; it helps your nerve cells to communicate; it’s a natural antihistamine; it supports bone strength and prevents muscle cramps.

So clearly, it’s not the monster it’s been made out to be, and you don’t need to throw out your kitchen salt shaker!

Where people run into salt problems is when your diet is high in processed and fast foods, both of which are INUNDATED with salt.

So the smart approach is to eat REAL food and stay away from the packaged junk and the drive-thru.  When you do that, you can season your foods with a little sprinkle of salt—preferably sea salt—and not have to worry about getting too much.

Remember humble potassium

Too little potassium is just as much of a concern as too much salt!

Sodium and potassium work together in the “sodium-potassium pump” which creates electrical charges in your cells that control your muscles, organs and bodily functions.  These electrical charges also regulate calcium levels in your cells. 

But when you have too little potassium, that causes elevated calcium levels, which in turn makes the smooth muscle cells in your arteries contract, raising your blood pressure.

So be sure to eat potassium-rich foods like avocados, Swiss chard, green beans, broccoli, coconut, prunes, lima beans, tomatoes, spinach, bananas, sweet potatoes, chicken, roast beef and salmon.

Here’s the real culprit—SUGAR

Even though salt has gotten a bad rap, the real culprit behind blood pressure problems is SUGAR!

First, sugar leads to obesity, which is a high blood pressure risk factor in and of itself.

In addition, glucose in your bloodstream from a diet high in sugar and refined carbs stirs up arterial inflammation which in turn raises your blood pressure. 

And similar to salt, most of the sugar coursing through your veins is NOT coming from your countertop sugar bowl.

Instead it’s coming from good old processed foods and soda!

Especially dangerous is the high fructose corn syrup found in soda and practically every type of processed food imaginable, including ketchup, salad dressings, granola bars, ice cream, pickle relish, breads, snack chips, sports drinks, cereals and even cough medicines.

Research has shown that consuming more than 74 grams of fructose per day results in a 77 percent increased risk of blood pressure above 160/100 mm Hg.  Note that you’d easily get 74 grams of HFCS from just two cans of soda a day, and heaven knows many people drink far more than that!

So this is another reason to eat real foods and most importantly, ditch the soda.

4 other ways to help lower blood pressure

Here are 4 other very effective ways to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range:

Get enough Omega-3 essential fatty acids

Omega-3 essential fatty acids have been proven to lower blood pressure, and increasing numbers of doctors are advising their patients to up their Omega-3 intake.

One of the best ways to engage this natural anti-inflammatory and help lower blood pressure is to take a pharmaceutical-grade fish oil supplement like VitalMega-3.

VitalMega-3 provides a whopping 1,200 mg of inflammation-taming Omega-3 essential fatty acids in every 2-capsule dose, including the EPA and DHA fats that are crucial to heart and brain health.

Work in some exercise

Regular exercise has been shown in countless studies to help lower blood pressure.

Now, you don’t need to get fancy or join a gym!  You can walk in your neighborhood or on a treadmill, join a class, or use DVDs in your home. 

Just be sure get your doctor’s OK first—trust me, you will make his or her day.

Get enough vitamin D

Low levels of vitamin D are associated with high blood pressure and it’s easy to see why.  Vitamin D has inflammation-fighting properties, and since inflammation is a driving force behind high blood pressure, without vitamin D’s protection, you may be more prone to arterial inflammation and increases in blood pressure. 

You can help make sure you have enough vitamin D by getting brief unprotected sun exposure (20 minutes) each day and supplementing with a top-quality formula like Optimum DK Formula with FruiteX-B. 

Optimum DK Formula provides a therapeutic 5,000 IU dose of vitamin D3, plus its partner vitamins K1 and K2 and the mineral boron.

All of these nutrients work together synergistically to support strong cardiovascular health, as well as immune and bone health too!

Reduce stress

Stress and hypertension go hand in hand, so do whatever you need to do to reduce stress in your life.

Regular exercise is a natural stress reducer as well as a great way to lower blood pressure, so that’s another good reason to pull out those sneakers.

Also try deep breathing, meditation, prayer and lavender essential oil.

Get going on lowering that blood pressure now!  Your body will thank you in countless ways…and you just may save your life.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia