Arginine, N Acetyl- Cysteine
★★★★★
I recently read a 2008 study about people with diabetes and hypertension who were treated with a combination of arginine and n acetyl cysteine (nac), two commonly available substances at online vitamin sites.
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/5/940.long
At the dosages used in this study, arginine and nac have a fairly good safety profile and from the study results, they not only lowered blood pressure, but produced side effects that were also positive such as lowering ldl cholesterol while raising hdl cholesterol (the good one) and lowering levels of adhesion molecules vcam1 and icam1. It also lowered high sensitivity crp, a common marker of inflammation in the body. Add in the antiatherosclerotic effects and it seems like a good combination so I started taking them two weeks ago. One drawback to this study is the small number of participants, but the results were striking enough to make me want to try it.
Nac by itself has hundreds of studies suggesting it has many health benefits in humans, some related to its efficacy as a potent antioxidant.
I just took my blood pressure reading and it was 123/83. I am taking more than what was used in the study, at least initially and plan to go down to the study dose after a month or so.
I take 600mg of nac with 1 gram of arginine, three times per day for a total of 1.8 grams of nac and 3 grams of arginine per day.
Art
Art, thank you very much for this thoroughly informative post, as hypertension is a major health problem. The addition of the NAC with the L-Arginine must be the magic bullet. I don't think the Arginine alone produced near the results as this combination; this is truly good news for those "unresponders" like yourself and others. Did you discontinue the previous natural treatment ingredience and protocols then tried the aminos only?
Lisinipril @ 20mg daily has been very beneficial for me (also an unresponder). I'm not a big proponent of pharms but if the cost is not too high and the negative side effects few, "go-for-it".
(Tustin, Ca. Usa)
08/09/2012
In reply to, Timh from Louisville, Ky, Usa: You're welcome!
It seems like wherever I go, I run into people with hypertension/high blood pressure, so it must be fairly prevalent. Given that high fructose corn syrup and high levels of table salt in processed foods are the norm in many peoples diets, I can certainly see why high blood pressure would be a common problem. Btw, I read another 2010 rat study that suggested that the nac/arginine combo might also help offset the known hypertensive effects of a high fructose high salt diet. It was only a rat study and those don't always translate directly into human equivalency, but it is promising and worth further study in humans.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19806432
In further reading it seems like citrulline, a precursor of arginine might also be effective with nac or even with nac arginine. The safety profile of these three along with their other health benefits seems like it may be a good first line hypertensive therapy approach before trying the prescription route if people are so inclined.
To answer your question, I continued with what I was already taking as I was taking things like the potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin d, multi-vitamin and vitamin b complex for other health benefits other than high blood pressure reduction so I didn't want to lose out on those potential health benefits, plus there is the possibility that those supplements may have been partially controlling my blood pressure already.
I hope others are able to derive benefit from this reasonably priced and readilly available combo(nac/arginine) with the good safety profile! It is amazing to me that there were no direct follow up studies after that promising one in 2008. I guess if it isn't patentable, then funding may be hard to come by.
Art
(Tustin, Ca. Usa)
08/24/2012
★★★★★
Just thought I would update as I have been taking the nac/arginine combination for almost a month now. I just took my blood pressure and the reading was 117/76 so this combination appears to be working very well for me and the first reading at two weeks of supplementing apparently was not a fluke at 123/83.
I also dropped my dose down to just twice a day instead of three times per day, so I am currently taking 600mg of nac with 1 gram of arginine two times per day for a total of 1, 200mg of nac and 2 grams of arginine per day which is fairly close to the dosage used in that 2008 study.
Art
Art, thanx again for your post as this is very good news for people suffering hypertension. I don't have any numbers to support as I have many issues that overlap and I can't determine exactly hardly anything as a certainty; but I am taking 1000mg daily NAC 500mg Glutamine or Glutamic Acid 2000mg Trimethyleglycine for maximum Glutathione production; plus an Arginine/Ornithine 1000mg daily. I am venturing a guess that the NAC is only for Glutathione boosting and nothing in itself. The Arginine itself is known to produce Nitric Oxide which dilates blood vessels. In short, a Glutathione deficiency could be a major player in many folks hypertension.
(Tustin, Ca. Usa)
08/26/2012
Timh, I agree, glutathione deficiency may be a major contributing factor for some peoples hypertension issues as well as many other health issues that have excess oxidation and inflammation as major components and that would be a fairly long list!
NAC is noted for its glutathione increasing potential and is itself a free radical scavenger as well as an anti-inflammatory, capable of inhibiting inflammatory cytokines and mediators like, il-1, il-6, and tnf-alpha so it maybe more than just helping to increase glutathione levels.
NAC is fairly impressive as is its safety profile. The combination with arginine seems to be very impressive. I hope it continues to work!
Art
This would put Walnuts at the top of the food group in this case as they are high in Arginine, pre-formed Glutathione, and anti-inflammatory Omega 3 EFA's.
Evidently the human body or at least a compromised body cannot properly make the conversion of sulphur containing foods to the acetylated form of Cysteine, making this supplement quite important. I have read that NAC is first line defense in emergency care for many cases of overdose or poisonings. There are more and more studies proving many benefits of Arginine.
(Somewhere Usa)
05/09/2015
(California)
05/09/2015
★★★★★
Rebel, I'm not sure why, but my blood pressure stabilized in the normal range and I slowly withdrew from taking NAC, arginine and lysine everyday. My blood pressure has stayed normal after removal of the three. I don't think that happens with the prescription BP meds......I've always heard that you have to take those for life. If you do much research on NAC, it has many potential health benefits when taken at proper dosing consistently all by itself.
This more recent rodent study may give a clue why:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3877599/
Apparently NAC may help prevent high blood pressure from getting started in the first place. It's only a rodent study and that does not mean it will be the same for humans, but NAC and arginine have very good safety profiles with generally positive side effects as compared to the negatives of many BP prescriptions. There are many studies on the benefits of NAC.
It's actually pretty sad that after the original study from May of 2008
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/5/940.long
that produced such impressive results and led me to try arginine / NAC in the first place, there were no follow on studies to help confirm the efficacy of this cheap and safe combination in larger groups. If it was patentable, I'm sure it would have been a different story though.
Obviously people should not attempt this combination without their doctor's approval and supervision as high blood pressure can be dangerous and sometimes deadly.
I still use all three for different things, but not everyday anymore . The lysine was needed at the time to keep my arginine / lysine ratio in balance as I felt I was getting more frequent colds than what is normal for me when using just the arginine and NAC. Overall I would rate this combination of natural supplements very high at a level somewhat similar to the borax remedy that is frequently discussed here.
Art
(Somewhere Usa)
05/13/2015
Thank you Art! I take nothing at this time for blood pressure, but I am considering going to get a CDL truck drivers license and I will have to be 120 over 80 or they will make me get on meds. I normally run around 140 over 90 ish. I have been able to get in control in the past, but it never lasts. So I will give this a shot. I don't know if I missed it, but do you take the pill or loose powder of the L-Arginine and L- Lysine?
(Minnesota)
05/18/2017
(Tulsa, Oklahoma)
10/24/2017
Art & Rebel,
I have been taking NAC for over 2 years and noticed my blood pressure had decreased (120/76). Prior, my pressure was 140/80 even on medication. I started taking meds for Hypertension when I was 35 years old. I am now 61 and have the best blood/lipid profile ive ever had in my life. My blood pressure is the lowest I've ever had with or without meds.
I attribute this to my experimentation with NAC, Turmeric etc. My doctor did not have a clue
Avoid High-Fructose Corn Syrup
★★★★★
According to Dr. Mercola, your blood pressure is driven up by your (HFCS) fructose intake, because uric acid is a byproduct of fructose metabolism, and it is the increased uric acid levels that drive up your blood pressure.
Further, according to scientific research papers, such as ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8538236, the higher your total (HFCS) fructose intake is from non-natural foods, the more elevated your blood pressure will be.
Therefore, you can and will cure your hypertension, if you avoid all foods that contain HFCS. Examples are candies, packaged sweets, sodas, juice drinks, fast foods, sauces, ice creams, ice pops, breakfast foods, fruit preserves, jams, breads, crackers, pancake syrup, dessert syrup, and applesauce.
B6, Magnesium Bisglycinate
★★★★★
Frank
Baking Soda
| 5 star (1) | 50% | |
 (1) |
50% |
★★★★★
ACV had zero effect on my blood pressure, but quite by accident I found that baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has a dramatic effect. I tried Xylitol, and it gave me such severe heartburn that I took baking soda to remedy it. I now add a pinch of soda to each glass of water, to my coffee grounds, etc. and I don't sense any taste of it. Anybody with a blood pressure monitor can test this. Test BP, take a glass of water with 1/8 or 1/4 tsp. baking soda, test BP again after 30 minutes. It will cost you about $1 per year to control BP this way, and most people already have the soda in the house.
The need for bicarbonate indicates that kidneys need to be detoxified... if you want to be less dependent on remedies.
(Manganui, Northland, New Zealand)
04/29/2011
I think with baking soda you might get a rise in your BP. In the book "Wardmaster" writen in the nineteen thirties.. The author says that if you have a flare up of arthiritis you take baking soda until your ears start ringing.. (High bp. ) and wrap up warmly and go to bed.. This stops the inflamation and settles things down again.
(North Florida Keys)
09/25/2020
DrSircus.com has great information and an ebook about the baking soda protocol, and if you use it correctly, no increase in blood pressure.
Banana Peel
Banana peel for Hypertension: boil eight dry banana peel a day, and pour it in the bottle and drunk as a tea all the day, drink eight days, you cannot cut off, no grade less than sixty four banana. Drink eight days to heal.
Anyone try it please let us know the effect of it.
Calcium
There's a lot of disinformation on the web and what follows may have some.
Calcium Ions go into a muscle when we want to do something and exit the muscle when it's relaxed, and so it is with the soft muscle surrounding the heart arteries, the soft muscle surrounding the bronchiole. Calcium entering the ears vestibular is a cause of vertigo and I believe calcium entering the eye is a cause of cataracts.
Wanting to pick up a glass, a message from the brain sends calcium ions into the muscle. Would it be the same with muscles surrounding heart arteries? If it is as simple as 'wanting' as it is with picking up a glass, why is it not as simple with heart arteries? Why not send the message -just once- for the heart arterial muscles to relax now? Messages should be that simple. Treating high blood pressure with addictive medication is only treating the symptoms.
The disease - if it is a disease - comes from the brain. How to treat this?
(Deland, Fl)
02/18/2010
John - My thoughts exactly. Blood pressures fluctuate all day long. How is one to really know what is high for them when we all react differently to different situations and stimulants? I can't even look at a blood pressure cuff without feeling my pulse race and blood pressure rise. I have very little faith in the medical profession. They kill more people each year than heart disease, the thought of a hospital or conventional doctor throws me into an anxiety attack. There is no way to get an accurate blood pressure reading when you are wracked with fear. I'm looking for answers as to the truth about blood pressure and an accurate system of how to determine correct diagnosis. The medical profession needs a wake up call... drugs, surgery, lies, scaring people with inaccurate information needs to stop. Doctors are told what to do and what to prescribe by the billion dollar drug companies. I don't call that a physician.
(Queens, Ny)
02/18/2010
Well said Karen!!!! I couldn't have said it better.
(Franklin, Ma)
02/18/2010
(Sacramento, Ca)
02/18/2010
My feelings precisely!
I have, in fact, buried my blood pressure cuff in a drawer for a good year and have, instead, pursued a number of healing modalities:
Walking 1-2 miles daily
Yoga
Iodine supplementation protocol plus companion nutrients
Changing my mind patterns to positive thinking especially with the help of the writings of Ester Hicks and Abraham
Healthful eating
Appreciation for all I have
It seems we can be in control of our health and destiny, if we are willing to take responsibility for ourselves, and do a bit of homework...
If not, perhaps it is not a part of ones path at this time....that is ok too....we all must go at our own speed and in a direction that seems appropriate.
(Ca)
07/16/2016
Hi Hope,
I do yoga too and it introduced me to meditation and relaxation. Because of this I like to play a game with my blood pressure meter. I first take and see what it is. Then I retake it to see if I can change it. I try light meditation or I can do savasana. All can lower your numbers. A simple one to do is just to make a fist with your right hand and place it over your hart while you take your blood pressure. Make sure your legs are uncrossed and you do not talk. I find just my thoughts can change my blood pressure, raising it or lowering it. I think anyone can do this with a bit of practice and yoga. I do sivananda yoga which is a non exercise type of yoga that emphasizes clearing your mind of rampant thoughts. The importance of this is to carry this throughout your day and thus lowering blood pressure during all activities.
There are many aspects that affect blood pressure such as dehydration, hardening of the arteries and plaque but stress is significant because it affects the whole body and not just blood pressure. Anything that helps you control stress is a major part of health that is overlooked. Do not fear your cuff because that just plays into stress but look at it as an opportunity to learn to control your thoughts and de-stress.
(Deland, Fl)
02/19/2010
I do the same thing, my blood pressure cuff is buried in a drawer. I walk everyday, think positively, eat healthy and feel my body will tell me if something is wrong. I hope one day we find out the truth behind what doctors are telling us and how quickly they dole out drugs as if it's the answer to everything.
I worked for a conventional veterinarian and saw the same thing. Yearly vaccines are a scam, they are not needed. I heard from an old time vet who was retiring the reason yearly vaccines were started was to get pets in for their yearly exam. They knew if they sent out a reminder card for an exam it would very likely be ignored, but if they made you think vaccines were needed you would be more apt to make an appointment. Yearly vaccines can cause more harm than good. The current information is vaccines have a memory and are good for life. Veterinarians need to be very careful "pushing" vaccines. I also worked for a holistic veterinarian who taught me so much. She hated vaccines and saw the results of overvaccinating everyday. She practiced conventional medicine for over ten years, when I asked her why she stopped she said, "Because it doesn't work!"
As Hope said, we can be in control of our health and our destiny and it's so nice to know others feel the same way I do.
(Vannes, France)
06/13/2011
great to hear that other people feel the same as me. I had some anxiety symptoms, and my doctor put me on beta blockers, said that it would calm palpitations and lower blood pressure. Well they didnt, and made me feel worse and in fact caused me vitamin imbalance. I see a good friend who does muscle testin, and she discovered I was deficient in magnesium, which causes all these things. I take an ionic magnesium, use cayenne pepper and nibble celery which keeps my blood pressure normal. It took me a year to get off of the medication. I bought my own machine, and got used to having it done, so no problem now. I just have a high pulse, but am doing rebounding to help with that. This banning of herbs, and possible vitamins and minerals next is just the corrupt pharmaceuticals trying to control what we do, and because we are all waking up to it. They are losing money and they dont like it. If we have to purchase our minerals and vitamins through them or the doctor, they wont be pure.
When I had the burning feet, which was a B1 deficiency, my doctor had told me 6 months before that it was just anxiety. Thank god for natural remedies, and this wonderful site of course.
Flaxseed, Exercise
★★★★★
Ma'am,
I was put on a medicine that raised testosterone and affected hormones 100,000%. I understand how uncomfortable you may feel. I found using Two or more tablespoons of flaxseed flour daily raised the estrogen hormone levels and matched the testosterone levels, and it feels much better.
Exercise is also a good part of releasing the stressful feelings associated with it, a smooth gait focusing on relaxing and letting go of stress helps. Think of like you were running 5 miles, conserving your strength and relaxing. Releasing tension is very helpful. I had to run in high school. I did sports, worked and then studied until 11:00PM. I was tired from not enough sleep at the end of the day. Running like this, and being in prayer as I ran was very helpful. I was tired, but it helped me have enough to finish the run the coach wanted and it did relax me too.
(Cali)
01/21/2023
★★★★★
I agree with you flaxseed, 1-2 tablespoons, exercise and low-fat diet will lower in a week at least 10 points.
General Feedback
'White coat syndrome' increases blood pressure …. Mmhg
Circadian rhythm 'High Tides' 0600am. 1200am &1700pm, increases blood pressure ….mmhg
'Low Tides' 0300am and 1500pm, and lowers blood pressure….mmhg
It is 'essential to list the BP monitors that falsely show increased BP.
T…..o wrist monitor over reads systolic & diastolic by 6 mmhg to 8 mmhg.
O…..n upper arm monitor over reads systolic 3 to 8 mmhg, diastolic under reads 3 mmhg.
I know how 'essential' it is to take at least one more BP check 15 minutes after the first because it usually shows a lower - by around 5mmhg - more accurate reading.
I couldn't find mmhg figures for circadian rhythms and you may have different home monitors.
You can take this info along with you, he won't like it, but that's not your concern - nor his.
You need to dispel the imposed fear that increases BP.
Green Grass Juices and Algae
★★★★★
I would recommend any of the green cereal grasses or the algaes to take to combat hypertension. You can take as much as you like as they are considered to be SUPERFOODS and are never toxic in any amount.
Hibiscus Tea
★★★★★
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
12/22/2011
(Elk Grove, Ca)
12/22/2011
You can buy hibiscus from health food stores or from any Mexican grocery stores as well, it is called Jamaica in Mexican stores. Try using a combo of hibiscus and dandelion root to make a tea. I have been using this for over three months and my bp is 110/72 down from 164/98. I make a tea by adding two tsp of dandelion root and about six tsp of hibiscus in hot but not boiling water in a tea pot, let it simmer or sip tea pot for abut 20 mins, then add it to large 2l bottle and fill it with water and take it with you at work and drink all day. Very refreshing as well and the bp will come down in about 6 days. Hope this helps.
(Ny, Usa)
12/23/2011
(Zug, Zug, Switzerland)
12/23/2011
Hibiscus tea is also called Karkade. I buy it mainly in the health food stores in France, Germany, Switzerland or England, I suppose in some countries you can also find it in the supermarkets, just keep looking! No idea whether it helps with high blood pressure, never drank it for that reason! You will also find it in Arab stores, they drink a lot of hibiscus tea. An Egyptian lady introduced me to it!
Indian Snakeroot
★★★★★
My dosage given to my son was 2 pills daily 3X a day or you can start with 1 pill 3X daily, in severe cases take 3 pills twice daily. The Serpina pills were developed in India 1934 and were the worlds first hypertension medicine. After trial studies they learn that many other things it can help. I only found interaction with: Antipsychotic meds and cold or flu medicine, including Benadryl.
Also known as Indian Snakeroot, you can ask your Dr, however most aren't familiar with alternative meds that help the root of your problem, because they are only trained in conventional drugs that cure nothing, and has major side effects, including Death.
Thank you, I am sorry I could not have helped sooner. Joe A.
Iodine
★★★★★
I cured my Hypertension simply by taking 4 drops of 10% Betadine in a glass of water first thing in the morning for two weeks.
It all started after I read an old natural remedies book suggesting the intake of Iodine as being best friend of the heart.
One night after finishing the course, I was preparing for sleep, I noted that I was feeling suspiciously too calm! I checked my blood pressure and was astonished to find my blood pressure at 9 over 5.8 instead of my usual (on the pills) 13 over 9
I got worried so I went to kitchen and took a glass of water with two teaspoons of food salt to raise my pressure. Next day I stopped taking my Hypertension pills FOREVER.
Today, my normal (no pills) blood pressure is 12.5 over 8. you take this course only once and wave bye bye to Hypertension!!!!
How does the world of medicine answer to that!!!!!!!!!!
M. Farhat.
Lebanon
male, 58
EC: Dear M Farhat,
Thank you for reporting your use of iodine for hypertension. Please note however, that Betadine (aka Povidone Iodine) is for EXTERNAL USE only. It should NOT be used internally.
(Lebanon)
11/04/2016
Yes, this what it said on the bottle. However, I recalled that when we were kids, it was a normal practice to paint the inside of the mouth with Povidone to cure many mouth and cold illnesses, so I took the risk.
(Lebanon)
11/04/2016
Hi Faeqa,
Cured paitents had their Hyper tension for a range of 5 to 15 years.
Hypertension levels varied from 14.5 over 9.5 to a crazy (claimed) 20 over 15. this case stabilized at 15 over 10 after the course.
A relative female of mine stabilized at 12 ovre 8 after normally being 16.5 over 10. Please be aware I report what was said to me.
The book is for a Priest writer called "Matta Tarrab". His book is "Qamus al-tibb al-bayti".. Sadly I couldn't find and english reprint of it.
Good luck.
Mineral/ Vitamin Balance
I have had hypertension I suspect for most of my life. Recently I got really sick from atrial finbrillosis where my lungs filled with fluid, and it was found I had hyperthyroidism. I am taking methimazole -just 1 tab now, with bugleweed and potassium iodide (12. 5mg iodide content); a slew of vitamins, zinc, magnesium, CoQ10(100mg) with L-carnitine (500mg) 2x day, taurine and L-arginine as needed and trying to avoid the nasty beta-blockers my cardiologist wants me to take. The thyroid levels are now normal but I still have very high blood pressure (160-170/ 110), in spite of the amount of Mg (citrate) I am taking -3 teaspoons/day. I began taking about 1/4 teaspoon sea salt/day but my BP went up some more. I am thinking I need more potassium but I also read that zinc and magnesium were antoagonists to potassium.
So, my question to anyone who can help is, how can I balance all these minerals and vitamins so that I can get my BP down and keep it down? I would like to reduce my intake of supplements as I am now spending more on them than on food, and my financial resources are very limited.
I eat a lot of fruit and veg, some meat, some fish, am skinny and active, nearly 60, and otherwise very healthy.
(Melbourne, Australia)
07/15/2011
Christine, the best way to balance the vitamins and minerals would be to take them as a superfood. Spirulina and chlorella are great as is wheatgrass juice. Starting the day with a green juice is so healthy for you. Aloe Vera juice is also fantastic. These have most of the vitamins and minerals in them and of course are in balance because they are natural. You could even take colloidal minerals.
Google Chorella factor for an ebook on the wonders of spirulina and chlorella (a 39 page book).
(Santa Cruz Mountains, Ca)
07/17/2011
It is VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET YOUR bp DOWN RIGHT AWAY. I fooled around trying diet and such and had a major stroke. Get to your doctor and get on meds right away, then you can work on alternative ways. Recovery from stroke is very slow and lots of work. Its better to get it low first and avoid the stroke from high bp
(Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France)
07/18/2011
Shalo, I am sorry to hear about what happened to you and I can imagine that you got a big fright! But, bear in mind that a lot of people who have a stroke don't have high blood pressure! Also bear in mind that the medication can have a lot of side effects! As we get older we all tend to have higher blood pressure anyway and maybe that is not even a bad thing or abnormal, at least not the way they make it sound. The same goes for cholesterol.....
Olive Oil
★★★★★
Oregano Oil
(MN)
05/16/2022
★☆☆☆☆
