Would You Believe That Cinnamon Will Lower Blood Pressure? by Joni BellA study at the University of Georgetown as reported in the American College of Nutrition (2006) showed for the first time that cinnamon will lower systolic blood pressure. In addition Dr. Richard Anderson from the US Department of Agriculture concurs. Now this is not the cinnamon (ground or sticks) that you can buy in your local supermarket. The research further shows that cinnamon extract can reduce serum cholesterol and also will maintain favorable blood glucose levels. In fact this is the first time that positive effects on blood pressure have been seen from the supplementation of a cinnamon extract.One of the problems that had to be considered in the research was the quantity of cinnamon that was necessary to get the desired effect – it was one heaping teaspoon which is equivalent to 18 capsules. That brought up two issues – that\’s a lot of caps and the average person is not going to consistently take that many caps a day; and taking that much cinnamon had the potential of serious side effects like bronchial constriction, skin rashes and inflammation. Obviously another approach was needed.The research continued in an effort to answer the cinnamon question and it was found in a specific cinnamon extract which eliminated the roadblocks that were encountered before. This extract operates at the cellular and molecular level.One of the issues with doing an extract is that if chemical solvents, including alcohol, may include photochemicals that can be toxic at higher doses. The ideal method is to use a process that does not use any chemical solvents. To do this the extract is done with a water-soluble polyphenol polymer called Type-A polymers.Cinnamon extract alone will not supply a complete supplement. A complimentary array of nutrients such as chromium picolinate, fenugreek extract, grape seed extract, vanadium bipperiene(R) and a strong blend of black pepper extract improves nutrient bioavailability.\”Addition to diets of cinnamon (eight percent w/w) reduced the systolic blood pressure of rats eating sucrose containing diets to virtually the same levels as SHR consuming non sucrose containing (only starch) diets,\” wrote lead author Dr. Harry Preuss from Georgetown University Medical Center. We all should know that high blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard and contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the first- and third-leading causes of death among Americans. High blood pressure also can result in other conditions, such as congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness.Most medical professionals advise that a blood pressure level of 140/90 mmHg or higher is considered high. Approximately 65% of people over age 65 have high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg, then you have prehypertension. This means that you don\’t have high blood pressure yet but are likely to develop it in the future. You must adopt healthy lifestyle changes. Physical activity is one of the most important thins you can do to prevent and/or control high blood pressure which will also reduce the risk of heart disease. Physical activity is absolutely mandatory regardless of how many supplements or drugs are taken.Work into your daily activities like: taking the stairs instead of the elevator, park at the far end of the mall\’s parking lot instead of circling the parking lot for 5 minutes looking for the closest parking, and take a 10 minute walk after lunch and dinner.Joni Bell has many years of extensive study in the area of natural cancer prevention and treatment. He has numerous success stories of people being diagnosed living cancer free with use of alternative methods. Ask Joni Bell!Article Source: eArticlesOnline.com