Customer Reviews

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About(TM): Hypertension: The Revolutionary Nutrition and Lifestyle Program to Help Fight High Blood Pressure

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm only giving this book 3 stars because I think someone needs to temper the other reviews with some common sense.

This book is a good starting point for anyone dealing with or concerned about hypertension, but before investing in and ingesting all of the supplements recommended on pages 132-133, I think a person needs more information from additional reputable sources to be certain they fully understand the risks and benefits of taking any of these nutrients in supplemental form. There are risks of adverse side effects and toxicity from supplements that are not there when you get what you need from the foods you eat. Those risks vary with things such as your age, pregnancy, illness, surgery,and medications you may be taking, not just the dosage. Each person's circumstance's are unique, so these recommendations should not be considered one-size-fits-all. I don't think this book emphasizes enough how important it is to keep your doctor current about any herbs and supplements you are taking and in what doses.

Below is some of the references I use to better understand the functions and risks of all of the nutritional supplements out there. They will open your eyes about how cautious you need to be about any supplements you take.

Vitamins, Herbs, Minerals, & Supplements: The Complete Guide by H. Winter Griffith, M.D.

A-Z Guide to Drup-Herb-Vitamin Interactions by Schuyler W. Lyninger Jr. et al

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Potassium But Were Too Tired To Ask by Betty Kamen, Ph. D.

The Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center at
http://lpi. oregonstate.edu

http://www.nutritiondata.com (This is the best website for tracking calories and nutrients in foods and recipes! More complete than any book I've found.)

http://www.consumerlab.com (This site is like Consumer Reports for supplements. Requires a subscription for complete access, but there is still a lot of good info for free there.)

Dr. Mark Houston has created a "must-read" for the nearly half of the American adult population dealing with high blood pressure. Today, more than ever, it is critically important that we as medical consumers have a fundamental understanding of the nature of our health issues and the choices available to us. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Hypertension gives us the ability to make an informed decision in partnership with our physician.

Pharmaceutical companies make untold millions of dollars each year dispensing anti-hypertensive drugs. Certainly, these medicines save lives and extend quality of life for millions of people.

But if given a choice, how many of us would rather take a natural approach? It is refreshing and reassuring that a respected medical researcher like Dr. Houston is presenting these options to us in a way that we can implement. Dr. Houston and his collaborators have also done a great job in making complex scientific information both easy to understand and interesting.

This book is perhaps the best gift for a friend or loved one who you know has high blood pressure and is not doing anything to successfully reduce it-an estimated 60 million Americans today. You may help them prevent the walking time-bomb of premature death and disability from stroke and heart disease.

This is the book that I and all patients with high blood pressure have been waiting for. The incredible science is presented in a way that all nonmedical persons can understand what high blood pressure is, what problems it causes and most importantly how to prevent and treat it with natural means and life style changes. The author has academic credentials as outlined in the back of the book . This book is based on an article published in a peer- reviewed journal called the Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association, which makes it very credible. The author backs up all information and suggestions with references. There is even an appendix for medical persons to read. This book differs from all the others that have been published in many respects. It offers a step by step program on how to treat high blood pressure. There are suggestions on nutrition ,diet, supplements, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, weight control, exercise ,prescription drugs and much more. This will become the BIBLE of high blood pressure for the lay person as well as medical persons. Every patient with high blood pressure should get a copy of this book and read it. Every person who has a friend or loved one with high blood pressure should give it to them. Medical doctors, Chiropracters, Osteopathic physicians, Naturopathic physicians, nutritionists, registered dieticians ,nurses and other health care providers should recommend this book to their patients with high blood pressure. The information in this book could be lifesaving. Dr. Houston has combined the best of traditional and natural medicine in a scholarly book that is readable. It will be a great reference source for anyone with this disease. I would highly recommend it.

All in all, very good reading. Nothing new here, just ties together all facets of controlling your high blood pressure: vitamins, supplements, exercise, diet and stress reduction. Presents a variety of programs and explains in detail how each can potentially lower and control hypertension. A good "how to" book to keep handy and refer to often. I have started the program and after only 3 weeks, my blood pressure has dropped. I plan to "wean" myself off the high blood pressure medication I am on now and go "totally natural".

If you are looking for a book to educate yourself in the use of vitamins, minerals and diet in the treatment of hypertension, pick up a copy of this book. Inside, Mark Houston thoroughly explains the science behind using both dietary supplements and diet therapy to help fight high blood pressure. Both health professionals and people who would like to acquaint themselves with the scientically based alternatives that have been proven through scientific research will find a wealth of useful information inside. Concise and easy to read, "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Hypertension" contains the latest information about how to control hypertension through the use of diet and dietary supplements, compiled neatly into a single comprehensive guide.

This book offers a wide variety of treatment options (dietary/ behavioral modification, use of various supplements) in the treatment of hypertension, as well as a comprehensive review of the prescription medications available for this condition. I found the dietary suggestions quite helpful, and this is one of the few books I have read which offers sound advice on use of dietary supplements as well as their presumed mechanism of action.

I became interested in hypertension after I had successfully knocked off 50 pounds of obesity with the Atkins low carohydrate Way Of Eating (WOE).

Now I was more positively interested in continuing to aid my state of body health.... and attention turned to Hypertension.

What next steps..... after Low Carb......?

The DASH (Dietary Approache to Stopping Hypertension) looked good because it also focused on a Way Of Eating (WOE) which was supposed to inprove heart health in a major way. But DASH conflicts with Atkins..... low carb, because DASH is a remix of the AHA (American Heart Association) Low Fat-High Carb way of eating with some other stuff thrown in.

Doctor Houston's book modifies DASH ..... and gets it off the narrow focus on LOW FAT & HIGH CARB...... which is what helped keep me fat for so long.

I found the book didn't hesitate to be technical at a level that isn't intimidating.

The book also provided to me the way out of my dilema of how to transition from Atkins Low Carb to some heart focused healthy Way Of Eating.

Dr Houston clearly thinks for himself, and reads medical and nutritional literature with an open mind. Unusual for a Medical Doctor....

Thank you, Doctor Mark C Houston.

PS: Please put a few more drawings and flow charts in the next edition... those things keep an engineer's attention.

I actually starting using the Dash diet and some of the supplements, not all. In a few days my blood pressure started to go down dramatically. It's amazing how much salt there is in everything. You really have to read labels and of course a lot more fruits and veggies!

Dr. Mark Houston's book promoting nutrition and a healthy lifestyle as potent weapons in the fight against high blood pressure is absolutely excellent. It is refreshing to see an esteemed medical professional embrace alternative therapies rather than relying solely on prescription drugs and vague instructions to "lose weight, exercise, and eat healthier foods." It contains not only useful information and easy-to-understand guidelines for those battling hypertension, but also practical, sound advice for anyone seeking a healthier lifestyle. I recommend this book with the highest enthusiasm!

I READ HEALTH BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS BY THE DOZENS, AND THIS PARTICULAR BOOK DOES AND SAYS IT ALL WHEN IT COMES TO TREATING HYPERTENSION...I LIKE THE FACT THAT THE DOCTORS ARE SO WELL INFORMED ON THE TOTALITY OF TREATMENT INCLUDING SUPPLEMENTS..
THIS IS A BOOK EVERYONE SHOULD READ WHO WANTS TO STAY HEALTHY FOR YEARS TO COME..