Thursday, October 19, 2006
8:00 -8:50 AM
Toscana Room 3605-3609

Synopsis:

Prescribed antihypertensive drugs are fraught with side effects and adverse reactions. Some are enough to cause men in particular to discontinue treatment.

A program of lifestyle modification and use of dietary supplements can effectively lower BP to desired levels or reduce drug dosages to lessen or eliminate side effects. The effectiveness of weight loss, cigarette cessation, increased exercise, dietary improvements, and alcohol moderation are clinically documented. Balancing the body’s electrolytes by increasing intake of potassium, magnesium, and calcium may be as important or perhaps even more effective than salt and sodium restriction.

Additionally, two placebo-controlled studies have documented the BP-lowering effect of tomato extract in the form of Lyc-O-Mato, a proprietary formulation of lycopene, phytofluene, phytobene, and the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin E. In the first trial, Lyc-O-Mato achieved a drop of 10 points systolic and four points diastolic in six weeks, comparable to lowering with a single prescription drug. In the second study, the addition of Lyc-O-Mato resulted in further reductions of 8 to 10 systolic and 2 to 3 diastolic, about what would be expected from the addition of a second prescription drug.

Lyc-O-Mato and certain other dietary supplements have a dramatic affect on the body’s production of the blood gas nitric oxide, which improves the artery’s flexibility, medically termed compliance, and subsequent improved ability to dilate to allow for greater blood flow and reduction of BP. These discoveries promise enormous potential for public health.