Tag Archives: China

High blood-pressure (hypertension) predicts stroke. Wayne overcomes it with Sunshine.

blood pressureBlood pressure is determined by (1) the amount of blood the heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in the arteries. Consequently, the more blood the heart pumps, and the tighter the arteries, the higher the blood pressure.[1]

Chronic high blood pressure, or hypertension, can damage arterial walls and can eventually lead to an increased risk from heart disease, heart failure, other arterial diseases, kidney disease, irregular heart rhythms, osteoporosis, cognitive dysfunction, painful intercourse and stroke.[2] High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is rampant in western societies. Untreated high blood pressure is a major killer. It is especially dangerous because it is primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

I have written several blogs on high blood pressure. Nevertheless, the experience of my friend Wayne may provide impetus for hypertension sufferers to try the sunshine solution.

Wayne, a resident of Texas, came to our former health resort seeking help for conditions of high blood pressure, obesity and various other maladies. I recommended, along with our healthful nutrition program, that he should sunbathe daily. Consequently, he “took it to heart” and could be found outside by the pool daily, dutifully soaking up the midday sunlight.

Wayne arrived at our program with a blood pressure of 157 systolic and 97 diastolic (157/97). Most noteworthy, those numbers put him at high risk for a stroke. Normal blood pressures are considered below 120 systolic, and below 80 diastolic. Four weeks later, as a result of his lifestyle changes.  His numbers dropped to 125/54, meaning that he progressed from high stroke risk to very low stroke risk. Especially relevant is the fact that these changes were accomplished without medication.

The average drop in blood pressure among all guests at that program was 16 systolic and 12 diastolic. This is remarkable, considering that many of them had normal levels coming in.

Here are just a few of the blood pressure changes accomplished during that time:

  • Frieda, from Oregon, lowered her blood pressure 33 points systolic and 30 points diastolic.
  • Joyce, from Rhode Island, lowered her blood pressure 31 points systolic and 24 points diastolic.
  • Jeff, from Utah, lowered his blood pressure 39 points systolic and 12 points diastolic.
  • Susan, from New York, lowered her blood pressure 20 points systolic and 26 points diastolic.

Was all of this success due to sun exposure?

It should not be construed that these results were all a result of sun exposure. Nor should we conclude that hypertension is a result of sun deprivation. Typical American citizens engage daily in “killer” nutrition, subjecting themselves to dietary patterns and chemical additives that never existed in human life until modern times. Therein lie the major causes of hypertension. Hence, part of the improvements in blood pressure were due to the dietary changes we implemented with our guests.

More research regarding sunlight and blood pressure:

Sun exposure can, to an extent, act as an antidote to the poisons we consume. And, it acts much more quickly than dietary changes. Consider this: Dr. Oplander and his colleagues demonstrated that whole-body Ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation worked what seemed like a miracle.[3] It caused a rapid, significant decrease of 11% in both systolic (upper number) and diastolic (lower number) blood pressure 30 minutes after the exposure. That change lasted up to 60 minutes. The lowered blood pressure lasted up to 60 minutes. Not only did blood pressure decrease, but arterial blood flow increased by 68%.

Nitric oxide, a potent vasodilator (blood-vessel relaxer) that occurs with sun exposure, was the photoproduct that led to these spectacular, important changes. This is important, because UVA is available almost any time the sun shines, winter and summer. Ultraviolet B (UVB) is not available in some areas during winter, due to the sun’s angle. This is especially true in the higher latitudes of the Northern hemisphere, or in the lower latitudes of the Southern hemisphere. UVB stimulates the production of vitamin D. So, it is especially relevant here that vitamin D was not involved in the lowering of blood pressure in Dr. Oplander’s study. Nitric oxide, however, was very involved.

Let’s take a look at one more study of sun exposure and hypertension: research China demonstrates that exposure to sun correlates to a lowered risk:[4] In a randomly selected population of Chinese residents from Macau (where the rate of hypertension is very high), the following risk factors for hypertension were assessed: lack of sun exposure, low intake of fish, smoking, obesity and lack of exercise. An average of more than one-half hour of sun exposure per day, as compared to no sun exposure, predicted a 40% reduced risk for hypertension.

I could go on for another page about the horrors of blood-pressure medication, but what I have said suffices. Non-burning sun exposure is one of the best elixirs for hypertension. In conclusion, one might say that it is no wonder that Wayne overcame his blood pressure problem!

[1] Mayo Clinic Diseases and Conditions: High blood pressure (hypertension). http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/basics/definition/con-20019580 (accessed January 5, 2016).

[2] Ann Pietrangelo. Healthline 2014 http://www.healthline.com/health/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/effect-on-body (accessed January 4, 2016).

[3] Opländer C, Volkmar CM, Paunel-Görgülü A, van Faassen EE, Heiss C, Kelm M, Halmer D, Mürtz M, Pallua N, Suschek CV.. Whole body UVA irradiation lowers systemic blood pressure by release of nitric oxide from intracutaneous photolabile nitric oxide derivates. Circ Res. 2009;105:1031–40.

[4] Ke L, Ho J, Feng J, Mpofu E, Dibley MJ, Feng X, Van F, Leong S, Lau W, Lueng P, Kowk C, Li Y, Mason RS, Brock KE. Modifiable risk factors including sun exposure and fish consumption are associated with risk of hypertension in a large representative population from Macau. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2013 Nov 1 [Epub ahead of print].

 

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Are they Sun Smart in China?

By Marc Sorenson, EdD, Sunlight Institute

Perhaps the Chinese people are smarter about sunlight than people in the U.S.  A real-estate developer there had to pay a family the equivalent of $15,650.00 for robbing them of their sunlight. One of the developer’s skyscrapers exceeded legal height and partially blocked the sun that enabled the family to obtain their government-mandated sunlight allotment during the coldest time of the year. The allotment was two hours per day, but the skyscraper reduced that allotment. The skyscraper allowed only 1-2 hours of sunlight.

The Judge in the case said, “We can’t live without sunshine” and told the developers that they had to respect the rights of the people to enjoy the sun. We need more judges like that in the U.S.!

What a contrast to the Dermatologists’ societies in the U.S.! In the 1990s, a president of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) stated that she lived for the day when everyone would move underground! She also said that melanoma would cause more cancer deaths than any other cancer by about 2010. Fortunately, we are not yet living underground, and melanoma is nowhere near the top of the cancer-deaths charts.

It appears that the Chinese are a whole lot smarter than the AAD! The AAD’s insistence that people avoid the sunlight is much more likely to destroy the health of the American public than soaking up some unobstructed sunshine. So enjoy some safe, non-burning sunlight, winter and summer while you improve your health!

To read the article, click here: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/national/Sunlight-suit-Family-wins-payout/shdaily.shtml

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