Lesser evil
In the world of blood pressure drugs, diuretics seem like the lesser evil. They work by helping the body flush excess water and sodium from the body, which relaxes the blood vessels and brings down blood pressure. And since they're so cheap, they're often the first line of defense for many people battling hypertension. But researchers from Johns Hopkins discovered recently that, as effective as diuretics are for lowering blood pressure, they may actually be causing a much bigger problem -- diabetes. Those of you that take diuretics likely already know that while they're flushing water and sodium from your system, these drugs also wash away your body's potassium stores. It's this side effect that causes an increased risk of diabetes. In fact, the Hopkins researchers found that even a marginal drop in potassium levels (.5 milliequivalent/liter, to be exact) brought on by diuretics caused a massive spike in diabetes risk -- upping the chances of developing this disease by 45 percent. Given how common diuretics are, it's not such a stretch to think that they may have played a significant role in the diabetes epidemic we're facing these days. The researchers say that this risk is quite manageable just by increasing your potassium intake (and I will give them credit for suggesting a natural approach -- eating potassium- rich foods like bananas and oranges -- over another drug). But wouldn't it make more sense to replace the diuretics altogether? Particularly with something all-natural that doesn't wreak more havoc in your body while it's doing its intended job? Dr. Wright has written about numerous natural solutions for hypertension, including vitamin D and "sweat therapy" courtesy of far-infrared saunas. To read more about these alternatives (plus many more), refer back to the October 2006, December 2003, and July 2000 issues of Nutrition & Healing. Subscribers can download them for free by visiting www.wrightnewsletter.com and logging in to the Archives with the username and password listed on page 8 of your most recent issue. Source:
"Potassium loss from blood pressure drugs may explain higher risk of adult diabetes," ScienceDaily (www.sciencedaily.com), 11/24/08 | 
