1) WHAT ARE THEY?

Diuretics help remove excess sodium (salt) and water from the body, and in doing this, promote the production and excretion of urine. Diuretics that aren’t “potassium-sparing” can cause us to lose potassium as well. We need to be careful about losing potassium. More about that later.

2) HOW DO THEY HELP WITH REDUCING MY HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?

As we discussed in our eBook, water goes where salt is. If there is too much salt in our blood vessels, more water will be drawn into those blood vessels, which increases the pressure inside of them. Hence, high blood pressure. So more fluid, higher pressure; less sodium in blood vessels (and therefore less fluid in blood vessels), lower blood pressure.

Some examples of diuretics used to treat high blood pressure:

• Furosemide
• Chlorthalidone
• Hydrochlorothiazide (also known as HCTZ)

3) WHAT ARE SOME POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS FROM THESE DIURETICS?

• Frequent urination (for a period of time)
• Less common: dizziness, headache, dry mouth
• Low magnesium levels. Magnesium is necessary for smooth muscle relaxation (blood vessels are smooth muscle), prevention of muscle cramps, and acts as a natural calcium channel blocker (calcium channel blocker is also a blood pressure med)
• For diuretics that are not potassium-sparing, there may be additional side effects due to too low levels of potassium. Some of these side effects can include fatigue, constipation, muscle cramps, weakness.
• Additionally, since potassium is involved in heart function, inadequate levels of potassium can cause an irregular heartbeat. And speaking of that, here’s a quick reminder: NEVER TAKE A POTASSIUM SUPPLEMENT UNLESS YOUR MD TELLS YOU TO!!!

4) DOES NATURE’S PHARMACY CONTAIN ANY POTASSIUM-SPARING DIURETICS?

YES! And Hibiscus tops the list! Plus there are a couple other potential natural diuretics (not necessarily potassium-sparing) like cucumber and cranberry (which is also an ingredient in 120/Life).

So make sure to drink your reds!

Here’s to Your Health!