Alternative Therapies for Hypertension

Therapy	Best Evidence *	Probably Useful †	Least Evidence ‡
Herbals		Garlic; hawthorn.	Ginseng, 1 g dried root/day; guar gum, 5 g t.i.d.; yellow root; yucca.
Diet and Nutrition/Lifestyle	DASH diet; fiber; aerobic exercise; potassium in diet; quit smoking; reduce caffeine; low sodium; weight loss.	Vegetarian diet; CoQ10, 50 mg b.i.d.; alcohol intake <3 drinks/day; calcium, 800–1500 mg/day; magnesium, 350–500 mg/day (esp. if taking diuretics); fish oil, EPA/DHA, omega-3 fatty acids 3 g/day.	Check for heavy metals such as lead; reduce sugar intake; vitamin C; chitosan; arginine, 2 g t.i.d.
Mind-Body Interventions		Anger prevention or management; anxiety reduction (men); guided imagery; meditation; music therapy; religious attendance; social support; stress management; tai chi; yoga.
Pharmacological and Biological Treatments			Chelation therapy.
Alternative Systems of Care		Ayurveda; traditional Chinese medicine.	Homeopathy.

^*Therapies with the highest degree of scientific support for efficacy and safety.
^†Therapies that are often helpful but that do not have the highest degree of supporting evidence for efficacy and safety.
^‡Therapies that may be useful but that have limited scientific evidence for efficacy and safety.
SOURCE: Sierpina, VS: Integrative Health Care: Complementary and Alternative Therapies for the Whole Person, F.A. Davis, Philadelphia, 2000.