Is there the “Perfect Supplement” for everyone?
Anyone who is looking to find “the Perfect Supplement” to help them manage blood pressure will find themselves confronted with an overwhelming choice of products and brands to select from as soon as they do a web-search!!
Indeed on Amazon alone there are thousands upon thousands of products to sort through by just plugging in the three keywords ‘Blood Pressure Supplements’
Quite a daunting task indeed to figure out exactly which of these products fall into the category of the most effective blood pressure supplements!!
Of course, you can look at the customer reviews to gain an idea of how well each supplement may work. However from my research it soon becomes clear that even with the best of the supplements there will always be 10 - 20% of reviews which land on the side of “didn’t work for me!”
I have yet to find a supplement which scored a perfect 5 out of 5 where a reasonable sample size of consumers were giving feedback!
There are several reasons why a supplement works so well for one person yet does not have the same wonderful effect on another. Differences in individual genetics, age and gender, for example. And underlying health conditions, such as compromised liver/kidneys can have an influence, too!
Additionally, although supplements are generally considered not to have the kinds of side effects which prescription medications do, the absorption of the main ingredients in supplements and their bio-availability can still be affected by the food we eat.
So having accepted that the ‘ONE SIZE FITS ALL‘ idea does not necessarily work when it comes to finding that perfect product, I am now going to compare three specific products to see how they measure up to each other:
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Peak BP Platinum from Peak Wellness
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Dr. Mercola BP Support
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Hypavera
Let’s take a closer look!
HYPAVERA - this product looks promising, as it contains by far the most active ingredients, all of which are herbal. The mixture of herbs are designed to have different effects, for example the dandelion root has been shown to assist kidney function by promoting excretion of sodium whilst maintaining healthy potassium levels. In addition the bulk of the ingredients support the cardiovascular system and promote normal blood vessel dilation by exerting a “relaxative” effect on the blood vessel walls and lining (endothelium).
More information on these individual herbal ingredients can be found here.
According to the information on their website only organic products are used in the manufacturing process and …
“Even though each herbal ingredient has specific properties that support normal, healthy blood pressure, it is the precise combination of ingredients that make Hypavera® a success.”
Hypavera also received the highest satisfaction rating on Amazon.
See chart below…
DR MERCOLA BP SUPPORT - This product relies on basically one ingredient, namely Grapeseed Extract!
However the effectiveness of Grapeseed extract upon lowering blood pressure in prehypertensive patients has been well supported in the following study. It has also received positive feedback from users.
But I can’t help feeling a little sceptical, given the many other natural ingredients which are available to actively support healthy blood pressure, that Dr Mercola’s product is the best choice for a BP supplement.
It simple puts all its eggs into one basket which to my mind is a like ‘going all in’ at poker. The pay-off can be huge, or nothing at all!!
PEAK BP PLATINUM - To be honest this supplement’s score on the chart doesn’t do it credit! The sample size for review was very small (9) and two low scores leaves a misleading result. This product has 4 ingredients which individually target different aspects of high blood pressure, and synergistically work very well together:
It contains the Grapeseed Extract, like the Dr Mercola’s BP Support - although admittedly at only half the strength! But it also contains Vitamin K to promote healthy blood flow, Green Tea Extract to reduce oxidative stress and soothe inflammation. Finally it includes the anti-oxidant Pterostilbene which counteracts Angiotensin II - an enzyme that tightens the walls of blood vessels and triggers a hormone which increases the amounts of sodium and water retained by the body, all of which can contribute to high BP levels.
One of my previous reviews took a more in-depth look at this particular product.
==> CLICK HERE FOR A MORE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF PEAK BP PLATINUM <==
Sorting it out!!
In conclusion this is how I would rank the three products in today’s article:
1st HYPAVERA- This supplement contains more herbal ingredients and is taken more often throughout the day (three times) which will help to maintain the levels of active ingredients in the blood. It also received the highest consumer satisfaction rating.
2nd PEAK BP PLATINUM- Combines 4 very effective ingredients (including the single ingredient in Dr Mercola’s BP Support) which work synergistically together. I feel that the review score on Amazon does not do it justice because the sample size is so small! - (total of 4 with one poor rating dragging the other three satisfied ratings down by 1 star).
3rd DR MERCOLA BP SUPPORT - Whilst studies show effectiveness of GSE, it is still only relying on one ingredient to reduce BP, and no matter how good the quality, it is a 50/50 gamble whether or not it will deliver. As a result compared to the others the risk/reward ratio is not so attractive.
Note: some people may have allergic reactions to one or more of the herbs featured in this post. For that reason, and if you are already on BP meds, it is always important to discuss this with a medical professional first.
I hope this comparison review article was helpful. Given the plethora of supplements available on the market today I would be interested to hear from anyone who has experienced success with any of the above mentioned BP supplements, or with any other BP supplements they have tried. Please leave me a comment below. With thanks!