Top INDEX
• Introduction: Your Lifestyle, or, Your Style of Death.
• Symptoms: Cautions and Benefits.
• Comment: the Benefit of Experience.

Anti-Inflammatories.
• -Maintain-: Glucosamine Sulfate.
• -Maintain-: MSM,
• -Maintain-: Salt.

Blood Pressure.
• Reduction: High Blood Pressure.
• -Maintain-: Low Blood Pressure.

Chelators.
• -Maintain-: Alpha Lipoic Acid.
• Reduction: DMPS.
• Reduction: DMSA.
• Reduction: EDTA.
• -Maintain-: Exercise.

Drugs.
• (Expansion): Blood Pressure meds.
• (Expansion): Histamine modifiers.
• (Expansion): Narcotics.
• (Expansion): Pain Suppressors.
• (Expansion): Nicotine.

Herbs.
• (Expansion): Hawthorn.
• -Reduction : Foods that Constrict Blood Vessels.
• - Maintain -: Milk Thistle.
• (Reduction): Licorice Root.
• (Expansion): Ginkgo Leaf.
• (Expansion): Garlic (Odorless).
• (Expansion): Knotweed.
• (Expansion): Ginseng.
• (Expansion): St. John's Wort.

Heavy Metals.
• (Reduction): Major Influencers.
• (Reduction): Minor Influencers.

Supplements.
• -Maintain-: Mineral, Zinc.
• (Expansion): NOX.
• - Maintain- : Taurine.
• (Reduction): Vitamin C.

Hormones.
• Dopamine: Both restrict & expand.
• Serotonin: Both restrict & expand.

Introduction: Your Lifestyle, or, Your Style of Death. INDEX

Hypertension.
https://www.healthtap.com/user_questions/867051-why-are-antihypertensive-drugs-that
-act-solely-by-dilating-blood-vessels-not-good-for-long-term-effe
Dr. Calvin Weisberger, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University
Answered Jul. 16, 2013

Not all direct vasodilators lose effectiveness with time.
The body can accommodate to the peripheral dilation by fluid retention or increased cardiac output.
Needing more than one antihypertensive medication is not unusual.

Anger.
https://easyhealthoptions.com/alter-your-lifestyle-to-naturally-shrink-blood-pressure/
by Dr. Michael Cutler

... circumstances that lead to essential hypertension (high blood pressure),
including problems with the thyroid, insulin, aldosterone and cortisol.

Physical and emotional stresses quite dramatically contribute to hypertension. ...

... the smooth muscle tone or tightness of arterial blood vessels increases when you get angry, scared or stressed.
Conversely, the nerves to your arterial wall muscles relax when you lower your stress.

... stress-reducing techniques

1. Daily moderate exercise that you enjoy such as walking.
2. Deep, slow breathing for 10 minutes while visualizing something you enjoy, with no stressful distractions.
   ---- Do this whenever stress builds up and you are feeling anxiety or any other negative emotion.
3. Take more time for yourself: Sleep in, get a massage or spoil yourself regularly.
4. Spend an evening out with a loved one or favorite friend; open up and share your thoughts and feelings.
5. Sexual intimacy with your committed companion.
6. Meditation.
7. Journaling to soft music about a topic in your life of most concern.
8. Listen to your favorite music often to lift your mood and inspire your personal power.
9. Find inspiring audio instructions from authors such as ...
   ---- Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle, Esther Hicks (Teachings of Abraham) and Michael Beckwith. ...
10. Yoga, tai chi or other meditative exercises.
11. Seek out therapists who do energy healing such as
    ---- reiki, body talk, quantum touch, emotional clearing, cranial sacral therapy or massage therapy.
12. Drink calming herbal teas such as chamomile, peppermint, lemon balm, kava kava, passionflower and valerian.
13. Use essential oils such as a proven effective blend of lavender, Roman chamomile and neroli (in a 6:2:0.5 ratio)
    ---- or others such as sweet marjoram, ylang ylang, bergamot or frankincense.
    ---- (Do not make direct contact with undiluted essential oils.)

Symptoms: Cautions & Benefits. INDEX
https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/heart-health/blood-vessel-symptoms
Medical Reviewers: William C. Lloyd III --- Last Review Date: 2018 Dec 7

LINK 2: https://byebyedoctor.com/vasoconstriction/

Blood vessel shrinkage is most often associated with HIGH blood pressure, lifestyle challenges and choices, and circulatory illnesses. When a person with LOW blood pressure is subject to shrunken blood vessels, both diagnosis and symptoms become more difficult and can appear to be contradictory.

For persons who have experienced a large number of IV (intravenous) chelation treatments (i.e. 30), the substances used in the treatments will both remove vessel plaque and shrink the blood vessels. This may be most noticed in that there is increased difficulty in a medical or laboratory associate finding a vessels from which to take a blood sample.

Symptoms possible:
• Numbness in extremities .. feet, hands;
• Chest tightness and/or pains;
• Difficulty in taking blood;
• Rapid heartbeat;
• Lightheadedness;
• Headache;
• Stroke;
• Heart attack;
• Cramps;
• Vision problems;
• Slurred speech;
• Clumsiness;
• Loss of muscle control;
• Shortness of breath;
• Tiredness and lack of energy;
• Pale or cold skin.

Medical pathologies that contribute:
• Smoking;
• Diabetes;
• Atherosclerosis;
• Aneurysm;
• Obesity;
• Blood clots;
• HIGH blood pressure;
• DVT (deep vein thrombosis);
• PE (pulmonary embolism);
• Cocaine use;
• Monosodium glutamate;
• Caffeine in coffee or energy drinks;
• Sodium in excess;
• Severe hypertension and/or Stress.

An aneurysm is an abnormal widening or ballooning of an artery due to weakness in the wall of the blood vessel. Aneurysms are dangerous because they may burst, spilling blood into the area surrounding the blood vessel. The disease can occur in the aorta, the artery that leads from the heart to the abdomen, in a blood vessel in the brain, or in a peripheral blood vessel.

Remedies:

Lifestyle changes and medications for Blood Clots, Cholesterol, and High Blood Pressure are the usual remedies taken.
Drugs such as fludrocortisone, a steroid that makes your kidneys retain water and salt, increasing your blood volume, can be taken to mediate LOW blood pressure.

Treatment for this would include using vasodilators such as alpha adrenoceptor antagonists, or calcium-channel blockers to widen the blood vessels to help with the flow of blood.

One hour of cardiovascular exercise each day promotes circulation and vasodilation.

Comment: the Benefit of Experience. INDEX

For persons who have experienced a large number of IV (intravenous) chelation treatments (i.e. 30), the substances used in the treatments will both remove vessel plaque and shrink the blood vessels. This may be most noticed in that there is increased difficulty in a medical or laboratory associate finding a vessels from which to take a blood sample. This was my own experience and was only discovered/confirmed when a chelation clinic assistant spoke of it as an "obvious" outcome.

I have NOT encountered this in any medical date either in journals, medical texts, or on the Internet.

-Maintain-: Glucosamine Sulfate. INDEX

Glucosamine possesses natural anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.
It can help improve digestion and gut health, mobility, range of motion and general joint health, even in healthy people who have no chronic joint or bowel disorders.

• Diabetic patients should only use glucosamine sulfate supplements under close medical supervision, as some studies suggest that glucosamine sulfate may increase insulin resistance.

• Patients who are allergic to shellfish should consult their physician before taking glucosamine sulfate supplements. However, an allergy to shellfish does not usually pose a limitation for taking glucosamine sulfate, as glucosamine sulfate is extracted from chitin, a carbohydrate, whereas shellfish allergies are most often caused by a protein.

• Patients taking blood-thinning medications (which are actually blood viscosity thinning) or daily aspirin should not take chondroitin sulfate, as it may contribute to bleeding.

- Maintain-: MSM, INDEX
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-522/msm-methylsulfonylmethane

Of the ailments which people find relief from with the taking of MSM ...

• ulcers,
• poor circulation,
• high blood pressure,
• high cholesterol
• type 2 diabetes,
• liver problems,
• Alzheimer's disease,
• migraine,
• headaches,

ALL of the above benefit from either/and a stabilization of or a reduction of blood vessel size.

Too much MSM will give some people minor upset stomachs or more frequent stools.
Take MSM with food to decrease the chance of gastrointestinal discomfort.

Like vitamin C, bodies that are more in need of MSM will generally tolerate more of it, since they are absorbing more MSM into the cells (upset stomachs result when excess MSM is diverted into the gastrointestinal system for expulsion).

Confusion and doubt arise often regarding the uses and benefits of MSM because most people do not understand that it is effective at limiting the destructive influences of SOME bacteria and viruses and not all. Making a list of the specific antigens it limits is futile as most people have no access to means of determining which ones they are being exposed to. Even healthcare workers and researchers have little discernment between different antigen forms and species.

People take MSM by mouth and apply it to the skin for
• chronic pain,
• muscle cramps,
• eye inflammation,

  People also take MSM by mouth for relief of

  chronic constipation,

  diverticulosis,

  obesity,

  poor circulation,

  high blood pressure,

  high cholesterol

  type 2 diabetes,

  liver problems,

  calcium buildup,

  Alzheimer's disease,

  lung disorders including emphysema and pneumonia,

  chronic fatigue syndrome,

  eye inflammation,

  mucous membrane inflammation,

  leg cramps,

  migraine,

  headaches

Varicose veins and other circulatory problems (chronic venous insufficiency):
Applying a lotion that contains MSM to the lower limbs can increase swelling and pain in people with varicose veins and other circulatory problems.

There are also some MSM heart side effects to be concerned with.
If you have an existing heart condition, this could be a concern. Also, if you have conditions such as liver disease or on blood thinning drugs, you also need to be careful and consult with your doctor. Over time, the possibility of getting skin rashes from it is also a concern.

- Maintain-: Salt. INDEX
http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/microsites/salt/Home/Whysaltisbad/Saltseffects
Blood Pressure Association --- 2008

Salt works on your kidneys to make your body hold on to more water.
This extra stored water raises your blood pressure and puts strain on your kidneys, arteries, heart and brain.

S (Salt) Index
• Salt: Kidneys.
• Salt: Arteries.
• Salt: Heart.
• Salt: Brain.

Kidneys S Index

Your body removes unwanted fluid by filtering your blood through your kidneys.
Here any extra fluid is sucked out and put into your bladder to be removed as urine.

To do this, your kidneys use osmosis to draw the extra water out of your blood.
This process uses a delicate balance of sodium and potassium to pull the water across a wall of cells from the bloodstream into a collecting channel that leads to the bladder.

Eating salt raises the amount of sodium in your bloodstream and wrecks the delicate balance, reducing the ability of your kidneys to remove the water. The result is a higher blood pressure due to the extra fluid and extra strain on the delicate blood vessels leading to the kidneys. Over time, this extra strain can damage the kidneys - known as kidney disease. This reduces their ability to filter out unwanted and toxic waste products, which then start to build up in the body.

If kidney disease is left untreated and the blood pressure isn't lowered, the damage can lead to kidney failure.
This is when the kidneys are no longer able to be filter the blood and the body slowly becomes poisoned by its own toxic waste products. If you have high blood pressure and are being treated with a diuretic medication, this makes the kidneys remove more fluid from the bloodstream. Because the sodium in salt counteracts this effect, reducing your salt intake will make your blood pressure medicine more effective.

Arteries S Index

The extra blood pressure caused by eating too much salt puts extra strain on the insides of your arteries.

To cope with the extra strain, the tiny muscles in the artery walls become stronger and thicker.
Yet this only makes the space inside the arteries smaller and raises your blood pressure even higher.

This cycle of increasing blood pressure (which occurs slowly over a number of years) can ultimately lead to the arteries bursting or becoming so narrow that they then clog up entirely.

When this happens, the organs of the body that were receiving the blood from the arteries become starved of the oxygen and nutrients they need. This can result in the organs being damaged and can be fatal.

Heart S Index

The raised blood pressure caused by eating too much salt may damage the arteries leading to the heart.
At first, it may cause a slight reduction in the amount of blood reaching the heart.
This may lead to angina (sharp pains in the chest when being active).

With this condition the cells in the heart don't work as well as they should because they are not receiving enough oxygen and nutrients. However, lowering blood pressure may help to alleviate some of the problems and reduce the risk of greater damage.

If you continue to eat too much salt then, over time, the damage caused by the extra blood pressure may become so severe that the arteries burst or become completely clogged. If this happens, then the part of the heart that was receiving the blood no longer gets the oxygen and nutrients it needs and dies. The result is a heart attack.

The best way to prevent a heart attack is to stop the arteries becoming damaged.
And one of the best ways of doing this is keep your blood pressure down by eating less salt.

Brain S Index

The raised blood pressure caused by eating too much salt may damage the arteries leading to the brain.
At first, it may cause a slight reduction in the amount of blood reaching the brain.
This may lead to dementia (known as vascular dementia).

With this condition the cells in the brain don't work as well as they should because they are not receiving enough oxygen and nutrients. However, lowering blood pressure may help to alleviate some of the problems and reduce the risk of greater damage. If you continue to eat too much salt then, over time, the damage caused by the extra blood pressure may become so severe that the arteries burst or become completely clogged. If this happens, then the part of the brain that was receiving the blood no longer gets the oxygen and nutrients it needs and dies. The result is a stroke, where you lose the ability to do the things that part of the brain used to control.

The best way to prevent a stroke is to stop the arteries becoming damaged.
And one of the best ways of doing this is keep your blood pressure down by eating less salt.

Reduction: High Blood Pressure. INDEX
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/
high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045868 By Mayo Clinic Staff --- 2004

LINK 2: https://www.naturallifeenergy.com/
high-blood-pressure-is-linked-to-brain-death-and-shrinkage-and-dementia/
Author: Aqiyl Aniys --- April 16th, 2017 --- Modified - June 23rd, 2017

High blood pressure (hypertension) can quietly damage your body for years before symptoms develop.
Left uncontrolled, you may wind up with a disability, a poor quality of life or even a fatal heart attack. Roughly half the people with untreated hypertension die of heart disease related to poor blood flow (ischemic heart disease) and another third die of stroke.

Damage to your arteries
Healthy arteries are flexible, strong and elastic.
Their inner lining is smooth so that blood flows freely, supplying vital organs and tissues with nutrients and oxygen.

Chronic Hypertension tenses tissues throughout our body; tension = constriction.
Hypertension gradually increases the pressure of blood flowing through your arteries.
High blood pressure can damage the cells of your arteries' inner lining.
When fats from your diet enter your bloodstream, they can collect in the damaged arteries.
Eventually, your artery walls become less elastic, limiting blood flow throughout your body.

Damage to your heart
Your heart pumps blood to your entire body.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage your heart in a number of ways, such as:

Coronary artery disease.
... arteries that supply blood to your heart muscle.
Arteries narrowed (effect same as shrinkage) by coronary artery disease don't allow blood to flow freely through your arteries. When blood can't flow freely to your heart, you can experience chest pain, a heart attack or irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias).

Enlarged left heart.
High blood pressure (and/or shrinkage) forces your heart to work harder than necessary in order to pump blood to the rest of your body. This causes the left ventricle to thicken (same effect as shrinkage) or stiffen (left ventricular hypertrophy). These changes limit the ventricle's ability to pump blood to your body. This condition increases your risk of heart attack, heart failure and sudden cardiac death.

Heart failure.
Over time, the strain on your heart caused by high blood pressure (and/or shrinkage) can cause your heart muscle to weaken and work less efficiently. Eventually, your overwhelmed heart simply begins to wear out and fail. Damage from heart attacks adds to this problem.

Damage to your brain
Just like your heart, your brain depends on a nourishing blood supply to work properly and survive.
But high blood pressure can cause several problems, including:

Transient ischemic attack (TIA).
Sometimes called a ministroke, a transient ischemic (is-KEE-mik) attack is a brief, temporary disruption of blood supply to your brain. It's often caused by atherosclerosis or a blood clot (both made more possible by vessel shrinkage effect) — both of which can arise from high blood pressure. A transient ischemic attack is often a warning that you're at risk of a full-blown stroke.

Stroke.
A stroke occurs when part of your brain is deprived of oxygen and nutrients, causing brain cells to die.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke by damaging and weakening your brain's blood vessels, causing them to narrow (shrinkage), rupture or leak. High blood pressure can also cause blood clots (more common with the effect of shrinkage) to form in the arteries leading to your brain, blocking blood flow and potentially causing a stroke.

Dementia.
Dementia is a brain disease resulting in problems with thinking, speaking, reasoning, memory, vision and movement.
There are a number of causes of dementia. One cause, vascular dementia, can result from narrowing (same as shrinkage) and blockage of the arteries that supply blood to the brain. It can also result from strokes caused by an interruption of blood flow to the brain. In either case, high blood pressure may be the culprit.

Mild cognitive impairment.
Mild cognitive impairment is a transition stage between the changes in understanding and memory that come with aging (also from heavy metal poisoning) and the more-serious problems caused by Alzheimer's disease. Like dementia, it can result from blocked (or severely shrunken) blood flow to the brain when high blood pressure damages arteries.

Damage to your kidneys
Your kidneys filter excess fluid and waste from your blood — a process that depends on healthy blood vessels.
High blood pressure can injure both the blood vessels in and leading to your kidneys, causing several types of kidney disease (nephropathy). Having diabetes in addition to high blood pressure can worsen the damage.

Kidney failure.
High blood pressure is one of the most common causes of kidney failure.
That's because it can damage both the large arteries leading to your kidneys and the tiny blood vessels (glomeruli) within the kidneys. Damage to either makes it so your kidneys can't effectively filter waste from your blood. As a result, dangerous levels of fluid and waste can accumulate. You might ultimately require dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Kidney scarring (glomerulosclerosis).
Glomerulosclerosis (gloe-mer-u-loe-skluh-ROE-sis) is a type of kidney damage caused by scarring of the glomeruli (gloe-MER-u-li).
The glomeruli are tiny clusters of blood vessels within your kidneys that filter fluid and waste from your blood.
Glomerulosclerosis (shrunken mini-vessels) can leave your kidneys unable to filter waste effectively, leading to kidney failure.

Kidney artery aneurysm.
An aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of a blood vessel.
When it occurs in an artery leading to the kidney, it's known as a kidney (renal) artery aneurysm.
One potential cause is atherosclerosis, which weakens and damages the artery wall. Over time, high blood pressure in a weakened artery can cause a section to enlarge and form a bulge — the aneurysm. Aneurysms can rupture and cause life-threatening internal bleeding.

Damage to your eyes
Tiny, delicate blood vessels supply blood to your eyes.
Like other vessels, they, too, can be damaged by high blood pressure:

Eye blood vessel damage (retinopathy).
High blood pressure can damage the vessels supplying blood to your retina, causing retinopathy.
This condition can lead to bleeding in the eye, blurred vision and complete loss of vision.
If you also have both diabetes and high blood pressure, you're at an even greater risk.

Fluid buildup under the retina (choroidopathy).
In this condition, fluid builds up under your retina because of a leaky blood vessel in a layer of blood vessels located under the retina. Choroidopathy (kor-oid-OP-uh-thee) can result in distorted vision or in some cases scarring that impairs vision.

Nerve damage (optic neuropathy).
This is a condition in which blocked blood flow damages the optic nerve.
It can kill nerve cells in your eyes, which may cause bleeding within your eye or vision loss.

Sexual dysfunction

(Men may have sexual dysfunction.)
Although the inability to have and maintain an erection (erectile dysfunction) becomes increasingly common in men as they reach age 50, it's even more likely to occur if they have high blood pressure, too. Over time, high blood pressure damages the lining of your blood vessels and causes your arteries to harden and narrow [a shrinking effect] (atherosclerosis), limiting blood flow. This means less blood is able to flow to your penis. For some men, the decreased blood flow makes it difficult to achieve and maintain erections — often referred to as erectile dysfunction. The problem is fairly common, especially among men who are not treating their high blood pressure.

Women may have sexual dysfunction as a side effect of high blood pressure, as well.
High blood pressure can reduce blood flow to your vagina.
For some women, this leads to a decrease in sexual desire or arousal, vaginal dryness, or difficulty achieving orgasm. Improving arousal and lubrication can help. Like men, women can experience anxiety and relationship issues due to sexual dysfunction.

Other possible dangers of high blood pressure:

Bone loss.
High blood pressure can increase the amount of calcium that's in your urine.
That excessive elimination of calcium may lead to loss of bone density (osteoporosis), which in turn can lead to broken bones. The risk is especially increased in older women.

Trouble sleeping.
Obstructive sleep apnea — a condition in which your throat muscles relax causing you to snore loudly — occurs in more than half of those with high blood pressure. It's now thought that high blood pressure itself may help trigger sleep apnea. Also, sleep deprivation resulting from sleep apnea can raise your blood pressure.

- Maintain-: Low Blood Pressure. INDEX
https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/home/heart-and-blood-vessel-disorders/
low-blood-pressure-and-shock/low-blood-pressure
By Levi D. Procter, MD, Assistant Professor,
Virginia Commonwealth University

... when veins dilate, their capacity to hold blood is increased, allowing less blood to return to the heart.
As a result, blood pressure decreases. (The practical effect is the same as if the blood vessel has expanded.)

Changing cardiac output
The more blood pumped from the heart per minute (that is, the larger the cardiac output), the higher the blood pressure
-- as long as the width of the arteries remains constant.
The amount of blood pumped during each heartbeat can be affected by

How fast the heart is beating
How strongly the heart contracts
How much blood comes into the heart from the veins
The pressure in the arteries that the heart has to pump against
How well the heart valves let blood out and prevent the backflow of blood

Changing the volume of blood
The higher the volume of blood in the arteries, the higher the blood pressure
-- as long as the width of the arteries remains constant.
The volume of blood in the arteries is affected by

How much fluid is in the body (hydration)
Whether very small arteries leak fluid
----(for example, if protein levels in the blood are very low and/or there is damage to the interior wall of the small arteries, fluid will leak from them into the tissues)

How much fluid the kidneys remove from the blood to excrete in the urine
Certain drugs, particularly diuretics

In summary, LOW blood pressure will often mirror the state of blood vessels as when or if they have been Expanded. Factors which encourage this can be helpful in addressing HIGH blood pressure and/or blood vessels which have shrunk in size.

-Maintain-: Alpha Lipoic Acid. INDEX
https://www.alphalipoicacid.com/

LINK 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipoic_acid

LINK 3: http://www.livingnetwork.co.za/
chelationnetwork/chelation-the-andy-cutler-protocol/

ALA is easily absorbed and transported across cell membranes; thus, free radical protection occurs both inside and outside of cells. It is water- and fat-soluble, which makes it more effective against a broader range of free radicals than vitamin C (water-soluble) and vitamin E (fat-soluble) alone. ALA administration also increases intracellular levels of glutathione, an important antioxidant. ...

ALA has been shown to be beneficial in types 1 and 2 diabetes, preventing various pathologies associated with the disease, such as Reperfusion injury, macular degeneration, cataracts, and neuropathy.

ALA improves the diabetic condition by facilitating more efficient conversion of sugar into energy, therefore improving blood sugar metabolism. ...

... ALA and vitamin E have shown synergistic effects against lipid peroxidation by oxidant radicals in several pathological conditions, such as thromboembolic stroke model in rats from neurological functions, glial reactivity, and neuronal remodeling.

... Various reports on ALA pharmacology include suppression of T-4 metabolism, exerting a lipid-lowering effect in rats, treatment of Wilson disease, and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Potential Benefits include
• antioxidant,
• essential for aerobic metabolism,
• regeneration of spent antioxidants,
• increases glutathione levels,
• reduces vitamin E and vitamin C deficiencies,
• works both inside the cell, and, on the cell membrane,
• both its oxidized and reduced forms possess antioxidant properties,
• conversion of glucose, fatty acids and other energy sources into chemical energy (ATP),
• it is readily absorbed and transported across cell membranes.

RLA may function in vivo like a B-vitamin and at higher doses like plant-derived nutrients, such as curcumin, sulphoraphane, resveratrol, and other nutritional substances that induce phase II detoxification enzymes, thus acting as cytoprotective agents. This stress response indirectly improves the antioxidant capacity of the cell.

ALA is a disulfide.
It is water and fat soluble which makes it able to pass the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) and is thus able to clear mercury from the brain and inside the organs. You can successfully clear mercury with ALA alone. ALA is essential to detox, while DMSA/DMPS is not. ALA has a half-life of three hours.

ALA can increase side effects in a mercury toxic person and you may need to reduce the dose to 6.25 mg if that is the case.
The maximum dose of ALA per day is 1200 mg over twenty-four hours, that is very high and can cause bad or intolerable side effects in some, so work up SLOWLY. It can take you years to get to this point. Starting low and working up is the safest way to proceed to avoid exacerbating symptoms. The higher dosage seems to make a more dramatic difference ultimately, but it takes a long time to get there safely.

ALA is not as easy to tolerate as DMSA for some, as you are mobilizing mercury from the brain and inside the cells.
So it is difficult to ‘expect’ a symptom-free round with it, and especially the day after the round has finished. Usually side-effects are worse when coming off of an ALA-round when the mercury is redistributing. The most common side-effect is fatigue. If the side effects are too harsh lower the dosage before proceeding with your next round.

The heavy metal mercury is known to contribute to and amplify the symptoms of cardiovascular diseases and pathogen influence.

Reduction: DMPS. INDEX
http://www.detoxamin.ca/healthinfo.html

LINK 2: http://rmalab.com/sites/default/files/tests/instructions/20140107_CI_UrineElement.pdf

LINK 3: http://www.klinghardtacademy.com/Articles-with-Protocols/DMPS-Challenge.html

LINK 2: https://liveto110.com/
20xx--Arsenic%20Toxicity%20-%20Liveto110_files/a.html

The benefits of chelators to the circulatory system is that they mobilize and make possible the excretion of toxic levels of heavy metals and other nutrients. This lessens and may eliminate the symptoms which these toxins have in depressing and unbalancing the activity of the heart, other organs and the blood vessels. While they will assist in cleaning out the blood vessels of deposits such as cholesterol, the result is an increase in the diameter of the vessels and a reduction of deposit drag on the flow of blood ... effectively providing a result similar to an expansion of the vessels. This result can be complicated by the shrinkage of blood vessels in response to the chelation chemicals. With many organs recovering a stronger level of activity, the system takes on a more toned and less stressed physical reality.

Circulatory pathological symptoms which chelators can assist in reducing include these:
• inhibition of enzyme systems,
• energy loss,
• anemia,
• reduced intestinal activity,
• kidney dysfunction,
• lowered immune function,
• osteoporosis,
• liver dysfunction,
• a rise in blood pressure,
• decreased production of red and white blood cells,
• cardiovascular disease,
• peripheral neuropathy,
• hypertension,
• hypothyroid,
• heart disruptions,
• thyroid dysfunction,
• nosebleed,
• Dementia,
• Alzheimer's,
• Parkinson's disease,
• numbness,
• mental fogging.

Fundamentally, each of the expressed symptoms acts as a restriction on the circulatory system, and, acts as if the blood vessels were shrunken. This parallels what the circumstance would be if the blood vessels were shrunken.

DMPS has ... (an) agent to "clean" the kidneys of heavy metal residues and improve kidney function in patients who have been exposed to heavy metals.

The most consistent observation that we have made is that each patient treated several times with DMPS seems to become biologically younger (hair grows back, skin looks more supple and rosy, lab parameters shift back to normal). Chronic pain and neurological disease appear to be the most gratifying indications.

Reduction: DMSA. INDEX

LINK 2: http://rmalab.com/sites/default/files/tests/instructions/20140107_CI_UrineElement.pdf

LINK 3: http://www.klinghardtacademy.com/Articles-with-Protocols/DMPS-Challenge.html

LINK 2: https://liveto110.com/
20xx--Arsenic%20Toxicity%20-%20Liveto110_files/a.html

The benefits of chelators to the circulatory system is that they mobilize and make possible the excretion of toxic levels of heavy metals and other nutrients. This lessens and may eliminate the symptoms which these toxins have in depressing and unbalancing the activity of the heart, other organs and the blood vessels. While they will assist in cleaning out the blood vessels of deposits such as cholesterol, the result is an increase in the diameter of the vessels and a reduction of deposit drag on the flow of blood ... effectively providing a result similar to an expansion of the vessels. This result can be complicated by the shrinkage of blood vessels in response to the chelation chemicals. With many organs recovering a stronger level of activity, the system takes on a more toned and less stressed physical reality.

Circulatory pathological symptoms which chelators can assist in reducing include these:
• inhibition of enzyme systems,
• energy loss,
• anemia,
• reduced intestinal activity,
• kidney dysfunction,
• lowered immune function,
• osteoporosis,
• liver dysfunction,
• a rise in blood pressure,
• decreased production of red and white blood cells,
• cardiovascular disease,
• peripheral neuropathy,
• hypertension,
• hypothyroid,
• heart disruptions,
• thyroid dysfunction,
• nosebleed,
• Dementia,
• Alzheimer's,
• Parkinson's disease,
• numbness,
• mental fogging.

Fundamentally, each of the expressed symptoms acts as a restriction on the circulatory system, and, acts as if the blood vessels were shrunken. This parallels what the circumstance would be if the blood vessels were shrunken.

Reduction: EDTA. INDEX

LINK 2: http://rmalab.com/sites/default/files/tests/instructions/20140107_CI_UrineElement.pdf

LINK 3: http://www.klinghardtacademy.com/Articles-with-Protocols/DMPS-Challenge.html

LINK 2: https://liveto110.com/
20xx--Arsenic%20Toxicity%20-%20Liveto110_files/a.html

The benefits of chelators to the circulatory system is that they mobilize and make possible the excretion of toxic levels of heavy metals and other nutrients. This lessens and may eliminate the symptoms which these toxins have in depressing and unbalancing the activity of the heart, other organs and the blood vessels. While they will assist in cleaning out the blood vessels of deposits such as cholesterol, the result is an increase in the diameter of the vessels and a reduction of deposit drag on the flow of blood ... effectively providing a result similar to an expansion of the vessels. This result can be complicated by the shrinkage of blood vessels in response to the chelation chemicals. With many organs recovering a stronger level of activity, the system takes on a more toned and less stressed physical reality.

Circulatory pathological symptoms which chelators can assist in reducing include these:
• inhibition of enzyme systems,
• energy loss,
• anemia,
• reduced intestinal activity,
• kidney dysfunction,
• lowered immune function,
• osteoporosis,
• liver dysfunction,
• a rise in blood pressure,
• decreased production of red and white blood cells,
• cardiovascular disease,
• peripheral neuropathy,
• hypertension,
• hypothyroid,
• heart disruptions,
• thyroid dysfunction,
• nosebleed,
• Dementia,
• Alzheimer's,
• Parkinson's disease,
• numbness,
• mental fogging.

Fundamentally, each of the expressed symptoms acts as a restriction on the circulatory system, and, acts as if the blood vessels were shrunken. This parallels what the circumstance would be if the blood vessels were shrunken.

- Maintain-: Exercise. INDEX
https://www.livestrong.com/article/
429813-what-happens-to-your-vessels-when-you-exercise/
What Happens to Your Blood Vessels When You Exercise?
Lauren Liberati --- 2017-08

When you exercise, many physiological changes take place to make sure your muscles have enough oxygen to do their job. You blood vessels are able to widen and narrow to redirect the flow of oxygenated blood to your exercising muscles. Regular exercise enhances vascular health, but unhealthy vessels can become narrowed or blocked by plaque, impeding blood flow to your heart, and putting you at risk for chest pain or even cardiac arrest.

Muscle and Flow
During exercise, your muscles need oxygen to break down fats and carbohydrates for energy.
To make room for fresh oxygen, the muscles release byproducts such as adenosine and carbon dioxide, which prompt the blood vessels in that area to dilate or expand, a process called vasodilation. This vasodilation allows more oxygenated blood to be delivered to the muscles. In a healthy body, vasodilation takes place in the coronary blood vessels that surround your heart, and in your skin and the blood vessels of your muscles.

Tightening Up
When you exercise, one way the increased demand for oxygen in your exercising muscles is met is by redirecting blood from the inactive tissues of your body, such as your abdomen and kidneys. Your sympathetic nervous system, part of the brainstem and spinal cord, stimulates the blood vessels in non-active tissue to constrict, or narrow, reducing blood flow to those tissues. The blood flow is then redistributed to your active muscles.

Balancing Act
You may wonder how the sympathetic nervous system can only command the blood vessels of nonessential tissues to constrict while leaving your working muscles untouched. The sympathetic response causes a widespread vasoconstriction throughout your whole body. However, the chemical byproducts produced by your working muscles override this response where necessary. A 2004 report published in the “Journal of Physiology” demonstrates that the circulating byproducts play a role in oxygen delivery regulation by inducing vasodilation and blunting the sympathetic vasoconstrictor activity. Regular endurance training enhances your efficiency in regulating blood flow. System Meltdown

In people with conditions such as heart or vascular disease, the blood vessels may not respond appropriately during exercise. For instance, if you have a blockage in one or more of your heart vessels, vasodilation could be impaired, robbing your heart muscle of oxygenated blood and possibly causing symptoms such as chest pain. Similarly, peripheral vascular disease can cause lesions in the blood vessels of your limbs, preventing adequate perfusion, or blood flow. To remedy these conditions, physicians may prescribe medications called vasodilators that will artificially widen your vessels. More invasive surgical procedures also may be an option.

Expansion: Blood Pressure meds. INDEX
https://www.healthtap.com/user_questions/
1114727-which-vasodilators-acting-directly-on-blood-vessels
by Dr. David Fox, Boston University School of Medicine Answered Feb. 23, 2015, and
Dr. Christiaan Maurer, Internal Medicine, Answered Aug. 25, 2012, and
Dr. Akbar Zikria, Western University of Health Sciences
... College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific --- Answered Aug. 3, 2015

Nitroglycerin and Papaverine are two commonly used topical vasodilators.

Cialis, viagra, levitra, (vardenafil) beta blockers (metoprolol), calcium channel blockers (verapamil, amlodipine), bystolic.

Propranolol is a non-selective beta blocker in that it blocks beta 1 and beta 2 receptors. By blocking beta 1 it helps to slow down the heart allowing more blood to fill the chambers.
By blocking beta 2 it constricts the coronary arteries allowing for more oxygenated blood to supply the heart muscles.
CCBs work strictly on slowing down the heart and may be used in conjunction with beta blockers

(Expansion): Histamine modifiers. INDEX
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_effect_does_histamine_have_on_blood_vessels
Author: Deborah Weaver, Case Manager and Clinical Specialist Nurse at Nursing
Date: Answered Nov 27 2016

Histamine is a biogenic amine involved in local immune responses as well as regulating physiological function in the gut and acting as a neurotransmitter.

Histamine causes the dilation of the small blood vessels while constrict the large blood vessels.

Basophils are circulating white blood cells that release histamine, but mast cells also do so.

Histamine does dilate the blood vessels causing a bright red skin surface if noted there.
It usually is in response to the body’s defense system, and can be seen in allergic reactions, bee stings, food allergies and other situations where the blood elements are quickly needed for a response to a physical or chemical stimulus. Histamine is produced in all parts of the body, and the respiratory system is sensitive to it. When you get a cold, your body fights it off, but you have congestion -- that is why many over the counter cold preparations contain an ANTIhistamine -- to decrease the histamine inflammation response and decrease nasal congestion.

(Expansion): Narcotics. INDEX
https://drugabuse.com/your-brain-on-drugs-studying-cocaines-effect-on-blood-flow/
Your Brain on Drugs: Studying Cocaine’s Effect on Blood Flow.

LINK 2: https://www.heart.org/
HEARTORG/Conditions/Cocaine_UCM_428537_Article.j
Updated: May 3, 2018 --- This content was last reviewed September 2015.

timulant drugs like cocaine can cause serious blood flow problems within the brain.
When there is an insufficient flow of rich, oxygenated blood to the brain, it can result in aneurysm-like bleeding and strokes.

Cocaine causes the brain (blood vessels) to receive a decreased flow of blood, no matter the frequency of use. Whether the mice received 30 days of chronic cocaine use or two repeated injections of the drug, Pan and his team noted a dramatic drop in blood flow speed. For the very first time, researchers were also able to identify cocaine-induced microischemia brought on by decreased blood flow, which is a classic precursor warning for strokes.

Looking at the brain of a heavy cocaine user, it’s easy to see that blood flow is sluggish and abnormal compared to the brain of a non-user. These abnormalities are thought to bring on memory loss, learning problems, attention deficit disorders, and strokes.

Many drugs, such as cocaine, heroin and various forms of amphetamine, affect the central nervous system and can alter a user's consciousness. In addition to addiction, the side effects and risks associated with use of these drugs include:

• changes in body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure
• headaches, abdominal pain, and nausea
• impaired judgment and greater risk of some sexually transmitted infections
• the possibility of added substances
  ------ (such as talc, poisons, herbicides or other particles) which may cause a toxic reaction.
• heart attacks, seizures, and respiratory arrest

Even so-called recreational cocaine users may have higher blood pressure, stiffer arteries and thicker heart muscle walls than non-users — all of which can cause a heart attack. An Australian study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in 2012 was the first to document these cardiovascular abnormalities in seemingly healthy regular cocaine users long after the immediate effects of cocaine have worn off.

(Expansion): Pain Suppressors. INDEX
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/vascular-diseases#1
Reviewed by Jennifer Robinson, MD on October 23, 2017
© 2017 WebMD, LLC.

Peripheral Artery Disease
Like the blood vessels of the heart (coronary arteries) and brain (cerebral arteries), the peripheral arteries (blood vessels outside your heart and brain) also may develop atherosclerosis, the build-up of fat and cholesterol deposits, called plaque, on the inside walls. Over time, the build-up narrows the artery. Eventually the narrowed artery causes less blood to flow and a condition called "ischemia" can occur. Ischemia is inadequate blood flow to the body's tissue. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) can cause various symptoms including the following:

• Blockage in the legs can lead to leg pain or cramps with activity (a condition called claudication), changes in skin color, sores or ulcers, and feeling tired in the legs. Total loss of circulation can lead to gangrene and loss of a limb.

• Blockage in the renal arteries (arteries supplying the kidneys) can cause renal artery disease (stenosis).
  The symptoms include uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart failure, and abnormal kidney function.

(Expansion): Nicotine. : INDEX
https://whyquit.com/whyquit/LinksJBlood.html
How Smoking Destroys Blood Circulation
Author: Joel Spitzer, 2004 ---
Last updated July 22, 2018 by John R. Polito

... smoking related circulatory disease kills far more smokers than lung cancer and the damage started with that very first puff.

Blood is a vehicle for delivering oxygen and nutrients to our body's tissues and organs.
Without it they die. Our blood vessels (our circulatory system) are blood piping highways.
The inside of each healthy blood vessel is coated with a thin Teflon like layer of cells that ensure smooth blood flow.
Carbon monoxide from smoking or second-hand smoke damages this important layer of cells, allowing fats and plaque to stick to vessel walls. Nicotine then performs a double whammy of sorts.

First, each time new nicotine arrives in our brain it causes the body to activate its fight or flight stress defenses.
This in turn causes the immediate release of stored fats into the bloodstream, fats intended to be used to provide the instant energy needed to either fight or flee the saber tooth tiger. But there is no tiger

The extra food we consumed during our big meals each day was converted to fat and stored.
It was then pumped back into our bloodstream with each new puff of nicotine. It's how we were able to skip meals and what causes many of us to experience wild blood sugar swings when trying to quit. In fact, many of the symptoms of withdrawal - like an inability to concentrate - are due to nicotine no longer feeding us while we continue to skip meals.

The release of fats into the bloodstream is a mirror of the influence of an EXPANSION of blood vessel size would be.
That is, it provides us with more energy and a sense of alertness similar to how we might feel if we gained a heightened, more pure supply of oxygen. This is one of the contradictions of nicotine. It will actually, by its Expansion of blood vessels, assist us in LOSING body heat ... and feeling colder. This is part of the addiction pattern of smoking. We see the flame on the end of our cigarette and visually expect that the heated smog we are breathing will act as a mini inner furnace while the reality is that it will make us feel COLDER. At least unconsciously, this will frustrate us and raise our level of anxiety. And we will smoke more nicotine in a desperate attempt to feel warmer against cold and winter weather.

The heavy blasts of stored fats released by nicotine stick to vessel walls damaged by toxic carbon monoxide. ...
... nicotine itself, inside our vessels, somehow causes the growth of new blood vessels (vascularization) that then provides a rich supply of oxygen and nutrients to the fats and plaques that have stuck to damaged vessel walls. This internal nicotine vascularization (vessels within vessels) hardens a smoker's arteries and veins and further accelerates their narrowing and clogging.

The damage being done isn't just to the vessels supplying blood to our heart and brain.
It's occurring, to one degree or another, inside every vessel in a smoker's body.
It affects everything from blood vessels associated with hearing, to the skin's blood supply that shows itself in wrinkles, early aging, hair loss and tooth loss.

What this results in is another instance of contradiction.
Nicotine influences our blood vessels to TEMPORARILY Expand.
At the same time, it leaves a LONGTERM constant of our blood vessels acting as if they have been shrunken as the interior is continually being reduced in flow capacity by the accumulation of sludge on the walls from the cell destruction. The increasing deposit of cholesterol ... commonly used by the body to cover and bandage internal cellular and tissue damage ... which has been caused by the nicotine and other noxious chemicals in the tobacco smoke.

(Expansion): Hawthorn. INDEX
https://herbalhealthreview.com/low-blood-pressurehypotension/
Author: Dr. Truman Berst
March 31, 2014

Hawthorn is used as a heart tonic and strengthens heart walls, supporting overall cardiovascular health, according to “The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook.” Hawthorn may lower blood pressure in certain individuals when it is taken according to directions. ...

Foods: That Constrict Blood Vessels. INDEX
https://www.livestrong.com/article/75551-foods-constrict-blood-vessels/
by Susan Kaye ---

Constriction of the blood vessels is the body’s way to raise the blood pressure.
By narrowing the passage in the blood vessels, blood flows more slowly to the organs and the extremities.
Certain foods may contribute to this process. In the case of people with hypertension, these foods may be limited to help control blood pressure. People suffering from migraine headaches may choose to include these foods to help control capillary action and relieve their headaches.

Caffeine
Caffeine is a well-known vasoconstrictor and helps to reduce the incidence and intensity of migraine headaches.
It is known that in a migraine, blood vessels dilate or enlarge, becoming engorged with blood that remains in the vessels and stretches them, causing pain. Caffeine is able to reduce the size of the blood vessels, forcing the blood out of them and reducing the pain. Foods containing caffeine are coffee, tea, sodas and energy drinks.

Sodium
George L. Bakris, M.D. discusses sodium’s role in helping to control blood pressure in the body and its effects on the kidneys in the Merck Manual. Too much sodium contributes to raising the blood pressure and constricting the blood vessels, especially in the kidneys, which control the blood pressure and electrolyte balance in the body. Sodium should be reduced to no more than 2½ grams per day, Bakris advises.

Licorice
Licorice root is a wonderful herb used for making tea, candy, alcoholic drinks and other flavorful spices and is helpful when used for digestive upsets and numerous other conditions requiring soothing of the body’s mucous membranes. The active compound of licorice, glycyrrhizic acid, causes sodium retention and potassium loss in the kidney. This, in turn, raises blood pressure. Too much licorice can lead to the development of hypertension. The Scientific Committee on Food places the upper limit of glycyrrhizic acid intake at 100 milligrams a day. That's equal to about 60-70 grams of licorice.

- Maintain: Milk Thistle. INDEX
https://draxe.com/milk-thistle-benefits/
Article by: Jillian Babcock, August 1, 2018
Website by Dr. Josh Axe ---
https://draxe.com/about-dr-josh-axe/

LINK 2: http://www.nationalnutrition.ca/detail.aspx?ID=2109

LINK 3: https://www.liversupport.com/milkthistle.htm

As an antioxidant, milk thistle benefits are similar to other healing nutrients, like vitamin E or vitamin C, which help fight free radical damage and slow the aging process that can lead to disease development. It specifically contains high levels of lipophilic extracts from the seeds of the plant, which act as bioflavanoid antioxidants that increase immunity and slow down oxidative stress.

About 50 percent to 70 percent of the silymarin molecules present within milk thistle are the type called silybin, also known as silibinin. This antioxidant stimulates protein synthesis and changes the outside layer of healthy cells, keeping them protected from damage and mutation. It inhibits toxins from dwelling in the body; helps with cell renewal; and counteracts the harmful effects of pollutants, chemicals and heavy metals that can cause “free radical damage.”

Silymarin acts as a cancer protector because it’s “a toxin blockade agent” and inhibits the binding of toxins to the cell membrane receptors, according to researchers at the University Magna Graecia Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine.

Milk Thistle helps decrease blood sugar levels in insulin-resistant patients.
Research shows that it can help control symptoms of diabetes by helping with glycemic control.

Applications:

Liver Detoxification & Health Enhancer.

Cancer reducer by way of toxin eliminator.

Shown to assist in reducing high levels of cholesterol.

Milk Thistle helps decrease blood sugar levels in insulin-resistant patients.
Research shows that it can help control symptoms of diabetes by helping with glycemic control.

Actions & Capabilities:
• antioxidant
• helps with cell renewal
• a toxin blockade agent
• helps rebuild liver cells
• supports liver regeneration
• supports glutathione formation
• stimulates protein synthesis
• helps decrease blood sugar levels
• helps lower high cholesterol levels
• decreasing, or even reversing, damage to the liver
• releases bile into our small intestine so fat can be absorbed

Milk Thistle - For Liver Health
Milk thistle was used historically as a digestive aid, to promote the flow of digestive juices, and as a tonic for nursing mothers, to increase milk supply. Nowadays it’s popularity stems from its ability to detoxify and protect a very important organ, the liver.

Our liver is responsible for filtering out most everything that should not be in our body and processing it so that it doesn’t cause damage to other cells. It also metabolizes hormones and fats, and makes sure that the transportation system for fats (cholesterol) is working properly. The livers secretions, called bile, carry metabolized waste products out into the intestine where they can be excreted.

The medicinal activity of milk thistle is in a molecule called silymarin.
It causes liver cells, hepatocytes, to resist toxic compounds and regenerate themselves.
It also increases glutathione in the liver. Glutathione is an antioxidant that the liver uses to catch damaging free radicals that are created when the liver changes toxins into harmless chemicals. Silymarin also blocks the toxic effects of drug overdoses and poisonings.

(Reduction): Licorice Root. INDEX
https://herbalhealthreview.com/low-blood-pressurehypotension/
Author: Dr. Truman Berst
March 31, 2014

Glycyrrhiza glabra This herb is one of the favorites in Chinese medicine.
Licorice is a herbal remedy that has been used for digestive system problems such as heartburn, stomach ulcers, and colic. According to MedlinePlus, licorice can act to increase your blood pressure. It is important that you not consume this remedy in large amounts if you already have high blood pressure, since this can contribute to heart problems. MedlinePlus says that 30 grams per day or more can be harmful.

(Expansion): Ginkgo Leaf. INDEX
https://herbalhealthreview.com/low-blood-pressurehypotension/
Author: Dr. Truman Berst
March 31, 2014

Ginkgo Leaf, Gotu Kola, Eleuthrococcus Senticosus, Fo-Ti Root, Distilled Water and 20% Alcohol.
Vegetable Glycerin would replace the alcohol for alcohol free tinctures …. Ginkgo may help dilate blood vessels and thin the blood, improving circulation, reports the University Of Maryland Medical Center. Ginkgo leaves are high in antioxidants called flavonoids and terpenoids, substances that have been shown to prevent heart disease and lower blood pressure, adds UMMC. Because ginkgo can thin the blood, do not use it if you are taking blood-thinning medicines unless under supervision.

(Expansion): Garlic (Odorless). INDEX
https://herbalhealthreview.com/low-blood-pressurehypotension/
Author: Dr. Truman Berst
March 31, 2014

Garlic has numerous medicinal properties.
Nutritionist Dr. Liz Applegate reports that garlic may be helpful in lowering cholesterol, preventing blood clots and relieving hypertension. German scientist professor Güautnter Siegel, M.D., of the University of Medicine in Berlin, discovered that garlic may remove preliminary forms of plaque, called nanoplaque, that deposit on artery walls causing artherosclerosis.

Capsules are recommended over tablets because tablets are heated during their formation, reducing the potency of the garlic. However, you may also want to use fresh garlic and make tea by crushing one clove and simmering it in 1 cup of water for about 15 minutes. Strain and cool when finished and add a small spoonful of honey to sweeten. Drink 2 cups daily for heart health.

Garlic can thin your blood (reduce viscosity), so speak to your health practitioner if you take blood-thinning medicines. While much more research is needed to understand how garlic reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, eating garlic raw, cooking it and adding it to foods or taking garlic supplements may be beneficial for those with hypertension or who are at risk of getting it.

Garlic helps to lower cholesterol levels which is important, because high levels of cholesterol contribute to plaque buildup along the blood vessel walls and this makes the arteries hard and narrow. Too much buildup leads to a condition called atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease that raises blood pressure. Garlic’s cholesterol-lowering action, may help slow the progression of atherosclerosis and slightly lower blood pressure, reports the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Garlic also appears to inhibit the blood from clotting; allowing your blood to flow more easily through the blood vessels.

(Expansion): Knotweed. INDEX
https://herbalhealthreview.com/low-blood-pressurehypotension/
Author: Dr. Truman Berst
March 31, 2014

Besides grape skin, grape seeds and red wine, berries, peanuts and a Japanese plant called knotweed are sources of resveratrol. In fact, most resveratrol-based supplements available in North America are extracted from the Japanese knotweed. No side effects from consumption of resveratrol supplements have been reported in humans as of 2011, although the long-term safety has not been fully evaluated, says Drugs.com. More research is also needed in humans to fully confirm resveratrol’s benefits, since many studies have been conducted in animal subjects.

Grapes contain plant compounds called phenols, and resveratrol is one of the key polyphenols found in grapes. Resveratrol has been found to decrease LDL cholesterol and prevent the formation of blood clots. In addition, this supplement has other protective effects on the heart, such as inhibiting the formation of fat deposits on the wall of the arteries, relaxing blood vessels and helping maintain optimal rhythm of the heart beats. These are the conclusions of a research study published in the November 2008 issue of “Nutrition Research.” In animal subjects with diabetes and hypertension, resveratrol showed benefits in improving triglycerides, total cholesterol as well as insulin levels and blood pressure, indicates a study featured in the March 2009 issue of “Biomedical Pharmacology.”

(Expansion): Ginseng. INDEX
https://herbalhealthreview.com/low-blood-pressurehypotension/
Author: Dr. Truman Berst
March 31, 2014

Ginseng-Tienchi (Radix pseudo-ginseng),
Ginseng-Tang Shen (Campanumaea pilosula),
Ginseng-Siberian (Eleutheroccocus senticosus),
Ginseng-Korean (Panax schin-seng),
Ginseng-American (Panax quinquifolia),
Ginseng-Chinese (Panax ginseng),

Caution:
It should not be taken when there are headaches, hypertension, hot flashes or anxiety.

Not recommended for pregnant or breast feeding women.
Hypoglycemics should use caution, as ginseng lowers blood sugar levels.
Do not take if you have heart disease or high blood pressure.

(Expansion): St. John's Wort. INDEX
https://herbalhealthreview.com/low-blood-pressurehypotension/
Author: Dr. Truman Berst
March 31, 2014

Caution:
Do not take if you use prescription anti-depressants or medications that react with MAO inhibitors.
Use with caution if pregnant. Use of this herb may cause photosensitivity in some individuals.

(Reduction): Major Influencers. INDEX
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jt/2011/870125/
Heavy Metal Poisoning and Cardiovascular Disease
Eman M. Alissa1 and Gordon A. Ferns
Journal of Toxicology, Volume 2011,
Article ID 870125, 21 pages

LINK 2: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext....
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research
Braz J Med Biol Res vol.44 no.9 Ribeirão Preto Sept. 2011
Toxic effects of mercury, lead and gadolinium on vascular reactivity.
D.V. Vassallo1,2, M.R. Simões1, L.B. Furieri1,3, M. Fioresi1, J. Fiorim1,
E.A.S. Almeida1,2, J.K. Angeli1, G.A. Wiggers4, F.M. Peçanha4 and M. Salaices3

... Studies have suggested that Pb (Lead) severely damages the endothelium in the brain vasculature and induces cerebral microvascular dysfunction with subsequent changes in the cerebral blood flow. Studies have suggested that long-term Pb exposure, measured using the body Pb store, increases the risk of intracranial carotid atherosclerosis and is related to CVD or stroke. Hence, Pb is likely involved in cerebral atherosclerosis pathogenesis and may cause cellular toxicity and pathological damage and may be related to CVDs Cardovascular Diseases).

Hg (Mercury) may predispose individuals to atherosclerotic disease by increasing free radical production, oxidative stress, thrombosis, and vascular inflammation. Hg toxicity includes hypertension-increased carotid intima-media thickness, carotid artery obstruction, and cerebrovascular accidents. ....

There is very strong evidence that both Cd and Pb decrease the functional availability of the potent vasodilator NO ....

A study reported that As (Arsenic) harms the central and peripheral nervous systems as well as the heart and blood vessels. Epidemiological studies have shown that chronic As poisoning is associated with various CVDs, including carotid atherosclerosis, impaired microcirculation, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and cerebral infarction (stroke).

Cd (Cadmium) has been demonstrated to induce vascular disorders such as atherosclerosis in animals, promote arterial vessel wall proliferation, and influence the synthesis of proteoglycan and fibrinolysis in human studies and has been associated with significantly increased stroke and heart failure prevalence in epidemiological studies.

Heavy metal toxicity can be identified in diseases that include thrombosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, increased carotid intima-media thickness, carotid artery obstruction, generalized atherosclerosis, and cerebrovascular accidents

Heavy metals are toxic because they may have cumulative deleterious effects that can cause chronic degenerative changes, especially to the nervous system, liver, and kidneys, and, in some cases, they also have teratogenic and carcinogenic effects. The mechanism of toxicity of some heavy metals still remains unknown, although enzymatic inhibition, impaired antioxidants metabolism, and oxidative stress may play a role. Heavy metals generate many of their adverse health effects through the formation of free radicals, resulting in DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, and depletion of protein sulfhydryls (e.g., glutathione).

The importance of these metals as environmental health hazards is readily evident from the fact that they ranked in the top 10 on the current Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Priority List of Hazardous Substances. This listing is based on the toxicity of the substance and the potential for exposure from air, water, or soil contamination. As a result of the extensive use of these metals and their compounds in industry and consumer products, these agents have been widely disseminated in the environment. Because metals are not biodegradable, they can persist in the environment and produce a variety of adverse effects. Maximum levels for heavy metals in food have been set in consideration for possible chemical contaminants.

Although contaminated food may contain environmental toxins, they are also a very important source of nutrients, for example omega 3 fatty acids, which may prevent chronic diseases like CVD. Thus, an attempt has been made to allow people to obtain the beneficial health effects of natural food without excessive exposure to possible contaminants. ....

Nutrition is an important susceptibility factor suggesting that people with poor nutrition are particularly susceptible.
... Certain genetic polymorphisms can lead to differences in the level of susceptibility to adverse effects ....

A curious finding is that when low concentrations of these metals are used ACE (angiotensin I-converting enzyme) is stimulated.
However, when high concentrations of mercury and gadolinium are used ACE is blocked. These effects have one interesting explanation, i.e., the transmetallation phenomenon. ACE has zinc attached to both active sites, which can be changed by other metals. The fact that at higher concentrations ACE is inhibited is also explained by another phenomenon called hormesis. Hormesis explains why toxic agents and venoms can activate or reduce their effects and as concentrations change the effects turn in the opposite direction.

As a final remark, the findings presented here suggest that mercury, lead and gadolinium, even at low doses or concentrations, affect vascular reactivity. Their actions are mediated by the endothelium and result mainly from an enhanced production of free radicals and an increased production of angiotensin II by stimulation of the local ACE. The findings reported here provide further evidence that toxic metals, even at low doses, could be an environmental risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

(Reduction): Minor Influencers. INDEX
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jt/2011/870125/
Heavy Metal Poisoning and Cardiovascular Disease
Eman M. Alissa1 and Gordon A. Ferns
Journal of Toxicology, Volume 2011,
Article ID 870125, 21 pages

LINK 2: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext....
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research
Braz J Med Biol Res vol.44 no.9 Ribeirão Preto Sept. 2011
Toxic effects of mercury, lead and gadolinium on vascular reactivity.
D.V. Vassallo1,2, M.R. Simões1, L.B. Furieri1,3, M. Fioresi1, J. Fiorim1,
E.A.S. Almeida1,2, J.K. Angeli1, G.A. Wiggers4, F.M. Peçanha4 and M. Salaices3

LINK 3: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5970463/
Association between heavy metal levels and acute ischemic stroke. **
Ching-Huang Lin, Yi-Ting Hsu, Cheng-Chung Yen, Hsin-Hung Chen,
Ching-Jiunn Tseng, Yuk-Keung Lo, and Julie Y. H. Chan
J Biomed Sci. 2018; 25: 49.

LINK 4: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2752624/
The Vascular System as a Target of Metal Toxicity.
Walter C. Prozialeck, Joshua R. Edwards, Daniel W. Nebert,
James M. Woods, Aaron Barchowsky, and William D. Atchison
Toxicol Sci. 2008 Apr; 102(2): 207–218.

... Studies have suggested that Pb (Lead) severely damages the endothelium in the brain vasculature and induces cerebral microvascular dysfunction with subsequent changes in the cerebral blood flow. Studies have suggested that long-term Pb exposure, measured using the body Pb store, increases the risk of intracranial carotid atherosclerosis and is related to CVD or stroke. Hence, Pb is likely involved in cerebral atherosclerosis pathogenesis and may cause cellular toxicity and pathological damage and may be related to CVDs Cardovascular Diseases).

Hg (Mercury) may predispose individuals to atherosclerotic disease by increasing free radical production, oxidative stress, thrombosis, and vascular inflammation. Hg toxicity includes hypertension-increased carotid intima-media thickness, carotid artery obstruction, and cerebrovascular accidents. ....

There is very strong evidence that both Cd and Pb decrease the functional availability of the potent vasodilator NO ....

A study reported that As (Arsenic) harms the central and peripheral nervous systems as well as the heart and blood vessels. Epidemiological studies have shown that chronic As poisoning is associated with various CVDs, including carotid atherosclerosis, impaired microcirculation, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and cerebral infarction (stroke).

Cd (Cadmium) has been demonstrated to induce vascular disorders such as atherosclerosis in animals, promote arterial vessel wall proliferation, and influence the synthesis of proteoglycan and fibrinolysis in human studies and has been associated with significantly increased stroke and heart failure prevalence in epidemiological studies.

Heavy metal toxicity can be identified in diseases that include thrombosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, increased carotid intima-media thickness, carotid artery obstruction, generalized atherosclerosis, and cerebrovascular accidents

Heavy metals are toxic because they may have cumulative deleterious effects that can cause chronic degenerative changes, especially to the nervous system, liver, and kidneys, and, in some cases, they also have teratogenic and carcinogenic effects. The mechanism of toxicity of some heavy metals still remains unknown, although enzymatic inhibition, impaired antioxidants metabolism, and oxidative stress may play a role. Heavy metals generate many of their adverse health effects through the formation of free radicals, resulting in DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, and depletion of protein sulfhydryls (e.g., glutathione).

The importance of these metals as environmental health hazards is readily evident from the fact that they ranked in the top 10 on the current Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Priority List of Hazardous Substances. This listing is based on the toxicity of the substance and the potential for exposure from air, water, or soil contamination. As a result of the extensive use of these metals and their compounds in industry and consumer products, these agents have been widely disseminated in the environment. Because metals are not biodegradable, they can persist in the environment and produce a variety of adverse effects. Maximum levels for heavy metals in food have been set in consideration for possible chemical contaminants.

Although contaminated food may contain environmental toxins, they are also a very important source of nutrients, for example omega 3 fatty acids, which may prevent chronic diseases like CVD. Thus, an attempt has been made to allow people to obtain the beneficial health effects of natural food without excessive exposure to possible contaminants. ....

Nutrition is an important susceptibility factor suggesting that people with poor nutrition are particularly susceptible.
... Certain genetic polymorphisms can lead to differences in the level of susceptibility to adverse effects ....

A curious finding is that when low concentrations of these metals are used ACE (angiotensin I-converting enzyme) is stimulated.
However, when high concentrations of mercury and gadolinium are used ACE is blocked. These effects have one interesting explanation, i.e., the transmetallation phenomenon. ACE has zinc attached to both active sites, which can be changed by other metals. The fact that at higher concentrations ACE is inhibited is also explained by another phenomenon called hormesis. Hormesis explains why toxic agents and venoms can activate or reduce their effects and as concentrations change the effects turn in the opposite direction.

As a final remark, the findings presented here suggest that mercury, lead and gadolinium, even at low doses or concentrations, affect vascular reactivity. Their actions are mediated by the endothelium and result mainly from an enhanced production of free radicals and an increased production of angiotensin II by stimulation of the local ACE. The findings reported here provide further evidence that toxic metals, even at low doses, could be an environmental risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

-Maintain-: Mineral, Zinc. INDEX
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3796663/
Nutr Res Pract. 2013 Oct; 7(5): 380–384.
Dietary zinc intake is inversely associated with systolic blood pressure .... Author: Jihye Kim --- 2013

Vasodilation refers to the widening of blood vessels which decreases blood pressure.

The mechanism underlying the association between zinc status and blood pressure remains unclear.
However, zinc deficiency may be associated with an impaired vascular nitric oxide (NO) system due to reduced NOS activity and an increase in oxidative stress caused by superoxide. NO is an important regulator of blood flow and blood pressure in mammals, because of its vasodilatory effects. Thus, it is likely that systemic NO impairment, due to an increase in the action of superoxide, could explain increased blood pressures levels.

Zinc deficiency reduces NOS activity because NOS contains zinc, and reduced NOS activity in artery walls could cause endothelial dysfunction and reduce endothelium-mediated vasodilation, and thus, contribute to the development of hypertension.

Furthermore, many enzymes that are involved in the regulation of arterial blood pressure, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme and neutral endopeptidases, contain zinc . In addition, zinc deficiency reduces the activity of superoxide scavengers, such as, Cu/Zn SOD. Sato et al. showed that the administration of NOS inhibitor increased arterial pressure, and that conversely, the administration of superoxide scavenger (Cu/Zn SOD) decreased arterial pressure in genetically hypertensive rats. Therefore, adequate zinc intake seems to be necessary to maintain endothelial cell integrity and normal blood pressure, because this zinc has antioxidant effects and membrane-stabilizing properties.

(Expansion): NOX. INDEX
http://www.healthpalace.ca/aor-nox-boost-60-lozenges/

LINK 2: http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/
nitric-oxide-series-part-four-how-nitric-oxide-no-causes-vasodilation/
Nitric Oxide Series, Part Four: How Nitric Oxide (NO) Causes Vasodilation
Aug 7, 2009 --- by Thomas Burke, Ph.D.

Nitric oxide is a simple molecule produced in the body that carries out numerous functions, such as vasodilation, improving blood flow, oxygenation and nutrient delivery to the tissues, cell communication, immune responses, bone formation, and has antimicrobial and stomach healing properties, among others. With age, our bodies produce less nitric oxide but are still able to respond to it. Nitrates and nitrites from healthy foods such as beets, spinach, celery, and others are converted into nitric oxide within the body.

NOX Boost not only boosts your body's nitric oxide levels, it does it quickly and in both high and low oxygen conditions, unlike other methods such as L-arginine.

... NO initiates and maintains vasodilation through a cascade of biological events that culminate in the relaxation of smooth muscle cells that line arteries, veins, lymphatics. While somewhat complex, the sequence of biological events that are triggered by NO is described below:

Step 1. NO gas released from nitrosothiols in hemoglobin or from endothelial cells, diffuses into smooth muscle cells that line small blood vessels.

Step 2. Once inside the smooth muscle cell, NO binds to an enzyme, called guanylate cyclase (GC) and this binding results in GC activation.

Step 3. Activated GC is able to cleave two phosphate groups from another compound called guanosine triphosphate (GTP). This results in the formation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) that is used to phosphorylate (Phosphorylation is the addition of a phosphate group.) proteins, including the smooth muscle contractile protein called myosin.

Step 4. Once phosphorylated, smooth muscle cell myosin relaxes, resulting in dilation of the vessel that was originally exposed to NO. As one can imagine, only a limited number of GC enzymes are present in any one smooth muscle cell and once all the GC enzymes have been activated, additional NO will not initiate any further vasodilation. Any “extra” NO is simply sequestered as a nitrosothiol bound to hemoglobin in RBC for future use.

... In summary, NO causes vasodilation by initiating a cascade of biological events that relax smooth muscle cells lining blood vessels. This vasodilation continues until a phosphatase enzyme dissociates the phosphate from myosin (which may be delayed by Viagra). Since vasodilation through NO only occurs when there is GC able to bind NO, additional NO, is sequestered for future use as a nitrosothiol, including those found in hemoglobin. NO is the most important of the body’s countermeasures against normal vasoconstriction and, if production or release of NO is impaired, as in the case of people with diabetes, poor circulation and all the consequences thereof ensues.

-Maintain-: Taurine. INDEX
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurine

Taurine has many fundamental biological roles, such as conjugation of bile acids, antioxidation, osmoregulation, membrane stabilization, and modulation of calcium signaling. It is essential for cardiovascular function, and development and function of skeletal muscle, the retina, and the central nervous system.

Taurine crosses the blood-brain barrier ...
• an antioxidant,
• calcium homeostasis,
• adipose tissue regulation and possible prevention of obesity,
• reduces atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease,
• protects against toxicity of ... lead and cadmium),

Cardiovascular.
Taurine is the most important and abundant amino acid in the heart.
It stimulates the activity of cAMP, allowing the entry of calcium.
Taurine has been widely used in Japan to treat various types of heart disease, including congestive heart failure (2-4g daily), arrhythmias (2g), duiresis, and hypertension.

(Expansion): Vitamin C. INDEX
https://wholefoodsmagazine.com/columns/
vitamin-connection/vitamin-c-sepsis-and-blood-vessel-health/
Vitamin C, Sepsis, and Blood Vessel Health
An Interview with Michael E. Passwater, MT(ASCP) SBB, DLM, CSSGB (ASQ)
By Richard A. Passwater, Ph.D.
September 10, 2018

LINK 2: https://www.naturalnews.com/026919_vitamin_C_blood_life.html
Vitamin C Boosts Life Expectancy and Removes Plaque from Blood Vessels
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 by: Melanie Grimes

LINK 3: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/
archive/2015/09/21/vitamin-c-heart-health.aspx
Is Vitamin C as Good as Exercise for Your Heart?
By Dr. Mercola --- September 21, 2015

Sepsis is an infection that overwhelms the body.
Widespread inflammation – caused by the infection and by the immune system’s attempts to destroy the infection – along with metabolic acidosis result. Various populations of white blood cells often become hyperactive and then may self-destruct. If untreated, sepsis may lead to shock, organ failure, and death. Sepsis is a medical emergency.

For over a half century, surgeons have recognized that sometimes following major trauma or surgery, widespread inflammation and metabolic acidosis may occur even in the absence of infection. The term “sterile sepsis” was used to describe this syndrome. However, the newer term “Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome” is now more commonly used to describe both a sepsis-like picture not associated with infection, and early sepsis.

If neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) lack vitamin C, they self-destruct.
Instead of fighting the infection or clearing and rebuilding injured tissue, its internal peroxides and enzymes are released damaging the surrounding tissue – like a firefighter using a flame thrower on a housefire.

Common to these scenarios as they worsen are hypotension (low blood pressure), relative adrenal insufficiency, and metabolic acidosis. Another commonality is low plasma levels of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Borrelli et al published findings in 1996 showing that the lower the plasma ascorbic acid level in septic patients, the greater the risk of organ failure and death.

It has been known for decades that vitamin C can help cure sepsis.
Until relatively recently, this fact has been largely ignored by orthodox physicians.

People born with incomplete immune systems, or those that acquire immune system deficits through illnesses such as HIV or blood cancers (e.g. leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma), or due to chemotherapy greatly lowering the bone marrow production of white blood cells. Other serious illnesses such as cirrhosis and diabetes also increase the risk of sepsis. Children, the elderly, anyone with malnutrition, or anyone with a persistent serious infection is at increased risk of developing sepsis. It is important to note that some severe illnesses can cause a healthy, active person to progress to sepsis and septic shock in a short period of time.

Severe sepsis strikes more than a million Americans every year, and 15 to 30 percent of those people die.
The Centers for Disease Control put the figure at 1.5 million Americans getting sepsis and about 250,000 dying from it. They also report that one in three patients who die in a hospital have sepsis. How many have you known? The World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies (WFPICCS) estimates that 30 million die from sepsis worldwide. Many of those who don’t die have such damaged organs that they have their lives shortened. It is estimated that 40 percent of sepsis patients are readmitted to the hospital within three months. The number of sepsis cases per year has been on the rise in the United States.

Infections and inflammation increase consumption of vitamin C, and disrupt the recycling processes the body uses to conserve this essential nutrient. Once AA is depleted, blood vessels begin to weaken and become leaky. Adding back in “pressors” (e.g. epinephrine) alone, or even with cortisol (hydrocortisone), is not enough. This is where the work of Dr. Richard E. Lee in the 1950s – 1960s comes into play. We can chat more about that later.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means your body doesn't store it.
Unlike most other mammals, humans do not have the ability to make vitamin C, which means you need to consume it via your diet.

"The same thing that makes vitamin C so important — its ability to protect against free radical damage — also makes it very prone to damage by heat, oxygen, and storage over time… The vitamin C content of food will start to decline as soon as it is picked, even though this decline can be slowed down and minimized by cooling and retention of the food in its whole form. But a fresh, vitamin C-rich vegetable like broccoli — if allowed to sit at room temperature for 6 days — can lose almost 80 percent of its vitamin C …

Long-term storage of vegetables can cost a significant amount of vitamin C.
Kept frozen for a year, kale can lose half its vitamin C or more.
Canning is even more detrimental, with 85 percent of the original vitamin C lost over the same year.
While cooking will lower the amount of vitamin C in most foods … the amount of vitamin C lost will vary widely by cooking method. For example, basket-steaming broccoli for 15 minutes will reduce the vitamin C content by nearly one quarter."

Dr. Hunninghake explained:

"The way to really understand vitamin C is to go back to the writings of Irwin Stone who wrote The Healing Factor, which was a fantastic book written in the 70s about vitamin C. He points out that every creature, when they are sick, greatly increase their liver's or their kidney's production of vitamin C. But humans, primates, and guinea pigs have lost that ability.

We still have the gene that makes the L-gulonolactone oxidase enzyme that converts glucose to vitamin C but it's non-functional. We have to get our vitamin C from the outside: from food. When we give vitamin C intravenously, what we're doing is recreating your liver's ability to synthesize tremendous amounts of vitamin C…

A high intake of vitamin C is shown to improve life expectancy by 6 years.
Not only does vitamin C help prevent the diseases that shorten life, but the vitamin itself has life sustaining properties.
Vitamin C is known to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. It repairs blood vessels and helps reduce heart disease, which are the leading causes of death in the United States.

When taking an oral vitamin C, you also want to be mindful of your dosing frequency.
Dr. Steve Hickey, who wrote the book Ascorbate, has shown that if you take vitamin C frequently throughout the day you can achieve much higher plasma levels. So even though your kidneys will tend to rapidly excrete the vitamin C, by taking it every hour or two you can maintain a much higher plasma level than if you just dose it once a day (unless you're taking an extended-release form of vitamin C).

... researchers found that plaque was removed from artery walls, thereby reducing further risk from heart attacks. Doses of 1,500 were found to be effective. Studies with guinea pigs showed that a five week regime of 5,000 mg per day prevented plaque build-up, while only 60 mg a day did not prevent the damage to blood vessels. The doses used to remove plaque have been found to be 1,500 a day for one year.

The mechanism that is used by vitamin C is via the production of collagen. Vitamin C has the effect of increasing collagen production, and collagen is important in maintaining the cell wall of the circulatory system: veins, arteries and capillaries.

The minimum daily dose may be sufficient for some, but to repair damage and restore health, larger doses are needed. Many health advocates recommend doses of 1,000 to 3,000 per day, spread out during the day. Pregnant women can double these amounts of vitamin C.

• A daily dose of vitamin C may have a similar effect as walking on a protein called endothelin-1, which promotes the constriction of small blood vessels

• Overweight or obese adults who took vitamin C daily reduced endothelin-1-mediated vessel constriction as much as those who walked daily

• When endothelin-1 activity is higher it makes small blood vessels more prone to constricting, which increases the risk of heart disease

• Vitamin C supplementation represents an effective lifestyle strategy to reduce blood vessel constriction in overweight and obese adults, particularly since many people do not engage in recommended levels of daily physical activity

... more prone to constricting, which increases the risk of heart disease.

The ability of blood vessels to relax or dilate (vasodilation) is compromised in individuals with atherosclerosis. ...

Even beyond vasodilation, a study published in the American Heart Journal revealed that each 20 micromole/liter (µmol/L) increase in plasma vitamin C was associated with a 9 percent reduction in heart failure mortality.

Vitamin C is also known to slow down the progression of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).
It may help keep your arteries flexible and prevents damage to LDL cholesterol.
People with low levels of vitamin C are at increased risk of heart attack, peripheral artery disease, and stroke, all of which can stem from atherosclerosis.

Hormones: Dopamine. INDEX
https://www.healthtap.com/user_questions/
946394-does-dopamine-constrict-or-dilate-blood-vessels
by Dr. Scott Diede, Pediatrics - Hematology & Oncology

Overall, Dopamine constricts blood vessels, and this medicine is used in ICUS (Idiopathic cytopenia of undetermined significance) or patients with dangerously low blood pressures.

However, at low doses, certain blood vessels in the body, such as the kidney,
Dopamine can relax the vessels to increase blood flow (helps perfuse the kidney so that they can do their job better).

Hormones: Serotonin INDEX
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_effect_does_histamine_have_on_blood_vessels
by Anonymous --- 2008 ?

Serotonin has an constrictive effect on the blood vessels in the brain.
It's role in the rest of the body can cause both dilation or constriction.

INDEX