Link between high blood pressure and herpes virus

Locally, there's plenty of research ongoing linking herpes to hypertension and type 2 diabetes. See the article, UC Davis Bench-To-Bedside Research: Promising Treatment For Diabetes, Hypertension, and Inflammatory Disorders. Some Sacramentans are emailing in letters asking where to find information on how to put the kabosh on herpes outbreaks and asking for lists of articles on how herpes is related to hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Back in March 28, 2009, a new drug developed at the University of California, Davis to treat diabetes, hypertension and inflammatory entered Phase II of human clinical trials to evaluate its efficacy.

To find more local information on links between herpes and hypertension, a simple Google search with the key words, "herpes causes hypertension," brings up numerous articles, although no one knows exactly how herpes contributes to hypertension or type 2 diabetes other than the numerous experiments that look at herpes virus inside blood vessels and cells. So the research continues.

When you look at metabolism with the eye of a scientist, you can take a look at studies online from UC Davis that research arachidonic acid, a key signaling molecule implicated in diabetes, hypertension and inflammatory disorders is part of the research.

As far as numerous other articles go on the topic of whether herpes virus may cause hypertension via inflammation, check out the article, "Cytomegalovirus, CMV May Cause Hypertension." According to that May 20, 2009 article, researchers noted that the cytomegalovirus, a herpes virus, may be "a major cause of hypertension."

People suffering from hypertension are wondering whether one cause might be the herpes virus causing inflammation inside their blood vessels and raising the renin levels in their bloodstream which narrows their vascular system--arteries and veins. One popular supplement used for the treatment of herpes is turmeric extract, commonly known as curcumin.

Turmeric is anti-inflammatory and makes the body cells more resistant to viral infections. Cayenne pepper, a traditional supplement, is also often recommended by doctors to fight the invasion of the herpes virus. See the article, "Herpes Link to Hypertension?"

Sacramento retiree, AJD's family suffered from hypertension for most of their lives. Did the fact that all of them had similar facial herpes infections with frequent cold sore outbreaks? Was that the cause of the family's high renin levels? Or did their familial hypertension result from inheriting a kidney gene variant frequently found in Polish-American families.

In fact, at one Sacramento's hospital training classroom for patients interested in learning how to properly care for their hypertension, the subject comes up frequently asking questions regarding people of Slavic, especially Polish ancestry, about whether there's any truth in the adage about inheriting hypertension from one generation to the next based on ethnicity. The familiar comment that may or may not hold any truth made by some health professionals is "the longer and more difficult to pronounce your name, the more likely you are to inherit hypertension."

The intent may be to possibly link long Polish or other Slavic names with hypertension studies. But hypertension is not limited to any specific European country. There are multiple factors in why renin levels become high. And studies are focusing on one more possibility--the herpes virus.

Hypertension and long names wouldn't apply say to long Native American or Asian names. But what really could cause hypertension, a family gene variant, or the herpes the family passed on to one another by kissing the babies after or before a facial herpes cold sore outbreak? That's what scientists are studying--the role of inflammation in hypertension from a virus.

As for treating externally herpes outbreaks on your face, lips, chest, arms, or back, you can create a paste of turmeric and apply it as needed. Red marine algae (RMA) is also a wonderful supplement as it assists the immune system to fight against the virus and prevents recurrence of herpes, according to the article, Herpes Diet and Supplements. Also see the article, "Wheatgrass vs. hypertension, chronic fatigue."What else can you do that's not only an external paste you apply to your herpes sore?

According to numerous studies and articles online, lauric acid, an extract of coconut, usually in the form of monolaurin according to some studies at least for the length of the outbreak, puts the kabosh on cytomegalovirus and flu viruses as well as the Epstein-Barr virus, named as the culprit in chronic fatigue syndromel, by turning the fatty coat of both the flu and Epstein-Barr viruses into a liquid and then flushing which then disintegrates the bits of virus partaicles that had been inside their fatty shells or membranes that had enveloped those viruses. See Monolaurin – A Natural Immune Boosting Powerhouse, Friday, October 31, 2008 - Byron J. Richards, CCN.

Viruses can lived in your stored fat and in the fat in your liver. Monolaurin, according to studies is supposed to be effective against these viruses by breaking down the shell, membrane, or outer wall of the viruses so that they are chopped into bits, turned to liquid, and eventually are removed from your body.

There are numerous articles on whether herpes is one cause of hypertension if you do a Google search. For example, check out, Herpes News. Also check out the article, "Cytomegalovirus, CMV May Cause Hypertension." According to that May 20, 2009 article, researchers noted that the cytomegalovirus, a herpes virus, may be "a major cause of hypertension."

It's a herpes virus that affects about 60% to 99% of adults worldwide. CMV seems to aggravate inflammation in blood vessels, causing hypertension, according to that article. It was a significant finding that "may spur a new approach to treating a disease that affects roughly one billion people globally."

The findings, according to that article, offer the first direct evidence that CMV causes persistent infection in blood vessels. Doctors generally prescribe generic drugs such as beta blockers and ACE inhibitors to control blood pressure. But Dr. Clyde Crumpacker, who worked on the study, proposed that vaccines and antiviral drugs may offer a new perspective at treating hypertension.

To date, according to the May 20, 2009 article, there is no vaccine, but several drug companies, including Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Vical, are working on it. Swiss drug giant Roche Holding manufactures an antiviral drug called Valcyte to prevent CMV infections in transplant patients.

The question is whether there's a connection between CMV and diet. Most adults would have been exposed to CMV by age 40; however, majority will remain asymptomatic. But the virus poses a threat in immuno-compromised patients, such as transplant recipients, and it is a leading cause of birth defects in newborns whose mothers were infected during pregnancy.

In a separate study, according to the May 20, 2009 article, "Cytomegalovirus, CMV May Cause Hypertension." in a study mentioned in the article that had been conducted by Dr. Crumpacker, his findings strongly suggest that CMV infection and a high cholesterol diet may be working in tandem to induce hypertension.

In another study of kidney cells in CMV infected mice, researchers found elevated levels of renin, the enzyme which causes hypertension. They also found high levels of renin in human blood vessel cells infected with CMV.

So one might think that if your doctor finds your high blood pressure isn't caused by an accumulation of too high a volume of water in your body, and instead is caused possibly by high levels of renin in your blood vessels, it might be a good idea to check and test whether the high levels of renin in your blood vessel cells might be full of CMV, a type of herpes virus. And then, the question becomes, how do you get rid of a herpes infection if it never goes away permanently? There might be a way to conrol outbreaks or infections of the virus.

The question is to find out whether you have a kidney gene variant causing the hypertension or whether it's due to a herpes infection that's causing high levels of renin in your body. Researchers in one study said that the cytomegalovirus, a herpes virus, may be a major cause of hypertension. It is actually a herpes virus that affects about 60 to 99% of adults worldwide.

CMV seems to aggravate inflammation in blood vessels, causing hypertension. It was a significant finding that may spur a new approach to treating a disease that affects roughly one billion people globally.

The findings offer the first direct evidence that CMV causes persistent infection in blood vessels. Doctors generally prescribe generic drugs such as beta blockers and ACE inhibitors to control blood pressure. But Dr. Clyde Crumpacker, who worked on the study, proposed that vaccines and antiviral drugs may offer a new perspective at treating hypertension.

To date, there is no vaccine, but several drug companies, including Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Vical, are working on it. Swiss drug giant Roche Holding manufactures an antiviral drug called Valcyte to prevent CMV infections in transplant patients.

Most adults would have been exposed to CMV by age 40; however, majority will remain asymptomatic. But the virus poses a threat in immuno-compromised patients, such as transplant recipients, and it is a leading cause of birth defects in newborns whose mothers were infected during pregnancy.

In a separate study conducted by Dr. Crumpacker, his findings strongly suggest that CMV infection and high cholesterol diet may be working in tandem to induce hypertension. In another study of kidney cells in CMV infected mice, researchers found elevated levels of renin, the enzyme which causes hypertension. They also found high levels of renin in human blood vessel cells infected with CMV, according to the article, "Cytomegalovirus, CMV May Cause Hypertension."

Another way of fighting the herpes virus is monolaurin. On pages 81, 82, and 87 of the book, The High Blood Pressure Hoax, by Sherry A. Rogers, M.D. (2005) I read several interesting sections on how monolaurin has been "able to dissolve the protective mebrane from 14 types of human viruses." One of those 14 viruses mentioned in the physician's book is the flu virus. Another source on swine flu breaking news is the Science Insider blog on science agencies reporting the latest news on swine flu that's not in the usual mass media.

Here are the results of some studies on monolaurin and flu viruses as well as other viruses. Can monolaurin, a nutrient from coconut oil, lauric acid (that you can buy online or in a health food store) also dissolve the swine flu virus?
Check out the lauric.org site at the Center for Research on Lauric Oils, Inc. Lauric acid also is found in mothers milk. Nature puts antibodies in mother's milk, why not also anti-viral substances? And monolaurin from coconut oil has a substance in it that works similarly to mother's milk to crack open the shell of several viruses.
A sentence on page 82 of The High Blood Pressure Hoax notes, "Monolaurin actually disintegrates the lipid envelope or membrane of viruses, destroying their main defense." Rogers cites the study, "In vitro effects of monolaurin compounds on enveloped RNA and DNA viruses," by Hierholzer, JC, Kabara, JJ. Journal of Food Safety, 4:1, 1982. It's the lauric acid in monolaurin that binds to the virus's lipid (fat)-protein envelope.
That's how monolaurin inactivates the virus. You see, monolaurin binds to the membrane that covers the virus and prevents the virus from 'uncoating.'
At this point, there's no way the virus is able to reproduce itself. The shell or "viral envelope" of the virus is disintegrated. Now the virus can no long get into more of your cells or attach. The virus's envelope is gone.
According to page 82 of Dr. Roger's book titled, The High Blood Pressure Hoax, "two capsules of monolaurin (300 mgs) are often taken three times a day at the first sign of infection and continued for a few days or weeks until the virus is completely gone." Dr. Rogers cites as her resources (on page 91 of her book) the Hierholzer, Ismail-Cassim, Sands, Karbara, and Boddie studies.
Look at the scientific journal research article titled, Monolaurin and Superstrain Infections. Read the full study, Characterization of Monolaurin Resistance in Enterrococcus Faecalis. (2007, American Society for Microbiology). Monolaurin, a food grade glycerol monoester of lauric acid, has been reported to have the greatest antimicrobial activity of all of the monoglycerides (50).
This product comes from coconut oil and is said to be effective against the flu, but not against the common cold. See one of several videos on the anti-viral properties of coconut oil from which monolaurin is made.
What else can it do or can't do? The study suggests that "monolaurin requires access to the cytoplasmic membrane and/or the cytoplasm to exert its antimicrobial activity."
See the Byron J. Richard's Wellness Resources site, for information on how to use monolaurin. This coconut-oil derived fatty acid is backed by a significant body of research showing, according to the Byron J. Richard's Wellness Resources site that it "can help to support your immune system in a wide variety of circumstances, and even helps keep your own cells healthier while reducing the toxic burden associated with immune system battles.
See the article and description of studies on using monolaurin to destroy viruses at Monolaurin – A Natural Immune Boosting Powerhouse, Friday, October 31, 2008 - Byron J. Richards, CCN. Monolaurin is sold online at Life Extension Foundation and at numerous other online vitamin and nutrient sellers.
According to the article on monolaurin at the Wellness Resources site, "Monolaurin is one of the most popular nutrients to assist in combating various viruses. It is believed to work by interacting with the lipids and phospholipids that form the envelope of the virus, causing it to weaken or disintegrate."
Research suggests that monolaurin offers some degree of immune support for the influenza virus and also for the following viruses, including, cytomegalovirus, according to the article and description of studies on using monolaurin to help stop or put a damper on the viruses to keep them from reproducing. See the article at: Monolaurin – A Natural Immune Boosting Powerhouse, Friday, October 31, 2008 - Byron J. Richards, CCN.
Can monolaurin help crack the shell and keep the following viruses from replicating? That's for science to find out to what extent it may be possible.
• Human immunodeficiency virus HIV-1, HIV+
• Measles virus
• Herpes simplex virus-1
• Herpes simplex virus-2
• Herpes viridae (all)
• Human lymphotropic viruses (type 1)
• Vesicular stomatitis virus
• Visna virus
• Cytomegalovirus
• Epstein-Barr virus
• Influenza virus
• Pneumonovirus
• Sarcoma virus
• Syncytial virus
Coconut Facts Regarding Health

According to the Center for Research on Lauric Oils, Inc., press release of August 1, 1999, "fatty acids in coconut have always been found to both raise the HDL levels and improve the total cholesterol to HDL ratio, both of which are desirable, and (ii) these saturated fatty acids significantly lower the levels of the undesirable lipoprotein."
Here are some monolaurin-related research studies for you to read online or in your local university library that are cited on page 91 of The High Blood Pressure Hoax by Sherry A. Rogers, M.D.
Boddie, RL, Nickerson, SE, Evaluation of postmilking teat germicides containing Lauricidin, saturated fatty acids, and lactic acid. Journal of Dairy Science, 75: 6: 1725-30, 1992. Hierholzer, JC, Kabara, JJ, In vitro effects of monolaurin compounds on enveloped RNA and DNA viruses, Journal of Food Safety, 4:1, 1982. Ismail-Cassim, N. et al, Inhibition of the uncoating of bovine enterovirus by short chain fatty acids, Journal of General Virology, 71: 10: 22 83-9, 1990. Karbara, Lipids as host-resistance factors in human milk, Nutrition Reviews 38:65, 1980. Sands, J, et al. Extreme sensitivity of enveloped viruses, including Herpes Simplex, to long chain unsaturated monoglycerides and alcohols, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 15; 1:67-73, 1979.
For more info: Videos pertaining to monolaurin may be found on Google Video. The first is Monolaurin Ecological Formulas. The other video is about coconut oil titled, Wonder Drug. However, monolaurin isn't a drug. It's a nutritional supplement for immune support derived from coconut oil. Also, browse my books, How Nutrigenomics Fights Childhood Type 2 Diabetes & Weight Issues (2009) or Predictive Medicine for Rookies (2005). Or see my books, How to Safely Tailor Your Foods, Medicines, & Cosmetics to Your Genes (2003) or How to Interpret Family History & Ancestry DNA Test Results for Beginners (2004) or How to Open DNA-driven Genealogy Reporting & Interpreting Businesses. (2007). Photo credits: Monolaurin Ecological Formulas site.