I am not 100 percent against anti-hypertensive medications. In fact, I do prescribe them occasionally.

However, they are clearly over-prescribed, and they rarely treat the most common underlying cause of elevated blood pressure — lifestyle choices that lead to obesity and insulin resistance.

These poor lifestyle choices also lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies that cause the body to increase vascular pressure in order to maintain perfusion (blood flow) of vital organs.

In this case, cleaning up the diet and correcting nutritional deficiencies should be the first step to overcoming hypertension.

Most hypertensive patients need unrefined salt to replenish low mineral levels. However, in very rare cases, extremely salt-sensitive patients cannot tolerate an increase in salt.

These salt-sensitive patients will notice an increase in blood pressure with the use of salt, whether it is refined or unrefined.