High blood pressure, in Aajonus's framework, is not a disease. It is not a malfunction. It is not a condition to be feared or suppressed. It is a purposeful, intelligent, life-saving physiological response generated by the body to accomplish specific tasks that cannot be accomplished at normal blood pressure levels.

According to Aajonus, high blood pressure is the body's method of stretching, cleaning, and healing congested arteries and veins. When blood passages are obstructed, whether from accumulated plaque on arterial walls, from excess body weight pressing on veins and capillaries, or from hardened arteries that have lost their flexibility, the body must force the blood through those narrowed channels at higher pressure or the blood will not reach its destination. It will slow, pool, clot, and coagulate. In other words, the high blood pressure is the cure, not the problem.

He stated this emphatically and repeatedly across many contexts:

High blood pressure, then, is the body's emergency hydraulic compensation mechanism. The heart and circulatory system detect that resistance is too high for normal flow to sustain life, and they elevate pressure accordingly. This is not pathology. This is precision engineering by the body.

He also addressed the related condition of hypertension that is not from arterial or vascular congestion, specifically, hypertension associated with overactive glands, particularly overactive adrenals and overactive testes. In one direct examination of an attendee, he identified this as a distinct sub-type where no vascular congestion is present, but the glandular overactivity is driving the pressure elevation.

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Aajonus identified multiple distinct root causes of high blood pressure, which must each be understood separately because they call for different responses:

The dominant root cause of high blood pressure, according to Aajonus, is the hardening and narrowing of arteries, veins, and capillaries due to the accumulation of toxic, improperly metabolized fats, specifically, cooked fats and hydrogenated or pressed vegetable oils that the body cannot properly digest, assimilate, and utilize.

He drew a direct line between cooked fats and arterial hardening, noting that pressed vegetable oils poured into soil would turn it into rock over six to ten months. The same crystallization process, he argued, happens inside the body, vegetable oils and cooked fats crystallize in arterial walls, reducing the internal diameter, forcing the heart to push blood at higher pressure.

The specific mechanism he identified was the lack of enzyme-mutations to digest, assimilate, and utilize cooked fats. When cooked fats cannot be properly processed, they accumulate as plaque on arterial walls. The body, detecting the reduced blood flow, raises blood pressure as a compensatory response. From the index entry on hypertension:

The second major root cause is excess body weight physically compressing veins and capillaries from the outside. Fat tissue surrounding blood vessels exerts mechanical pressure on them, reducing their interior diameter. The circulatory system compensates by elevating pressure to force blood through the mechanically compressed passages.

He noted that for overweight individuals, having high blood pressure is essential, not dangerous, and that lowering it artificially in someone who is very overweight could cause veins to collapse, blood to stagnate, and potentially trigger cardiac events.

In cases where a person is not overweight and does not have visibly congested arteries, Aajonus identified glandular overactivity, specifically overactive adrenals and overactive testes, as a distinct driver of elevated blood pressure. He made this diagnosis by examining the eyes of an attendee and confirmed it through that reading.

This overactivity he characterized as potentially a natural variant for that individual, not inherently a malfunction but an expression of that person's physiology, often associated with being "oversexed" when other glands are also working well.

Eating too much garlic or other spices can produce a transient elevation of blood pressure that is not disease-oriented. This is a distinct sub-type that is more readily addressed through specific foods (see Food Protocol).

In the newsletter correspondence with Clarice, who was not overweight, Aajonus identified that high blood pressure can also arise from congested arteries or toxic substances in the home or office, including house molds. He stated:

Though addressed more under headaches, Aajonus identified salt as a driver of high blood pressure headaches specifically, describing how carbonated beverages made with chemical processes pull salts into the body, causing high blood pressure. He described how his own father's migraines (driven by a similar mechanism) resolved when he stopped eating salt.

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High blood pressure sits squarely within multiple principles of Aajonus's framework simultaneously:

Root Cause / Terrain Theory: High blood pressure is fundamentally a terrain issue, the internal environment of the arteries, veins, and circulatory system has been degraded by decades of cooked food consumption, specifically cooked and hydrogenated fats, which harden the arterial terrain. The body's intelligent response (elevated pressure) is a terrain-compensating mechanism.

Cooked Food: The primary cause, cooked fats that cannot be properly metabolized, pressed vegetable oils that crystallize in arterial walls, places this condition directly in Cooked Food. Cooked fats are the upstream cause of arterial congestion, which is the upstream cause of high blood pressure.

Raw Food / How to Eat: The resolution pathway runs through raw fats, raw enzymes, specific raw fruits and vegetables, and unheated honey, placing the remediation squarely in the Raw Food and How to Eat.

Sovereignty: Aajonus's repeated emphasis that the medical and pharmaceutical establishment has deliberately lied about high blood pressure in order to sell medication places this condition firmly in Sovereignty. He challenged the entire diagnostic paradigm, pointed to suppressed research, and argued that the medical narrative about high blood pressure causing heart attacks is the precise opposite of what the evidence shows.

Detoxification: High blood pressure also functions as part of the detoxification process when the body is actively working to clean arterial walls, the elevated pressure itself helps propel cleansing substances through congested passages.

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The most fundamental symptom reframe Aajonus offered was the complete inversion of the conventional claim that high blood pressure causes heart attacks, strokes, and aneurysms. He presented multiple large-scale studies as evidence:

Study 1: A UK study involving approximately 11,000 to 12,000 people (reported as released in November of the year he was speaking) found that: - People with systolic blood pressure of 160 to 170 had no heart attacks - People with systolic blood pressure of 110 to 120 (those on low blood pressure medication) had all the heart attacks

Study 2: A separate test of 45,000 people run over approximately 8 years from England found the same results, low blood pressure patients had all the heart attacks; high blood pressure patients (160-170 systolic) had none.

Study 3: A study of 54,000 to 57,000 people followed over almost ten years confirmed: > "People who had high blood pressure had almost no heart attacks."

Study 4: Out of 48,000 people, those with high cholesterol had almost no heart attacks. Those averaging 121 systolic had all the heart attacks.

He noted that he received one day of media coverage for highlighting this research, after which it was "wiped out because it doesn't make money."

Aajonus also pointed out the deliberate lowering of "acceptable" blood pressure thresholds over time as a mechanism to expand the market for medication:

Aajonus consistently positioned low blood pressure as the far greater risk, especially in people with congested arteries. He described the scenario where medication lowers blood pressure in an overweight or arterially congested person:

He used the metaphor of a "limp noodle" to describe what happens when blood pressure is artificially lowered in someone who needs it:

He described specifically the cardiac risk of artificially lowering blood pressure in an overweight person who then tries to exercise:

Regarding measurement: Aajonus categorically rejected the use of numerical measurements from the pharmaceutical industry as a guide for action:

He applied this principle directly: if a person has high blood pressure but feels well, no dizziness, no debilitating symptoms, then there is no problem. The number itself is meaningless. If a person feels symptoms, those symptoms are the signal, not the number.

High blood pressure headaches are specifically addressed as a recognizable sub-type. The common headache, Aajonus stated, most often comes from high blood pressure, which is most often caused by eating salt. He distinguished this from low blood circulation headaches and toxic blood stream headaches, each of which has its own characteristics and remedy.

Aajonus addressed directly the medical claim that high blood pressure causes strokes, specifically in the case of Jacob (referenced across multiple correspondence entries). He argued that the medical understanding was backwards: the stroke-like symptoms were the result of detoxification activity in the brain, not from uncontrolled high blood pressure. And he argued that CAT scans could cause irreversible brain scarring, which posed more risk than the high blood pressure itself.

In describing his own case, Aajonus revealed that he had had plaque on his right internal carotid artery since approximately age 12. Tests at age 15.5 showed PSV (Peak Systolic blood flow velocity) of 223 cm/sec and EDV (End-diastolic velocity) of 76 cm/sec. He explained what these numbers mean and explicitly disagreed with the conventional medical interpretation:

He noted that his lowest reading was PSV 168 cm/sec and EDV 49 cm/sec (in tests of 2/24/2007), which showed gradual improvement as he continued the Primal Diet. He explicitly stated he was not concerned about the high velocity readings:

He further noted that the three people he knew who had strokes while partially following his Primal Diet were heavy consumers of something (the source trails off), implying that the cause of strokes is dietary toxicity, not blood pressure.

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Grapefruit is the primary food Aajonus recommended to lower blood pressure when appropriate, specifically in cases where the blood pressure is dietary-irritant-driven (too much garlic or spices) or where the body might actually have enough nutrients to reduce it on its own.

Quantity: Half a grapefruit may be adequate, but some people may need more.

Protocol variation from the newsletter: Eat half a grapefruit daily for 10 days. If this brings the blood pressure down, the body simply lacked the nutrients grapefruit provides to lower it. If eating grapefruit does NOT help lower blood pressure, then the body needs high blood pressure and should keep it.

From the Q&A correspondence: "A half to a whole grapefruit normally resolves high blood pressure."

Important caveat: Aajonus was very clear that if a person has significantly clogged arteries and veins, grapefruit may not, and should not, fully lower the blood pressure:

This is a critical nuance: grapefruit is a tool to test whether the blood pressure is nutritionally driven or structurally necessary. If the body accepts the grapefruit's nutrients and lowers pressure, fine. If not, the body is telling you it needs that pressure.

Cucumbers serve a different function from grapefruit. Their role is to soothe stretched arteries, veins, capillaries, and nerves, addressing the mechanical stress that high blood pressure places on vascular structures.

No specific quantity was given in the available sources for cucumber.

Garlic has a stabilizing effect on blood pressure in either direction, it helps stabilize both high and low blood pressure.

This is distinct from the role of cooked garlic or garlic supplements, which are not endorsed by Aajonus.

Tomatoes are specifically mentioned in the context of hypertension, eating plenty of raw fats combined with raw fresh tomatoes is part of alleviating hypertension:

Tomatoes also contain high natural sodium, which disperses evenly and can help manage sodium balance without the crystallizing damage of table salt.

Unheated honey is specifically cited in the hypertension/high blood pressure context. It is listed alongside raw fats and raw tomatoes as part of the foundational approach to alleviating the condition.

Honey also appears in the blood-thinning formula for congested arteries (see below).

For a patient with severely blocked arteries (one 100% blocked, one 90% blocked with stent, one 60% blocked with two stents) whose blood pressure was necessarily high due to arterial congestion, Aajonus prescribed a specific blood-thinning protocol:

Formula: - 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar - 3 tablespoons unheated honey - Mixed together and poured into 2½ ounces of naturally sparkling mineral water

Frequency: 3 times daily Timing: Between 6–8 AM, 1–3 PM, and 9–11 PM

Duration Phase 1: 3 months, 5 days weekly (not 7 days, two days off per week)

Duration Phase 2: After 3 months, reduce to twice daily for another 3 months

Duration Phase 3: After those 3 months, reduce to 1 tablespoon of vinegar once daily for the rest of her life

Mechanistic explanation: The high blood pressure will propel this vinegar and honey mixture through the veins to begin dissolving the plaque. The blood pressure is not the enemy here, it is the delivery mechanism for the healing formula.

Additional recommendation for this case: "I suggest she eat lots of eggs."

Raw fats are foundational to addressing the root cause, arterial congestion from improperly metabolized cooked fats. Raw fats, unlike cooked fats, come with their full enzyme complement, which allows them to be properly digested, assimilated, and utilized. They do not crystallize in arterial walls. They help dissolve and remove old accumulated cooked-fat deposits.

Specific raw fats mentioned in the broader context of arterial and cardiovascular health include: - Raw unsalted butter - Raw cream - Raw eggs - Avocado - No-salt-added raw cheese - Raw coconut cream - Stone-pressed olive oil

For an overweight individual whose high blood pressure was driven by lymphatic congestion and excess weight, Aajonus prescribed a specific dietary approach:

The logic is that losing the excess weight removes the mechanical compression on the veins and capillaries, allowing the blood pressure to normalize naturally. He noted that the egg diet provides all the nutrients needed to start moving the lymph and clearing lymphatic congestion.

For the weight-driven type of high blood pressure, Aajonus specifically recommended looking up lymphatic congestion and performing the lymphatic bath:

In the context of overactive adrenals and hypertension related to glandular activity, Aajonus discussed foods high in natural sodium that "disperse evenly" rather than crystallizing in the bloodstream. These included tomatoes, celery juice, and avocados. He specified that watermelon, while high in natural sodium, contains too much sugar for the heart specifically.

When high blood pressure manifests as a headache, Aajonus provided an exact formula:

Formula: - 2 ounces of naturally sparkling water - 2 tablespoons of unheated honey - Juice of 1 lemon - Add 6 more ounces of naturally sparkling water - Drink

Expected relief time: Usually 20–40 minutes

This is specifically for the high-blood-pressure type headache, which he noted is most often caused by eating salt.

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Aajonus was explicit that for most people with ongoing arterial congestion, obesity, or structural vascular compromise, high blood pressure is appropriate and should be maintained, not eliminated. He stated:

This is the fundamental reframe: recovery is not necessarily the goal. In most cases, the goal is to address the underlying cause (arterial congestion, excess weight) and allow the blood pressure to normalize naturally over a very long timeline.

Aajonus gave his own timeline explicitly:

He himself had had plaque on his right carotid artery since age 12 (confirmed by test at 15.5 years). He noted that after many years on the Primal Diet, his most recent tests showed his lowest PSV reading yet (168 cm/sec and EDV 49 cm/sec as of 2/24/2007), demonstrating gradual but real improvement. He noted that he had recently added more vinegar and clay to his routine to specifically address carotid artery cleaning, and received favorable results: the photographs showed improvement in plaque thickness.

For individuals whose high blood pressure is primarily driven by excess weight, the egg diet protocol was expected to result in approximately 60 pounds of weight loss over 4 months. As the weight reduces, the mechanical compression on veins and capillaries decreases, and blood pressure can normalize proportionally. This is a structural change that takes time.

For blood pressure that is elevated due to eating too much garlic or spices (the least serious type), Aajonus's 10-day grapefruit protocol (half a grapefruit daily for 10 days) was expected to bring it down relatively quickly if the body simply lacked the nutrients grapefruit provides.

For severely congested arteries (the case of the 82-year-old woman with stents), the vinegar-honey-sparkling-water protocol ran for a minimum of 6 months in full dose (3 times daily for 3 months, then twice daily for 3 months), after which it reduced to once daily for life. The high blood pressure was expected to persist throughout this period because it was necessary to propel the vinegar and honey through the congested vessels. The blood pressure would presumably normalize gradually as plaque dissolved, but this was a long-term process.

Aajonus's guidance for someone newly transitioning to the Primal Diet who was experiencing high blood pressure (the Clarice case) was simply:

And separately:

This framing, that one should enjoy high blood pressure rather than fear it, encapsulates his entire philosophy on this condition. It is the body working correctly. The timeline for it to resolve is determined by how long it takes the underlying structural cause to be addressed through diet, and in many cases that spans years to decades.

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