“Blood pressure is the slow silent killer. AvaLowerin can help”. Oh really? Actually, it’s high blood pressure that is the silent killer, not “blood pressure” as they say on the AvaLowerin website. Not all blood pressure is bad. Think about it; ya gotta have some blood pressure to stay alive right? This, and some of the ingredients in this product, was what prompted me to write this AvaLowerin review.
What is AvaLowerin?
AvaLowerin is a supplement that’s supposed to lower your blood pressure. AvaLowerin is made by company Health Center for Better Living located in Naples Florida. This company actually sells many products on their website HCBL.com. The company has Better Business Bureau rating of F when I wrote this review. There were 135 complaints in the last 3 years. See the BBB file for more information.
The rating is probably the result of complaints about many products, not 
AvaLowerin Ingredients
One capsule of AvaLowerin contains the following ingredients
| % DV | |
| Vitamin B12 333 mcg | 5555.70% |
| Folic acid, folate 2687 mcg | 66.8% |
| Magnesium 66.6 mg | 10.7% |
| Potassium 66 mg | 1.8% |
| Vitamin B1 16.7 mg | 1518.2% |
| Vitamin B6 16.7 mg | 1284.6% |
| Proprietary blend containing: | |
| Deodorized garlic powder | |
| L carnitin fumarate | |
| Ginger root | |
| Hawthorn berry extract | |
| Cayenne pepper | |
| Kelp | |
| L seleno methionine |
mcg = micrograms. mg = milligrams
Notice that they do not tell you how much of the “proprietary blend” is in AvaLowerin. While most supplement labels do not disclose the actual amount of each ingredient in proprietary blends, they usually do tell us how much all those ingredients add up to. AvaLowerin doesn't. They should tell us this.
Vitamin B12. I'm not aware of B12 having any significant blood pressure lowering effect. I've never seen a study where B12 lowered blood pressure in humans.
Folic Acid. The AvaLowerin website says it has “Folic acid, folate”. But which is it? Folic acid is not the same as folate. Folic acid is the synthetic form of the vitamin, while folate is the natural form. Are they saying that AvaLowering has both folic acid and folate? I’m not sure.
For more info, here are 3 facts about folic acid most people don’t know.
Magnesium. There is some evidence to support a magnesium might lower blood pressure mildly in people with high blood pressure. One problem is that it often takes more magnesium that AvaLowerin contains. Also, the blood pressure lowering effect seems greatest for diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number of blood pressure) than systolic blood pressure (the top number).
Potassium. Research suggests that potassium can lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The research is strongest for foods that have potassium (fruits and veggies have lots of potassium). The effect of potassium supplements and blood pressure is less studied but in theory they may have some effect. AvaLowerin only provides about 2% of your daily value for potassium. That’s not a lot. As such, I don’t feel its potassium content would have any significant effect on lowering blood pressure in most people.
Potassium rich foods are one of the main parts of the Dash Diet. The link I provided is a free pdf ebook on the DASH Diet.
Here is the official DASH Diet website if you want to know more.
Vitamin B1. In theory Thiamin (B1) may have a blood pressure lowering effect if too much is used. AvaLowerin does have 16.2 mg of B1. The usual adult intake is much less – about 1.2 mg per day. Is this enough to lower blood pressure in adults? I am not sure.
So, for all these vitamins, it looks like potassium and vitamin B1 might have the most BP lowering effects – followed, maybe, by magnesium.
Let’s look now at the proprietary blend of ingredients in AvaLowerin
Deoordized garlic. There is evidence that garlic can lower blood pressure (both the top and bottom numbers) in those who have high blood pressure. But I am skeptical of “odorless garlic” because I can’t find any good proof that odorless garlic works the same as regular, smelly garlic.
Blood pressure has two parts to it. The numbers are written as a fraction. The systolic blood pressure is the “top number” and diastolic blood pressure is the “bottom number”. So, if your BP was 120/80, that means your systolic pressure is 120 and diastolic pressure is 80.
L carnitin fumarate. This is actually a typo on the AvaLowerin website. I can’t find anything when I search for “Carnitin” so I think they are referring to Carnitine.
While preliminary research hints that L carnitine might help some people with heart disease, I can’t find anything that it lowers blood pressure. They may have added carnitine to AvaLowerin because heart disease and high blood pressure often go hand in hand, but I can’t be sure.
Carnitine was also one of the ingredients in the memory booster supplement Procera. check out my Procera review for more info that that product.
Ginger. At least one study – in rats – found that ginger lowered blood pressure. One rat study is not enough for me to think it does the same thing in people. If it does, how much do you need? This is unknown. Some speculate that ginger has effects like calcium channel blockers. As such, it has the potential to interact with various heart drugs.
Ginger sometimes is found in diabetes supplements. For example ginger was in Diab X and other products Ive reviewed on this website.
Hawthorn. The AvaLowerin website states that “The main ingredient is Hawthorn Berry”. If so, then why is Hawthorn listed as 4th from the bottom of the list of ingredients?
That means there is probably not a lot of hawthorn in AvaLowerin – and that’s good because hawthorn can alter heart function. As such, it may be dangerous if people are taking medications.
Be very cautious of hawthorn if you take any medications for heart disease or high blood pressure. Ask your doctor before using. I can’t say this more strongly.
The AvaLowerin website also says that “Parsley Leaf has also been shown to promote the flow of blood through arteries and veins”. But Parsley is not listed among the AvaLowerin ingredients. Why do they mention it then? If you find out, let me know.
Cayenne pepper. Very preliminary research hints that cayenne may cause an opening up of blood vessels (vasodilation). This may mean that cayenne might help lower blood pressure but at least one study finds cayenne pepper does not work.
Cayenne pepper is also one of the ingredients in the weight loss shake Right Size Smoothies
Kelp. Kelp has iodine and iodine helps us make thyroid hormone. Ironically use of iodine supplements has been found to be associated with low thyroid output (hypothyroidism). That said, while many know that thyroid hormone helps regulate the metabolism, it also can effect blood pressure. The big question is are you low in iodine. See the next section…
How To Test Your Iodine Levels
As was reported in the book, The Fatigue Solution, by endocrinologist, Dr Eva Cwynar it's possible to see if you are low in iodine. Get some USP tincture of iodine (not the clear version) and paint a 3 inch circle on your skin. The skin will look red/orange when you apply the iodine tincture. If the color disappears in 1-3 hours, you may be lacking in iodine. If, it takes 4-6 hours for the color to go away, your iodine levels are probably OK. Here is tincture of iodine on Amazon.com. Remember, do not drink this brand of iodine! If you feel you are deficient in iodine, go to your doctor for a more accurate test of your iodine levels.
L seleno methionine. This is just a fancy word for the mineral selenium. It’s selenium attached to the amino acid methionine. They bind the two together to increase absorption of selenium. One study noted that low levels of selenium may increase high blood pressure risk in men. Selenium is the very last ingredient listed in AvaLowerin so it probably does not have a lot.
Can You Take AvaLowerin With Medications?
I was very surprised to see that on the AvaLowerin website it says “Yes, Avalowerin can be taken with prescription medications”. I 100% disagree with this statement. AvaLowerin has not been tested for how it interacts with prescription medications –or other supplements – you may be taking.
The AvaLowerin website also states “FDA constantly monitors herbal supplement labeling”. Labeling? What does labeling have to do with herbal safety? The FDA does not test herbs for safety or how they interact with medications or other supplements.
AvaLowerin Side Effects
Since people with high blood pressure may be taking medications for high blood pressure – and other health issues – it really is best to speak to your doctor before using AvaLowerin. Print up this review and show it to your doctor so they can see the ingredients in AvaLowerin. I'm going to list a few of the potential side effects below but these are theoretical and based on what I think might happen in some people. Also keep in mind that other side effects may exist.
- Garlic might interact with many medications including heart medications, chemotherapy drugs and even Tylenol.
- Ginger might in theory interact with calcium channel blocker drugs and other heart /blood pressure medications.
- Hawthorn may interfere / interact with many medications. Speak to doctor before using hawthorn.
- Kelp might alter the effectiveness of blood thinner drugs and medications like synthroid that are used to treat low thyroid.
AvaLowerin Research
The AvaLowerin website states “Proof Positive-Published Scientific Studies Show These Ingredients Work!” But what they don’t say is that there is no published scientific proof that AvaLowerin works.
There is a big difference between studies on the individual ingredients in AvaLowerin and the AvaLowerin itself.
Also notice they didn’t say “these ingredients lower blood pressure!”. Rather, they just said they “work”. I'm splitting hairs here but I want to point this out.
Saying “it lowers blood pressure” it making a drug-claim, which is illegal in the US. So, they tap-dance around the law by saying “it works”.
How Much Does It Cost?
When I viewed the AvaLowerin website on 9/1/11, it said that a 3 month supply costs 29.96 per bottle. This means each bottle costs $29.96. Each bottle lasts 1 month so a 3 month supply will cost 29.96 x 3 = $89.88. That is $359.25 per year. I'm giving you the per year amount because they say that AvoLowerin is supposed to be taken “long term”. I’m cheap but I think that’s a lot of money. It’s actually costs less to join Planet Fitness (exercise helps reduce blood pressure too).
For those who are interested here is AvaLowerin on Amazon to compare prices.
How do I return AvaLowerin
The AvaLowerin website states that “You can return all empty and unused portions within one year of purchase for a refund or exchange. We do not pay for return postage. Please include a note with your return explaining the reason for the return and whether you want a refund or an exchange”. The number to call for customer service is 1-800-544-4225.
How to Naturally Lower Blood Pressure?
There are things that you can do to help reduce your blood pressure that have far more proof than AvaLowerin. Just some of the things you can do right now to naturally lower your blood pressure include reducing the salt (sodium) in the food you eat and eating more potassium rich foods. Stopping smoking also will help a lot. Losing weight – even just a few pounds – can significantly lower blood pressure too. Getting some physical activity –just a 20 minute walk – most days of the week can also help lower blood pressure.
Does Avalowerin Work?
While it’s hard to tell for sure because AvaLowerin has never been tested in a lab to see if it really does lower blood pressure in people, in theory, there may be something to it. Some of the ingredients may modestly help reduce blood pressure in some people but it’s hard to say either way. Blood pressure is a complex issue. High blood pressure can be caused by many things so it’s possible that in some people AvaLowerin may work, while in others, it may not work at all.
While I am sure some people will try AvaLowerin, I want to point out that all supplements work best when combined with other healthy habits.
Here is AvaLowerin on Amazon for those who want to read comments from others and avoid auto shipments.
What do you think?