Herbs that can be used for high blood pressure
Recent technological revolutions have made our lives a lot simpler. We are doing a lot less with the life we have been given, in terms of what is physically required of us on a daily basis. No matter how less we have to go through these days in this simpler version of living, the sufferings that come with it can be your worst nightmare, my dear friend!
We are getting out of shape and overweight, our muscles have become stiff and oftentimes we experience joint pains due to lack of activity. To cut it short, we are suffering from a good load of health issues due to no physical exercise and our distance from nature.
Today, we are dedicating this post to breakdown the enigma of high blood pressure and herbs that you can use to normalize it.
What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, scientifically known as hypertension, is the pressure of blood against the vessels, higher than normal. Generally, blood pressure lower than or around 120/80 mm Hg is considered normal.
If your blood pressure consistently remains higher than 130/80 mm Hg, you are hypertensive and need to see a healthcare team to take action for normalizing blood pressure.
What causes High Blood Pressure?
There are two types of Hypertension:
- Primary Hypertension
- Secondary Hypertension
Primary hypertension, also known as essential hypertension, is idiosyncratic. When there seems to be no cause for your consistently elevated blood pressure, you are suffering from primary hypertension
Secondary hypertension, on the other hand, occurs due to some other disease, a sedentary lifestyle, use of certain medications, and various other reasons.
The most common causes of hypertension that have been reported are:
- Obesity
- Age over 65
- Heavy intake of alcohol and caffeinated drinks
- Lack of sleep
- Too much salt intake
- Lack of physical exercise
- Inheritance
- Smokes tobacco
Herbs for High Blood Pressure
We all know how good it feels after a bit of exercise. Our built-in reward system boosts our health, lifts our spirits, and revamps our overall sense of well-being. With a healthy lifestyle, throw in some antihypertensive herbs and it is a perfect recipe for creating your own miracle.
Hawthorn
Hawthorn is a heart-friendly herb and has earned a remarkable reputation for controlling high blood pressure and high cholesterol. There are several studies, both preclinical and clinical, that conclude that hawthorn tea/extract improves blood circulation, enhances coronary artery blood flow, and lowers mildly elevated blood pressure. It is a precious gift of nature for those who have swollen ankles and wrists due to hypertension. It unclogs the arteries, slows the process of blood clotting, and relaxes the vessels to widen the space and allow smooth passage of blood flow.
Garlic
With more and more benefits of garlic popping up all around the world, there is yet another one left to celebrate, and that is its phenomenal antihypertensive activity. It reduces the soaring levels of soaring blood pressure and hardening of walls of the arteries, thereby marking a reduction in high blood pressure. You can add it to your routine by cooking with more garlic in your diet. Or you can go the extra mile and take it in the form of capsules as well as Lacto-fermented or infused in honey.
Onion
While onion brings massive flavor to Indian kitchens, it has been offering some serious medicinal benefits too. A study suggests that its quercetin content reduces systolic blood pressure by 3 to 6 mm Hg. Add raw or cooked onions to plates for a healthy cholesterol level and reduction in high blood pressure. Additionally, you can step up the game and opt for quick pickling onions or Lacto-fermenting onions which can be another way to add onions to your daily lifestyle for better cardiovascular health.