Hi Folks!
Hypertension or high blood pressure has become one of the most common lifestyle health problems.
Around 75 million Americans or one in three have problems with high
blood pressure but only 54% of those cases are believed to be under control.
The symptoms of high blood pressure are not evident initially, and by the time
they become visible, it might have become a life-threatening condition.
For this reason it is also known as the “Silent Killer”.
High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks,
stroke, kidney failure and other disorders if it is neglected and remains untreated.
Apart from the medications available, there are certain herbs that can help
lower your blood pressure and in today’s video we will tell you what these are.
From Ashwagandha to Yarrow, stay tuned to find out about these and more!
Brahmi:
Brahmi is an ancient Indian herb, traditionally valued as a miracle
brain food to enhance your memory development, learning and concentration and a general tonic.
In recent times, Brahmi has been shown to be effective in controlling high blood pressure.
It does this by releasing nitric oxide, which helps dilate your blood vessels,
resulting in improved blood flow and lower blood pressure
It is also a potent adaptogenic herb,
meaning it can better control your blood pressure and help reduce stress.
You can take Brahmi every morning to rejuvenate the body and mind.
Just boil it in water or milk as a tea.
You can also take it in supplement form which is available at the market.
Ashwagandha:
Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb which has been classified as an adaptogen,
meaning that it can help your body manage stress.
Stress and anxiety can boost your blood pressure to unwanted levels.
Ashwagandha has a positive impact in lowering both
your blood pressure and pulse rate by reducing stress and anxiety.
It can also reduce your serum cortisol levels thereby elevating your mood.
Ashwagandha also helps to increase your body’s general vitality and resistance,
strengthening the body’s systems.
You can take ashwagandha in capsule form
or purchase it as part of a specially blended formula.
Either way, taking a dosage each day will help you lower blood pressure levels.
It may take some time but change will happen.
Bhringraj:
You may not have heard a lot about this herb, but Bhringaraj is an Ayurvedic plant
which is quite popular in other parts of the world because of its health benefits.
There are many bioactive compounds in bhringaraj, such as oroboside,
ursolic acid and luteolin to name a few - which account for its numerous health benefits.
Dried Bhringraj leaves have been shown to lower
blood pressure and cholesterol levels in people with hypertension problems.
This leads to greatly reduced risk of heart disease as well.
Bhringraj leaves along with honey can be used to treat conditions such
as heart palpitations due to high blood pressure.
Bhringraj is available in powder, oil and tablet form.
The recommended dosage is about 1-3 grams per adult.
Hibiscus:
Hibiscus tea is an herbal tea made as an infusion from crimson or deep
magenta-colored calyces of the roselle flower and hibiscus.
It has a tart, cranberry-like flavor.
Hibiscus tea can be helpful in lowering your blood pressure.
It has been found to lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Within an hour of consumption, the antioxidant power of your
bloodstream shoots up as the tea’s antioxidant phytonutrients are absorbed into your system.
You can make hibiscus tea easily by adding one tea bag to a cup of
boiling water and letting it steep for 5 minutes.
You can have it both hot and cold.
For cold tea use ice and water instead of boiling water.
You should drink hibiscus tea two to three times every day for best results.
Hawthorn:
Hawthorn berries are tiny fruits that grow on
trees and shrubs commonly found in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Their berries are packed with nutrition and have a tart, tangy taste, mild sweetness,
and can range in color from yellow to deep red to black
Hawthorn can act as a vasodilator, meaning it can relax your constricted
blood vessels which ultimately helps in lowering your blood pressure.
You can have it in the form of brewed tea, dried powder or as supplements.
Mix one teaspoon of leaves and flowers with 8
oz of boiling water and let it steep for thirty minutes before straining.
Try this tea for at least three times daily after meals.
Linden:
Linden is a rather uncommon herb which has been used for centuries
as a nonnarcotic treatment to help with sleep and anxiety.
It has also been shown to reduce blood pressure.
This is due to the presence of farnesol which acts like
a natural calcium channel blocker and helps in reducing your blood pressure.
Linden is also a mild diuretic and gently dilates
your blood vessels allowing blood to flow more freely.
The appropriate dose of linden depends on several factors such as the user's age,
health, and several other conditions.
You can make Linden tea by boiling water in a small pot.
Now take another cup and add Linden leaves to it.
Remove the pot from heat and let sit for 1-2 minutes.
Pour hot, but not boiling water over the leaves.
Let it steep for 3-15 minutes, then strain any loose leaves from the tea.
Cramp Bark:
This probably won’t surprise you, given its common name,
but Cramp Bark is exceptional at relieving muscle cramps.
It is loaded with healthy bioactive compounds like valeric acid, tannins,
and flavonoids like astragalin, paeonoside.
It can relieve tension in your cardiac muscle, arteries and veins,
which can contribute to decreased blood pressure.
It can also help relax your muscles and blood vessels,
which can relieve pain and reduce blood pressure as well.
This is especially good if you have lots of stress, tension and a type A attitude.
Cramp bark supplements are most commonly available as tea or concentrated liquid extracts.
However, you can also purchase them in capsule form.
Most cramp bark supplements are made only from the bark of the plant,
but some also include the flowers or berries.
Gotu Kola:
Gotu Kola or Centella asiatica is a perennial, herbaceous creeper with kidney shaped leaves,
found in India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, South Africa, Australia, China, and Japan.
It contains several active constituents, of which the most important are the triterpenoid saponins.
It also contains volatile oils, flavonoids, tannins,
phytosterols and amino acids which are very good for you.
Gotu Kola has been shown to reduce inflammation and also decrease blood pressure in your veins.
This may be because gotu kola has a positive metabolic effect
on the connective tissue of your vascular wall.
Take 60 to 100 mg of gotu kola extract 3 times per day for a week for best results.
Triphala:
Triphala has been used for centuries in India to rejuvenate the body,
and it is considered to be one of the most important Ayurvedic formulas.
Triphala consists of three herbs,
which together form a powerful combination that works in a gentle, but profound way.
The three herbs are amla or Emblica officinalis,
haritaki or Terminalia chebula, and bibhitaki or Terminalia bellica.
It helps lower high blood pressure through various mechanisms.
It lowers edema and inflammation due
to which there is less pressure against your blood vessel walls.
Inflammation leads to atherosclerosis which narrows your blood vessels.
By lowering inflammation there is less resistance against vessel walls,
which helps lower your blood pressure.
This lessening of resistance also decreases the workload of your heart.
You can take it in tablet form, syrup or powder.
Ginkgo Biloba:
Ginkgo biloba or Ginkgo is one of the oldest living tree species.
It is also one of the best-selling herbal supplements in the United States and Europe.
It is very effective in lowering your blood pressure.
This is due to the presence of important antioxidants, terpenoids, and flavonoids,
which are known to lower your blood pressure and improve the health of your heart.
Ginkgo biloba can also thin your blood while dilating your blood vessels,
which allow the blood to circulate more easily thereby reducing your blood pressure.
Ginkgo is available in capsule form, liquid extracts, and dried leaf for teas.
Adults are recommended between 120 to 240 milligrams a day in divided doses.
It appears to take 4 to 6 weeks before you would notice improvements.
Yarrow:
Yarrow is an herb whose above ground parts are used to make medicine.
It is loaded with flavonoids, vitamin C, bitters, tannins,
alkaloids and various other compounds which are very beneficial for your health.
It is most commonly used as a first-aid treatment for wounds and nosebleeds.
It has been known to stop bleeding and move stagnant
blood which prevents and clears blood clots.
The flavonoids in the herb dilate the peripheral arteries thereby increasing
blood flow and helping lower your blood pressure.
It can also lower high blood pressure by toning your blood vessels.
Now that was quite an interesting list.
Go try out these herbs and let us know how that worked out for you in
terms of lowering blood pressure in the comments section below!