Herbs that Lower Blood Pressure
Unfortunately, high blood pressure is a very frequent phenomenon in the modern world. And if long time ago this problem was inherent in elderly people nowadays hypertension has become known for young people of 30 – 35. Stressful situations, use of great amount of coffee, unhealthy lifestyle – all these factors are the links of one chain, leading to the arterial pressure raising. Though it’s not always desirable to take pills, that’s why many people apply to the traditional methods of treatment and plants that low blood pressure are very helpful here. And this article tells which plants are helpful in this context and which ones don’t fit for this aim.
What Herbs Lower Blood Pressure?
Natural products such as herbs, berries, leaves, tree bark are the perfect substitutes for the medicines. You can get these products quite free of charge, they practically haven’t side effects. They are considered not less effective than tablets and pills. As a rule, these plants are actively used for lowering blood pressure.
* The hawthorn (usually its flowers are used more often) normalizes the cardiac activity, gets low blood pressure, eliminates dizziness and headaches;
* The motherwort is especially effective in the early stages of hypertension, it calms the nervous system
* The periwinkle expands the vascular lumen it shows provide a clear hypotensive effect, helps in atherosclerosis.
A good effect can be obtained from the combination of herbs used as collections of medicinal plants, i.e. mixes of various plants with a similar effect. These mixes can be combined in different ratios, using any of the following herbs: cottonweed, field horsetail, sweet-clover, locoweed, strawflower, birch leaves, yarrow, mistletoe etc. The tea prepared with these mixes can be drunk during several months, approximately half a glass a day half an hour before the meal. The result will be noticeable already in the first week of the treatment also.
Fresh squeezed plant juices also can be mentioned here: a dog-rose and chokeberry juices lower blood pressure perfectly well.
Does the Motherwort Lower or Raise Blood Pressure?
The motherwort is known with its obvious sedative effect. Periwinkle based medications lower the excessive motor activity, exacerbate the effects of sleeping pills, have cardiotonic and hypotensive action.
The motherwort lowers blood pressure. For many years this plant is used in medicine in the following purposes:
* Heart rhythm regulation;
* State stabilization in vascular neurosis and angina;
* Blood pressure stabilization at hypertension.
Positive dynamics is observed in all these cases after taking the motherwort medications.
The hypotonic effect of this plant is especially obvious at the raising of blood pressure connected with the disorder of autonomic functions, e.g. in the period of menopause and climacteric.
The infusion or tincture of the motherwort doesn’t have a strong medicinal effect: the dosage is calculated gradually, attention should be paid at the organism reaction on this medication.
More often the motherwort tincture is taken from 30 to 50 drops to 4 times a day, an hour before the meal.
Does the Hawthorn Lower or Raise Blood Pressure?
The main property of the hawthorn is the cardiotonic affect. It improves myocardial function, serves as a preventive measure of its early fatigue. Besides, the plant influences positively on the irregular heartbeat, eliminates the vascular spasms, extends the blood vessels of the heart and expands brain vessels.
The hawthorn lowers blood pressure: these properties are accounted by the presence in it flavonoids and triterpenes. The positive effect of the use of the hawthorn at hypertension it’s the result of the vasodilator and antispasmodic action of this plant. The hawthorn regulates the degree of pressure on the venous vessels and also it increases the elasticity of the arteries and capillaries. The inflorescence even more than the fruits have got the strongest effect. 25 drops of the tincture of hawthorn berry taken up to 4 times a day before the meal.
Does the Tutsan Lower or Raise Blood Pressure?
The tutsan possesses the astringent and anti-inflammatory properties. The medications based on this plant are often used for the treatment of the throat and oral cavity, digestive system, urinary organs and liver. You can rinse your mouth with tutsan herbal infusion at gingivitis and stomatitis and make compresses for wounds and scratches.
The tutsan is indispensable for the treatment of the following diseases:
* dyskinesia, hepatitis;
* inflammation of the gallbladder;
* biliary stasis;
* gastritis with insufficient acidity
* flatulence;
* urolithiasis etc.
The tutsan doesn’t have the direct influence on the blood pressure. Though if you take the tutsan based remedies for a long time and unsystematically than the blood pressure raise can appear as one of the side effects. Thus the tutsen can raise the blood pressure but this effect isn’t its direct property, only its side effect.
Does the Thymus Lower or Raise Blood Pressure?
The thymus is a bactericidal and bacteriostatic plant which has inter alia expectorant and enveloping properties and anti-inflammatory action. The medications with thymus are capable to influence even on such pathogenic microorganisms which even antibiotics can’t suppress. The thymus accelerates production of gastric acid, blocks the development of pathogenic microorganisms and eliminates the spasms of digestive system.
The most frequent use of the thymus is the aim of treatment of inflammatory processes in the oral cavity and throat, especially accompanied by pyogenic infection. The thymus is indispensable at laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, as it has bactericidal, expectorant and phlegm action.
Still does the thymus raise or lower blood pressure? The plant contains flavonoids which explain some antispasmodic properties of it. In case the blood pressure is connected with the angiospasm the thymus can lower it easing the tension of the vascular walls. Though this happens not always, at a prolonged use of the thymus in large doses the blood pressure can on the contrary raise. This effect isn’t directly connected with the action of the plant but rather is a side effect of the uncontrolled usage of this herbal medicinal product.
Does the Hemp Lower or Raise Blood Pressure?
For a long time the hemp plant has been used for the epilepsy and migraine treatment, at sleep disorders and in sclerotic changes in the cerebral vessels. The hemp has even been used in the treatment of malignant tumors as well as at bronchial asthma, increased intraocular pressure and immunodeficiency disorders. As the effect of the plant was so strongly marked it was no need to make infusions or other dosage forms for the therapeutic effect. It was just enough to chew hemp leaves periodically.
Nowadays the use of hemp is prohibited, although the beneficial properties of the plants could be successfully used for medicinal purposes.
As for the question, whether the hemp lowers or raises the blood pressure, we can answer the following: one of the hemp characteristics is its ability to inhibit vascular spasms. Just this property helps to prevent uncontrolled raise of blood pressure associated with the vascular spasm. The hemp use in large doses can cause a significant reduction in blood pressure up to the critical parameters. Only emergency medical care can help in such cases.
Does the Lemon Balm Lower or Raise Blood Pressure?
The lemon balm is the plant, which like to add into tea, compotes and fruit jellies like kissel. Traditional healers use the leaves and flowers of the lemon balm for the treatments of the digestive system, heart neurosis, asthma, convulsions. This plant steadies the nerves, enhances appetite, eliminates the flatulence and relieves the nausea. Women drink lemon balm tea for migraines, insomnia helps, during menstruation as well as in stressful situations.
Does the lemon balm lower or raise blood pressure? Indeed, this plant has effect the blood pressure. As a rule, the lemon balm reduces blood pressure indicators. You can just add the lemon balm leaves to tea, but many amateur cooks use lemon balm leaves in salads, first courses, sauces as well as a food additive to meat or fish dishes.
Does the Sage Lower or Raise Blood Pressure?
The sage has got anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which is explained by the presence of tannins and flavonoids in its leaves. Besides, it has been experimentally proved, that the sage plant: increases digestive system secretions and regulates perspiration. Therefore the sage is actively used at skin inflammation and mucous, for ulcers elimination, at wound healing, at inflammation of the stomach wall (especially with hypoacidity).
The sage can a little reduce arterial pressure, because it has a slight antispasmodic effect. This effect of the plant is a result of galenic forms in it. It allows using the sage based medications to treat spasms of the digestive tract, the urinary system, angiospasms. The sage is used both separately and the integrated herbal too.
There is no significant effect on the blood pressure readings if take infusions periodically and irregularly. A frequent and excessive use of the sage can really destabilize the pressure and the deviations from the norm can be either to one or other side.
Does the Ginger Lower or Raise Blood Pressure?
Recently, the ginger has gained considerable popularity first of all due to the fact that ginger root is actively used for weight loss. Besides, the ginger is valued for other useful properties too such as: antiemetic effect, pain elimination, cholesterol-lowering, activating of the digestive processes, appetite stimulation.
The ginger tea has been a proven tool of the body recovery during physical exercises and mental stresses, as well as a cure for stresses.
As people have lately started using ginger very often the question of its possible ability to influence the blood pressure indicators is quite disputable. Can ginger lower or raise blood pressure?
Really, the ginger root has a unique property to stabilize blood pressure. It thins the blood out by facilitating blood flow, improves tissue nutrition delivering oxygen to them. Ginger tea activates blood circulation normalizing low blood pressure. In cases of high blood pressure dilates blood vessels walls which result in lowering blood pressure readings and improves a patient’s general state. The only condition recommended here is not to combine the ginger treatment with a simultaneous use of medications affecting blood pressure as it can lead to unpredictable consequences.
Does the Mint Lower or Raise Blood Pressure?
The mint is a popular plant added to drinks, hot dishes, bakery products and confection both in fresh or dry form. This plant contains menthol – a substance with a pleasant taste and smell.
Mint medications tranquilize, relieve spasms, stimulate bile flow, stabilize microflora and slightly alleviate pain. Blood circulation in the capillary network is enhanced due to the mint.
Still does the mint raise or lower blood pressure? Long-term observations have shown that the mint has a slight hypotensive effect but this effect does not play a key practical role. Mint leaves can only stabilize small blood pressure fluctuations but it’s hardly can help at a resistant hypertension.
The mint lowers blood pressure a little and this is due to the vasodilator effect of the plant when angiospasms are eliminated and the nervous system relaxes. But one should mind that mint can cause allergy, so while using caution is needed.
Does the Dog-Rose Lower or Raise Blood Pressure?
Medicinal effects of the dog-rose can be explained mainly by the presence of a large number of vitamins in its fruits such as vitamin C, P, PP B group, as well as K, A и E. The complex of nutrients of the dog-rose allows using it at vitamin deficiency, at decrease of strength of the immune system, at physical overwork and stress overloads. The dog-rose is used as subsidiary remedy in the treatment of infectious diseases, atherosclerosis, kidney diseases, liver diseases, at the pathologies of the digestive system, at angiostaxis and diathesis.
How can the dog-rose influence on the blood pressure? The medications with dog-rose fruits can lead to vascular permeability, eliminate swelling and have a small diuretic property. To some extent it may affect blood pressure lowering. However the dog-rose doesn’t produce a pronounced hypotensive effect that’s why you shouldn’t rely only on this herbal remedy at hypertension.
Does the Calendula (the Marigold) Lower or Raise Blood Pressure?
The medicinal use of calendula (which is often known as marigold) is based on bactericidal, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effects of the plant. The infusion of marigold is used for gargling, lavement, syringing as well as taking it inside for inhibition of microbial flora, increasing the gallbladder secretion and stomach.
However the marigold is often also used for the treatment of cardiovascular pathologies. Does the calendula lower or raise blood pressure? How does the plant affect the blood vessels?
The influence of the calendula on the heart function and vascular condition is determined by the clear cardiotonic and hypotensive properties. For instance, the lowering of blood pressure by about 35% from the baseline was observed at the use of large doses of calendula based medications. At the same time the frequency of contractions of the heart slowed down, the amplitude increased and the breathing became less frequent and deeper.
So, the positive effect of the marigold is observed at heart and blood vessels diseases accompanied by blood pressure raising, puffiness and heart palpitations. The calendula helps to lower blood pressure. You can use the calendula tincture (10 – 20 drops diluted by 100 ml of water) or the infusion of marigold flowers (take 2 tbsp of boiled water 50 ml three times a day).
Does the Valerian Lower or Raise Blood Pressure?
First of all, valerian is known for its sedative and tranquilizing effect. The root of valerian normalizes the heart activity, relieves spasms, regulates biliary excretion and stabilizes sleep.
Does the valerian lower or raise blood pressure? The valerian root medications contribute to the expansion of the coronary vessels and arterial pressure reduction. However the effect of valerian is not evident immediately. It has been growing steadily during the regular and long-term treatment. Patients note the elimination of irritability, improving of sleep, stabilization of blood pressure.
As a rule, the valerian is tolerated by patients well, but sometimes allergy can occur. If the allergy is not observed, it is recommended to take valerian the tincture on average 25 drops 3 – 4 times a day. In case the valerian pills have been prescribed, take 1-2 pills (0.02 g) ones at a time. If there are such symptoms as dizziness or weakness, the dose should be reduced.
Does the Chamomile Raise Blood Pressure?
The pharmaceutical chamomile is an antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, bactericidal and soothing herbal remedy. The chamomile relieves spasms of the digestive system, facilitates biliary excretion, reduces swelling, heals ulcers and repairs damaged tissue. A chamomile tea is often used at peptic ulcers, enterocolitis, flatulence, intoxications and abdominal pains.
The chamomile also affects the cardiovascular system: breathing becomes deeper and stronger, the heart rate quickens and blood vessels dilate at the use of medication. Can the chamomile affect the blood pressure in any way?
The relaxing effect of the chamomile may also affect some reduction in blood pressure. But as a rule, this reduction is not significant and it hasn’t got any practical use.
The chamomile flowers are used in the integrated herbal for a more pronounced hypotensive action. In addition to the chamomile, these herbals include a valerian root, calendula, lemon balm and other plants.
Does the Bergamot Raise Blood Pressure?
The bergamot tea is a fine and delicious drink, which has a plenty of useful properties moreover. Bergamot is a perfect antiseptic, analgesic, tonic and resolvent. The tea with the bergamot addition significantly eliminates the stressful effects, removes depression and normalizes the nervous processes. The fragrance of plant is recommended for inhaling to enhancing memory and mental activity.
The smell of bergamot allows to soothe the irritated nasal passages and to remove the swelling of the mucous at a cold and sore throat.
The bergamot will help at problems with stomach: it gently stimulates the gastric acid secretion and increases appetite.
And does the bergamot raise blood pressure? The answer is only one: no, it doesn’t. On the contrary, a regular use of bergamot contributes to a small reduction in blood pressure, which relieves the general state of hypertensive patients temporarily.
A single consumption of a bergamot flavored beverage can hardly affect the blood pressure readings.
Does the Oregano Raise Blood Pressure?
What medicinal effect has the oregano got? It’s a perfect anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and soothing plant. The oregano medications increase bile production, diuresis, relaxes the nervous system.
The oregano herb is prescribed at poor appetite and a weak digestion (especially with a low stomach acidity), constipation and an increased flatulence.
The oregano has also got sedative properties. It’s recommended at insomnia, stresses, irritability. Dry oregano herb can be added to an ordinary tea too – it helps to relax the nervous system and makes the beverage tastier.
Does the oregano raise blood pressure? The oregano can increase the pressure only at inhalations: the essential oils can increase blood pressure readings. If you use oregano as a tea or tincture it helps to reduce blood pressure to normal one and is recommended at hypertension and a tendency to an increased high blood pressure. However, it is not recommended to drink too much oregano tea: the plant can cause allergies.
Does the Jasmine Raise Blood Pressure?
Jasmine tea is recommended for use at depressions, stressful situations, neurotic disorders, insomnia. The benefit of the jasmine for a human body is irrefutable. It’s prescribed at hepatitis, cirrhosis, spasmodic abdominal pains and at infectious diseases.
Does jasmine raise blood pressure? The decoction or infusion of jasmine flowers and leaves stabilizes and improves blood pressure with its slight blood pressure fluctuations. Though it’s not good to use jasmine in large amounts this can provoke headache, migraine and deterioration in health.
To make jasmine tea is quite easy: 1 – 2 tsp of dried flowers should be filled with boiling water and infuse them. Many people mix jasmine with green tea for more taste and fragrance, it intensifies the tranquilizing effect of the drink. In the morning such tea will invigorate and prepare for deep and good sleep at night.
At any case choosing herbs for lowering blood pressure it possible consult the therapist. Measure blood pressure regularly – this can be done at any drugstore. Spend more time in the open air, break bad habits and don’t overwork. And herbs lowering blood pressure always help you to be fit at any age.