THE HEALTH AND FITNESS BLOG

June 02, 2022 – By Dr. Haider Khalid

High blood pressure is a prevalent chronic disease worldwide. According to statistical analysis, about 46% of the American adult population has above average blood pressure ⁽¹⁾.

Such a high prevalence is a dire state for health authorities. Therefore, everyone needs to take necessary actions against it. Hypertension is preventable with early diagnosis and prompt management, such as lifestyle modifications ⁽²⁾.

According to studies, one of the important lifestyle modifications that can help you control your blood pressure is the addition of herbs as a daily dietary component. This article will tell you about the top 7 herbal home remedies or products you can use to manage your blood pressure.

Garlic

You all are familiar with garlic. It is an important ingredient for almost every recipe. But probably, you haven’t given much thought to the health benefits of garlic. So let me tell you one of those important health advantages of garlic.

Garlic contains several compounds that prevent several heart diseases. One of those compounds, allicin, is an active factor that helps you to reduce high blood pressure ⁽³⁾. But to avail the anti-hypertensive effect of garlic, you would need to eat it in raw form.

Most interestingly, garlic shows similar results to several medications. For example, in a clinical study, individuals who took up to 1500mg of garlic for six months showed similar results to those taking blood pressure-lowering medications ⁽⁴⁾.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is an aromatic spice that you can easily incorporate into your meals. You can also take cinnamon supplements to achieve its health benefits. In addition, it is an important component of folk remedies. Humans have been using cinnamon in traditional medicine to treat several heart ailments, especially high blood pressure.

The exact mechanism of cinnamon is not well-understood. But animal studies reveal that its consumption helps relax blood vessels, ultimately reducing the blood pressure ⁽⁵⁾.

There are also human studies that confirm the effect of cinnamon on reducing high blood pressure. For example, in a clinical study conducted in 2013, participants who took cinnamon for 12 weeks showed a marked reduction in diastolic and systolic blood pressure ⁽⁶⁾.

Cardamom

Cardamom is a delicious spice. It gives a freshening feeling in the mouth due to its sweet intense flavor. Additionally, it also contains antioxidants.

Now let’s discuss the effect of cardamom on blood pressure. According to a 20-week clinical study on 20 newly diagnosed patients with high blood pressure, daily 3 gm consumption of cardamom powder showed a significant reduction in the blood pressure ⁽⁷⁾.

The exact mechanism of working is not entirely understood. But according to the findings of an animal study, cardamom dilates blood vessels and removes extra water from the blood ⁽⁸⁾. Both these effects help reduce blood pressure.

You can easily achieve the antioxidant effects of cardamom by incorporating it as an active ingredient in your recipes. Taking supplements can also help you, but you must first consult your healthcare provider before using supplements.

Ginger

Ginger offers multiple benefits and is an important ingredient of traditional medicine. For centuries, people have been using ginger because of its protective effects on heart health ⁽⁹⁾. For example, it helps reduce blood pressure, a potential risk factor for life-threatening conditions like heart failure and stroke.

Ginger has similar effects on the body as cardamom in reducing blood pressure. It helps in relaxing the blood vessels to reduce stress on the vessels. Additionally, it removes extra fluid from the body to decrease blood volume, consequently reducing blood pressure ⁽¹⁰⁾.

In a clinical study, 4000 individuals who consume 2-4 grams of ginger daily showed a reduced incidence of high blood pressure ⁽¹¹⁾. Thus, it would be best to use this delicious ingredient in your diet with meals. Alternatively, you can take supplements if you are inclined towards concentrated forms.

Celery Seeds

Celery seeds are an extraordinary spice that contains several minerals such as iron, magnesium, and manganese. In addition to acting as a good mineral source, it also helps reduce blood pressure. The blood pressure-lowering effect of celery seeds is quite remarkable.

In an animal study, extract of celery seeds showed a marked reduction in blood pressure in rats with pre-existing high blood pressure. But they didn’t affect the rats with normal blood pressure ⁽¹²⁾. The blood pressure-lowering effect of celery seed extract is due to its components that act as a calcium channel blocker. As a result, blood vessels dilate due to the blocking of special calcium channels, ultimately reducing blood pressure.

Celery seeds also contain dietary fibers which prevent the absorption of fats from the intestines into the blood ⁽¹³⁾. In the long run, reduced-fat absorption reduces the hardening of blood vessels. It reduces the risk of incidence of high blood pressure.

Parsley

Parsley is an herb with an impressive nutrient profile. It contains vitamin C, carotenoids, and several other compounds. Carotenoids and antioxidants help reduce blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol in the blood ⁽¹⁴⁾. Both of these effects are effective in reducing the risk of heart diseases.

But due to limited research, you should not completely rely on parsley to manage your high blood pressure.

Basil

The health effect of the flavorful herb basil is due to the presence of antioxidants, especially eugenol. Eugenol, just like celery seeds extract, acts as a calcium channel blocker. As a result, it relaxes the cells of arteries, ultimately resulting in the relaxation of the blood vessel.

Relaxation or dilation of blood vessels is primarily responsible for reducing blood pressure in people who consume basil as a daily dietary component ⁽¹⁵⁾.

You can incorporate basil in your meal as an active ingredient to keep tight control of your blood pressure. But you should not completely rely on it. Instead, it would be best to use a combination of herbal remedies for high blood pressure according to the advice of your health care provider.

REFERENCES

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