Herbs for lowering blood pressure, herbs for hypertension – which are the best?

Herbs for lowering blood pressure help naturally normalize one of the most important indicators of our body’s condition, namely blood pressure. Hypertension is one of the most common health problems, affecting younger and younger people. Very often hypertension is ignored, and it should not be. It threatens not only our heart, but also other organs and increases the risk of serious complications, such as stroke or heart attack. Learn about the top 10 herbs for lowering blood pressure that can provide an alternative or support to standard hypertension remedies.

What is blood pressure and when can we talk about hypertension?

Blood pressure is called the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries. The heart, during contraction, pushes the blood, which is then distributed through the arteries and then returns through the veins to the heart. With adequate blood pressure, it is possible to transport blood throughout the body, and thus supply all cells, tissues and organs with oxygen and nutrients. The value of arterial blood pressure is influenced by the force of contraction of the heart muscle and the force of contraction and diastole of the arterial vessels.

The measurement of blood pressure is presented by comparing two values. These are the maximum value (the systole of the heart, or the moment when a new portion of blood reaches the arteries), called the systolic pressure, and the minimum value (the diastole of the heart, or the interval between successive waves of blood from the heart).

The normal blood pressure is:

• systolic pressure – 100-139 mmHg,
• diastolic pressure – 60-89 mmHg.

The optimal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg.

With hypertension, blood pressure is higher than 140/90 mmHg.

Hypertension can have 3 different degrees:

• 1st degree hypertension, mild – 140-159/90-99 mmHg,
• Hypertension of the 2nd degree, moderate – 160-179/100-109 mmHg,
• Degree 3 hypertension, severe – higher than 180/110 mmHg.

Why take care of normalized blood pressure as soon as possible?

The most common symptoms of excessively high blood pressure are pain in the occipital region of the head, pressure in the head, a throbbing sensation in the head, dizziness, tinnitus, nausea, vision problems, sleep problems and rapid fatigue.

For people prone to hypertension and all mature and senior citizens, regular monitoring of this important health parameter – blood pressure – should be a priority.

If, during blood pressure measurements, the results regularly exceed 140-159/90-99 mmHg, it is worthwhile to consult a doctor. In many cases, natural home remedies for lowering blood pressure can also be very helpful.

Remember that blood pressure that is too high requires our urgent intervention and taking systematic measures to lower it. If we trivialize the problem, it will grow.

The consequences of untreated high blood pressure

Hypertension is said to be a silent killer for good reason. Although it develops slowly, without any acute symptoms at first, it gradually begins to destroy the circulatory system and wreak havoc on the body.

Untreated hypertension can lead to, among other things:

• heart attacks,
• strokes,
• ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease),
• heart muscle failure,
• atherosclerosis,
• visual impairment and even blindness,
• kidney disease.

With repeated cases of elevated blood pressure, it becomes indispensable to revise our lifestyle, including changing our diet to a healthier one, introducing physical activity, taking care of sleep hygiene or avoiding stimulants such as cigarettes and alcohol. There are numerous medications for hypertension available in pharmacies, but they can only be obtained with a prescription.

There is also no shortage of herbal remedies on sale to help stabilize blood pressure. In addition to lowering blood pressure, they also show other beneficial effects, such as normalizing heart rhythm and balancing cholesterol levels. With their regular use over a long period of time, you can count on satisfactory results.

How to lower blood pressure?

There is no one-size-fits-all prescription for lowering blood pressure. Every body is different and reacts differently to various substances, so it is important to find a method tailored to individual needs. Also, the causes of hypertension sometimes vary. Undoubtedly, finding these causes and eliminating them should be the first step to permanently maintaining normal blood pressure.

Herbs for lowering blood pressure

While standard hypertension medications can be a very effective support, they are not always necessary. Natural therapies, including herbs with hypotensive effects, have recently become increasingly popular. They can be an effective alternative to pharmaceuticals, especially for milder forms of hypertension or when blood pressure spikes occur episodically. Which herbs for lowering blood pressure are worth paying special attention to?

Hawthorn

The fruits and flowers of hawthorn play a significant role in natural medicine, mainly due to their beneficial effects on heart function and the health of the entire cardiovascular system. The wide range of phytonutrients present in hawthorn leads to a reduction in excessively high blood pressure. The main mechanism of action of hawthorn is vasodilation and diastolic activity. With this activity, the herb improves blood flow, relaxes smooth muscles within the blood vessels and reduces vascular resistance.

Such active components of hawthorn as flavonoids, chlorogenic acid, procyanidins, anthocyanins, omega 3 acids, flavone glycosides play an important role in vasodilation. Hawthorn also increases the productivity of the heart muscle, making it pump blood more efficiently. The herb also participates in stabilizing blood cholesterol levels and seals and makes blood vessels more flexible.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe is one of the leading herbs for lowering blood pressure and improving the cardiovascular system. It contains a number of phytochemicals, including glycosides, saponins, biogenic amines, polyphenols and phenolic acids, which help dilate blood vessels and reduce blood pressure on arterial walls, resulting in a reduction in blood pressure. The alkaloids contained in mistletoe have a calming and tonic effect on the cardiovascular system, which also translates into stabilization of blood pressure.

Phenolacids, including chlorogenic acid, help dilate blood vessels by stimulating nitric oxide production, which helps lower vascular resistance and blood pressure. Flavonoids, such as quercetin and luteolin, have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help protect blood vessels from damage. They also improve the elasticity of the vessel walls and have a diastolic effect on the smooth muscles of the blood vessels.

Mistletoe extracts reduce excessively high blood pressure, while normalizing the heart, increasing its contractility and dilating coronary vessels. Thanks to these properties, the heart and circulatory system can work more efficiently.

Common Ruta

Among the group of effective blood pressure-lowering herbs is also common rue, a versatile natural remedy for many ailments known since ancient times. Ruta is abundant in essential oil, alkaloids and flavonoids, including rutin and quercetin, which provide powerful support for the cardiovascular system.

Flavonoids present in rue show strong antioxidant activity, protect blood vessels from damage, improve peripheral circulation, acta diastolic effect on blood vessels and improve the elasticity of their walls, thus contributing to lower blood pressure.

The essential oil contained in rue has calming and tonic properties for the nervous system. By reducing stress and tension, this oil can have an effect on lowering blood pressure, especially in people prone to nervous increases.

Heartburn

Consuming infusions of sweet cordwood herb is a method of gently lowering blood pressure, while reducing nervous system activity and normalizing heart rhythm. The components of cordial that affect the lowering of pressure and improvement of circulation are: cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, phytosterols, organic acids, triterpenes.

Cordial herb has an effect on blood vessels, increasing their capacity, relaxing them and making their walls more flexible. In addition, the herb contributes to increasing the blood supply to the heart, regulating the heart rhythm and improving coronary blood flow. This allows the heart muscle to work more efficiently. Along with lowering blood pressure and strengthening the heart, cordial takes care of the mental sphere. It reduces anxiety and fear, calms and helps you fall asleep faster.

Wild rose

Wild rose is one of the most popular herbs used to regulate blood pressure, as well as strengthen and seal blood vessels and provide antioxidant protection for the heart and entire circulatory system. The rosehip fruit is rich in vitamin C, flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin K, B vitamins, vitamin E, linoleic acid, organic acids, pectin and other substances, thanks to which it has a pressure-lowering effect.

Thanks to its richness in vitamin C, wild rose effectively increases the elasticity of blood vessels. Organic acids, including malic acid and citric acid, as well as numerous flavonoids present in wild rose have a diastolic effect on smooth muscles within the blood vessels, leading to a reduction in vascular resistance and blood pressure. In addition, rosehip exhibits diuretic properties, thus helping to remove excess fluids from the body and reduce the volume and amount of blood in the body and relieve vascular congestion. Thus, it also contributes to lowering blood pressure.

Fennel

Among the herbs for high blood pressure, it is worth noting a slightly less well-known, but efficient, effective and strongly health-promoting plant – fennel, or fennel. By chewing the seeds of this herb, the secretion of nitrites in saliva is increased, which in turn contributes to the reduction of blood pressure.

Moreover, fennel is rich in minerals, especially potassium, which plays an important role in regulating blood pressure. This element helps maintain the body’s electrolyte balance and provides better control over the volume of fluids in the body. It reduces excessively high systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while improving the functioning of the nervous system. It also has an effect on normalizing heart function.

European olive

European olive is a valued component of the Mediterranean diet due to its multitude of health benefits, including its ability to lower blood pressure. The main components of the European olive that have a blood pressure-lowering effect are polyphenols and omega 3 fatty acids. The constant presence of omega 3 fatty acids in the diet is one of the best ways to normalize blood pressure naturally.

Another valuable ingredient that goes into the European olive is oleuropein. It is a powerful antioxidant that protects blood vessels from free radical damage. In addition to normalizing blood pressure and improving coronary blood flow, European olive also exhibits many other valuable actions, such as lowering the LDL cholesterol fraction, reducing atherosclerotic plaque formation and strengthening the heart muscle.

You can find European olive extract along with many other ingredients with blood pressure and cholesterol normalizing effects in the dietary supplement Lipid Control Plus.

Sea buckthorn

Sea buckthorn is a plant with powerful health-promoting potential. Thanks to its beneficial effects on blood pressure and other beneficial properties, it is gaining more and more popularity among supporters of a healthy lifestyle. The main components of sea buckthorn, thanks to which the herb shows positive effects on the cardiovascular system, are numerous flavonoids (including quercetin, rutin and isocquercetin), unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, zinc, anthocyanins and phytosterols.

Sea buckthorn strengthens and makes blood vessels more flexible and reduces excessive tension in the vessels, thereby increasing their capacity and throughput and leveling blood pressure. The plant also supports the functioning of the heart, increases its blood supply and helps normalize the concentration of cholesterol in the blood.

Chamomile

Chamomile contains a high dose of flavonoids, essential oils, vitamin C, phenolic acids, mucilages and phytosterols. Chamomile tea has a relaxing effect on smooth muscles and promotes relaxation of the whole body, as well as the mind. Having a calming and relaxing effect, chamomile helps reduce excessive tension in the blood vessels and reduce excessively high blood pressure. Chamomile is also a way to protect the heart muscle and improve circulation.

Lemon balm

While lemon balm primarily works on the nervous system, showing sedative and relaxing effects, it can also prove itself as a blood pressure herb. It reduces stress and excessive tension, which can help lower blood pressure, especially in people suffering from hypertensionhypertension having to do with frequent contact with stressors and experiencing states of excessive nervous agitation.

The essential oil contained in lemon balm has a relaxing effect on the smooth muscles of the blood vessels. As a result, the vessels have a greater capacity, leading to a reduction in vascular resistance and blood pressure.

Safflower

Safflower is an herb with a long tradition in natural medicine. Its effect on lowering blood pressure and improving circulation is mainly due to its high concentration of bioactive substances, such as glycosides, flavonoids, lignans, steroids, polyacetylenes, phytosterols, polysaccharides.

Thanks to the phytochemicals it contains, safflower reduces tension in the walls of the arteries and dilates blood vessels, which normalizes blood pressure. It improves blood flow, prevents the formation of blood clots and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Safflower oil stabilizes cholesterol levels and prevents atherosclerotic lesions.

What’s better – single herbs or multi-herb blends for hypertension?

Is it worth using infusions of a single herb for blood pressure, or is it better to bet on multi-ingredient compositions? There is no clear-cut answer here. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the final decision depends on individual preferences, health conditions and the therapeutic effectiveness of specific herbal raw materials.

The main advantages of using herbs individually are the speed and simplicity of preparing infusions and the ability to monitor the effects of a particular plant on the body. In contrast, the main disadvantage is the limited effect on the body (fewer active ingredients than in the case of mixtures).

The advantage of blood pressure-lowering herbal mixtures is, first of all, a more complete and comprehensive effect (the individual elements of the mixture complement each other). The downside of mixtures is the risk of improper selection and the possibility of unfavorable interactions of individual components.