Hypertension is the medical term used to describe high blood pressure. Blood pressure is a measurement of the force against the walls of your arteries as the heart pumps blood through the body.
Blood pressure readings are given as two numbers, 120 over 80 (written as 120/80).
The top number is your systolic pressure. It is considered high if it is over 140 most of the time.
The bottom number is your diastolic pressure. It is considered high if it is over 90 most of the time.
One or both of these numbers can be too high. There are many reasons why your blood pressure can be high sometimes it is due to heredity, ethnicity, diet, excess salt, obesity, stress or it can be brought on by another disease like kidney failure or endocrine disorders. Even worse your more likely to get high blood pressure as you get older because your blood vessels stiffen with age, that’s not surprising everything seems to go to pot as we get older.
Also consider when taking a reading, getting a high reading on one day, and normal readings on other days could be due to other factors for example one day I didn’t drink enough water during exercise, so I was very dehydrated – my blood pressure reading came out to 148/92 – when it was taken again later after I had water and rest it read 120/80 that is why it should be 148/92 or around that level most of the time for me to have high blood pressure.
The good news is that high blood pressure/hypertension can be controlled with diet and exercise.
Since I am prone to high blood pressure (family history) I have done a lot of research on the internet and in the library, where I have discovered 5 common herbs that can be used to control your blood pressure. The best part is that these items can be found in your local grocery and you won’ t have to spend a small fortune at some health food store or even at GNC.
1. Garlic – the British and Australian researchers have done studies where they have concluded that garlic reduces blood pressure significantly. One precaution garlic is an anticoagulant and may cause bruising or delay blood clotting.
2. Celery – this one is especially surprising to me – celery maybe used to help relieve gout, insomnia, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The Chinese have been using celery as a treatment for high blood pressure while of course we use pills. Precautions celery has a very high salt content which is known to raise blood pressure in some people also long term use of celery can deplete your potassium levels.
3. Pomegranates – like most fruits are filled with powerful antioxidants -Israeli researchers have found that subjects who drank at least 3 ounces of juice daily for one year reduced their blood pressure by 21%. Pomegranate juice antioxidant power is higher than what can be found in red wines or teas, research has shown it to effective in treatment for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. Preliminary studies show the juice maybe effective for use to prevent inflammatory diseases, and bacterial infections, plus it boosts your immunity. Expecting a baby this juice helps babies brains develop normally and protects their brains against prenatal brain injury.there are no precautions listed but since it is kind of sour check your sugar content, you don’t want to wipe out the benefits by drinking something that is overloaded with sugar.
4. Cocoa – now this is just awesome if you ever needed an excuse to indulge here it is but it has to be dark chocolate. Researchers having discovered that dark chocolate was higher in antioxidants than tea or red wine started to look into whether dark chocolate can help with heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. German researchers have found 3 ½ ounces of chocolate consumed daily was just as effective as taking a daily dose of your blood pressure pills. Things to watch out for chocolate does contain caffeine not as much as coffee but it can still mess with your sleep and of course some people might be allergic.
5. Ginger – the New England Journal of medicine published a study linking the use of ginger to a reduction of Heart disease and strokes because it helps lower blood pressure and prevents clots. On a personal note I have used ginger to help with nausea it is very effective for that purpose.
As with anything, even herbal remedies always check with your doctor first before using natural remedies and use common sense, over use of even natural ingredients can be bad for you. However, adding natural foods and ingredients can lead to a healthier diet which is always good for you in long run.
By: Elizabeth Fekete
