There are many factors contributing to raised blood pressure; e.g. diet, lifestyle, stress or lack of exercise. Hypertension, if left untreated, can result in serious medical conditions such as heart attack, kidney failure or stroke. Many people have begun to turn to natural remedies and cures for high blood pressure. While conventional medicines often do not address the root causes, natural remedies treat both its symptoms and the underlying causes. Let’s examine the most effective ones in greater detail.
Herbal remedies
Herbs frequently used to control and regulate blood pressure levels include hawthorn, passionflower, guelder rose (also known as water elder, European cranberry bush, cramp bark or snowball tree) and ginkgo. They are often the base for ready-made herbal remedies. All of them have the ability to lower blood pressure and act as a tonic for the heart.
You can grow them in your garden, buy them individually or as a ready-made mix from herbal suppliers and online. If you buy them, always source your herbal remedies from a reputable company to ensure maximum safety and efficacy.
You can create a mix for raised blood pressure from 30ml of hawthorn tincture (strength 1:2, i.e. one part of plant material and two parts of alcohol), 20ml of yarrow and 30ml of lime flower tincture (both strength 1:5) and 20ml of valerian tincture (strength 1:1). Making tinctures is not difficult but if you don’t want to do that it is possible to buy them ready-made. To make the mix, pour the tinctures together into a dark glass bottle and store at room temperature. The mix can be used for up to a year.
For treatment, take 5ml diluted in water, 2-3 times day. In addition to the mix you can take 1-2 fresh cloves of garlic or 5g of garlic powder in capsules, once or twice a day. Be aware that hawthorn is not always compatible with conventional hypertension medication and yarrow should not be taken by pregnant women, and with caution if you are allergic to the plants in the daisy and sunflower families. Garlic may interact with prescription blood-thinning drugs and aspirin. Do not take large doses of garlic for prolonged periods of time or when pregnant or breastfeeding and in the weeks before and after any type of surgery.
Diet and lifestyle
Changing your diet is an important part of lowering high blood pressure. A diet that helps to reduce blood pressure consists of vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, beans, nuts and a limited amount of salt. Fish oil, folic acid, calcium and magnesium supplements have been shown to be beneficial for reducing blood pressure as have mind-body practices, particularly autogenic training, biofeedback, yoga and aerobics.
Herbal treatment for hypertension can last from six months to two years, after which you should see a sustained improvement in your blood pressure readings. The best results are achieved when you use natural remedies consistently and follow the recommendations regarding diet and lifestyle. If you are currently taking prescription medicines for hypertension, it is important to consult your doctor before making any changes or additions to your medication. During treatment you should also have your blood pressure checked regularly.
Monika Ruthe is a complementary therapist and the creator of an online information resource on natural healing remedies. To discover the best natural remedies for a variety of common ailments visit http://www.naturalhealingremedies.biz
