Hibiscus flowers can combat hypertension
An estimated one in three Americans suffers from high blood pressure, or hypertension. That number rises to two in three for Americans over 65. Blood pressure can be reduced with prescription drugs. Unfortunately, users of those drugs have reported unpleasant side effects including fatigue, joint pain and sexual dysfunction.
The good news is that hypertension can also be treated natural therapies, including herbal supplements. These herbs have emerged as effective hypertension treatments:
Garlic
A 2005 study by Dr. David Ku at the University of Alabama gave a group of rats monochrotaline, a chemical that raises blood pressure, then gave half the group a daily dose of allicin, the active compound in garlic, equivalent to two cloves of raw garlic. After three weeks the rats that were given monochrotaline alone had high blood pressure, but the rats that also took allicin maintained the same blood pressure they had at the beginning of the study.
Hibiscus
In 2004 a group of researchers led by Armando Herrera-Arellano treated hypertensive patients at a hospital in Mexico with an extract made from the green outer petals of hibiscus blossoms. The subjects’ blood pressure was reduced by an average of 12 percent after four weeks of treatment.
Hibiscus tea made from two tablespoons of dried hibiscus is an effective daily hypertension treatment, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Stevia
The South American herb stevia is best known as a powerful sweetener. But according to two Chinese studies, it’s also an effective herbal treatment for hypertension. Research conducted in 2000 and 2003 found that patients who took 1,500 mg a day of stevioside, stevia’s active ingredient, lowered their blood pressure during the year-long study with no noted side effects.
Olive Leaf
Olive leaf extract can effectively treat mild or “borderline” hypertension, according to a 2008 study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research. Researchers in Switzerland and Germany studied 20 sets of identical twins with mild hypertension. One twin in each set was given 1,000 mg a day of olive leaf extract, and the other twin a placebo. After eight weeks, the twins who got olive leaf extract had lower blood pressure.
Concerned About Your Blood Pressure?
If you’re concerned about your blood pressure, a Naturopathic Physician can work with you to plan a personalized path to better health that includes natural therapies and lifestyle changes.
