Bring your high BP under control with these 3 powerful Ayurvedic herbs

High blood pressure, or hypertension, can be brought under control using certain herbs.
coriander chutney
Coriander chutney is great for digestion! Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Geetika Sachdev Updated: 4 Dec 2020, 17:23 pm IST
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High blood pressure, or hypertension, has become an epidemic in the last few years. For the uninitiated, people whose blood pressure measures above 140/90 are considered to suffer from hypertension. It may sound like any other lifestyle disease, but it can be extremely dangerous because other organ systems in the body get affected because of it. Eventually, high blood pressure can trigger heart issues, strokes and kidney failure.

The scary part is that high BP doesn’t really have any symptoms, which is why it remains undiagnosed for a long time, or until things go haywire. However, the good part is that it can be managed by following a strict diet and exercising regularly.

There’s another way to bring down your blood pressure, and that’s through the power of Ayurveda. There are some miracle herbs that prove to be really effective and help you tackle your BP issue in an effective manner.

Here are 3 herbs that can prove to be helpful in managing high blood pressure:
1. Basil

Don’t we all love the flavour of basil in our favourite Italian dishes? Well, this herb is also helpful when it comes to bringing down blood pressure. Sweet basil contains eugenol, a plant-based antioxidant that helps to reduce blood pressure, by serving as a natural calcium blocker. What it essentially does is that it prevents the movement of calcium into the heart helping the blood vessels to relax.
More research is being done to investigate how basil reduces blood pressure in people.

high BP
From body to mind, tulsi is truly a healer! Image courtesy: Shutterstock
2. Parsley

This herb is popular in American, European and Middle Eastern cuisine, and apart from adding so much flavour to food, it also contains other compounds, such as vitamin C and dietary carotenoids that can help bring down blood pressure.

A study titled ‘Carotenoids: potential allies of cardiovascular health?’ published in PubMed shows that carotenoid antioxidants reduce blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol, a big cause behind heart disease.

Besides, there are also some animal studies that have shown how parsley helps to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Parsley, too, acts like a calcium channel blocker that is known to relax and dilate blood vessels.

3. Garlic

This herb is easily found in all kitchen households, and also helps to bring down blood pressure. Garlic contains several sulfur compounds, such as allicin which helps to increase the flow of blood and relaxes the blood vessels. Due to these reasons, garlic reduces blood pressure.

high BP
Garlic has major health benefits for sure. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

A review of 12 studies on high BP found that taking garlic helps to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 8.3 mm Hg, and 5.5 mm Hg, respectively. The best part is that its effect is similar to blood pressure medications.

There was another 24-week study that was conducted amongst 30 people and found that 600 to 1,500 mg of garlic extract was just as effective at lowering blood pressure as the drug Atenolol.
Ladies, stock on these herbs the next time you go shopping, and reduce your blood pressure naturally!

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About the Author

An independent writer and journalist, Geetika loves sharp and fresh humour, just like her coffee! If not writing, you'll find her cafe-hopping and raiding the best book stores in town. ...Read More

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