5 Common Herbal Remedies For High Blood Pressure

Hypertension is a medical term used to describe high blood pressure. Blood pressure is a measure of the force on the wall of your artery 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 exceeds 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 may sometimes be due to race, ethnicity, diet, excessive salt, obesity, stress or it can be caused by other diseases such as kidney failure or endocrine disorders. Worse you are more likely to get high blood pressure as you get older as your blood vessels tighten with age, so it's not surprising that everything seems to go into the pot as we get older.

Also consider when taking readings, getting high readings one day, and regular reading on other days may be due to other factors such as one day I do not drink enough water during exercise, so I am very dry - my blood pressure reading goes out for 148 / 92 - when it is taken again later after I have water and rest it read 120/80 which 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 hypertension / hypertension can be controlled by diet and exercise.

Since I am exposed to high blood pressure (family history) I've done a lot of research on the internet and in the library, where I've found 5 common herbs that can be used to control your blood pressure. The best part is that these items are available at your local grocery store and you don't have to spend a lot of money at some health food store or even at GNC.

1. Garlic - British and Australian researchers have conducted a study in which they concluded that garlic can significantly reduce blood pressure. An alert garlic is anticoagulant and can cause bruises or slow down blood clots.

2. Celery - this surprised me - celery may be used to help relieve gout, insomnia, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Chinese people use celery as a treatment for high blood pressure while of course we take pills. The precautions of celery have very high salt content which is known to increase blood pressure in some people as well as the long term use of celery can reduce your potassium levels.

3. Pomegranate - as most fruits are rich in powerful antioxidants - Research Isseli found that subjects who consumed at least 3 ounces of juice daily for one year reduced their blood pressure by 21%. The antioxidant strength of pomegranate juice is higher than that found in red wine or tea, research has shown it to be effective in the treatment of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer. Preliminary studies indicate that juices may be effective for preventing inflammatory diseases, and bacterial infections, as well as increasing your immunity. Expecting baby juices helps the baby's brain develop normally and protects their brain from prenatal brain injury. There are no precautions listed but because it is such a low sugar content, you do not want to eliminate the benefits of drinking too much sugar.

4. Cocoa - nowadays it's great if you need a reason to spoil it here but it should be dark chocolate. Researchers have found that dark chocolate is higher in antioxidants than tea or red wine and is beginning to see if dark chocolate can help with heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. German researchers have found 3 ½ ounces of chocolate consumed daily is as effective as taking a daily dose of your blood pressure pill. The thing to note for chocolate is that it does not contain caffeine unlike coffee but it can still mess with your sleep and of course some people may be allergic.

5. Ginger - The New England Journal published a study linking the use of ginger to reducing heart disease and stroke as it helps lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots. On a personal note I have used ginger to help with nausea it is very effective for that purpose.

Like anything else, herbal remedies also always check with your doctor before using natural medicines and using common sense, although using natural ingredients can be bad for you. However, adding foods and natural ingredients can lead to a healthy diet that is always good for you in the long run.

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