High Blood Pressure Herbs

Over 50 million Americans have hypertension and 90% of the time the cause is unknown. It is more common in men than women, although in post-menopausal women pressure may begin to rise. It is also most common in African Americans as an ethnic group.

There may be a genetic component to high blood pressure but lifestyle does play a role also. High fat diets, smoking, high salt intake, high caffeine intake (watch the Starbucks!), lack of exercise and birth control pills can all influence hypertension.

Most of the time there are no symptoms. If pressure rises to dangerous levels then symptoms such as headache, sweating, rapid pulse, shortness of breath, dizziness and blurry vision may occur. If this is happening to you seek medical attention immediately.

Never stop medication in favor of herbal therapies without discussing this first with your healthcare provider. This can cause rebound hypertension.

As you can imagine, medical professionals recommend low fat diets, low salt intake, exercise, and smoking cessation to combat this problem. If lifestyle changes are not effective, then medication is considered. But what about those high blood pressure herbs?

Beneficial High Blood Pressure Herbs

Herb	Dosage	Comments
American ginseng	Tincture. Take as directed on label.	Helps maintain healthy potassium levels.
Bilberry	Tablets. 240-360 mg/day.	Keeps arteries flexible. Prevents damage to eye vessels.
Bitter orange	Tea. 1 tsp in 1 c. water, 1-2 x/day.	Lowers blood pressure.
Chanca piedra	Tincture. Take as directed on label.	Lowers blood pressure and protects kidneys..
Coleus	Forskolin extract, take as directed on label.	Lowers blood pressure and pulse rate.
Corn silk	Tea bag in 1 c. water, 1-2x/day.	Stimulates urination without losing potassium.
Dong quai	Capsules. 500-1000mg/day.	Lowers blood pressure.
Epimedium	Used as directed by a herbalist.	Lowers blood pressure and enhances male sexual drive.
Hawthorn	Tablets 100-125mg 3x/day.	Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Reishi or shitake	Fresh musrooms or teas. Use as desired.	Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Scuterllaria	Capsules. 1000-2000 mg. 3x/day.	Dilates blood vessels and stimulates urination.

Considerations

• Do not use epimedium if you have a prostate disorder.
• Do not use scutellaria if you have diarhhea.
• Avoid the following herbs: coltsfoot, dan shen, ephedra, licorice, and mate.
• Avoid high salt foods such as olives, pickles, canned fish and process cheeses.
• Increase intake of high potassium foods: squash, yams, banannas, figs, garlic, dried fruits.
• Sleep apnea causes hypertension. If you snore see your provider.

Read more about treatment using natural blood pressure remedies.