Natural Remedies To Regulate Blood Pressure
Garlic is a real panacea
Both wild garlic ( Allium hirsutum ) and the cultivated garlic ( Allium sativum ) contain an odorless active component, alliin , which, when cut, bruised or ground, can be hydrolyzed by an enzyme that transforms it into allicin , a disulfide compound that causes the unmistakable odor.
Allicin thins the blood, prevents vascular disease, atherosclerosis and hypertension. However, garlic must be consumed raw, because allicin is volatile, alternatively it can be introduced in tablets or pearls.
Hawthorn and heartbeat
The medicinal parts of hawthorn are the flowers and leaves that contain flavonoids, hyperoside, vitexin, proanthocyanidins with a mild sedative effect on the nervous system and vasodilator on the coronary arteries. More precisely, hawthorn has an antiarrhythmic effect, that is, it increases the contractile force of the heart, reducing its frequency of beats. It is therefore recommended for mild heart failure and to reduce hypertension.
Scent of jasmine
The perception of odors through smell has an effect on the mind and nervous system. The beneficial effects of aromatherapy are due to the particles of essential oil that spread in the air and are absorbed through the airways. Jasmine essential oil contains linalyl acetate, benzyl acetate, linalool and nerol, and has a relaxing, anti-stress and anti-anxiety effect. A few drops, in the appropriate diffusers at home, can help reduce nervous tension, which is one of the possible causes of hypertension. Other fragrances with a similar action are lavender essential oil, rose essential oil, and neroli (bitter orange) essential oil.
Carcadè for breakfast
Hibiscus is made up of the fleshy calyxes of the flowers of Hibiscus sabdariffa , a plant of the Malvaceae family. The infusion, with its characteristic red color and slightly acidic flavor, is very pleasant especially if consumed with a slice of orange. Hibiscus is rich in mucilage, organic acids including vitamin C which promotes the elasticity of the arteries, polyphenols and anthocyanidins which act as vasoprotectors. Drinking a cup in the morning is good for those who suffer from high blood pressure, because it has a purifying, diuretic and slightly hypotensive effect on the body.
Olive, not just oil
The olive tree ( Olea europea ) is a great source of beneficial substances, especially for those suffering from hypertension. Its fruits provide an oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid, palmitic acid and linoleic acid. Regular consumption helps prevent the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, a disorder often associated with hypertension.
Olive leaves, which contain oleuropein, reduce cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. The mother tincture of Olea europea is useful for regulating minimum blood pressure. The gemmoderivative also exerts a hypotensive action, as it dilates the arteries and makes them more elastic.
Mistletoe gemmoderivative
Mistletoe ( Viscum album ) contains lipids, glycosides, mineral salts and some amino acids including arginine, proline, aspartic acid and histamine, a vasoactive amine and choline, an amino alcohol that has a hypotensive action. Since the chemical composition of mistletoe, and therefore its properties, depend on the plant that hosts it, for a better hypotensive action, the mistletoe that grows on hawthorn is used, from which the gemmoderivative is obtained. However, it is important to use it for short periods, due to the toxins it contains.
Massages with ylang-ylang
The essential oil with a sweet and seductive scent, called yling-ylang, is extracted from the flowers of Cananga odorata , a large tropical tree. This essence, extracted by steam distillation, contains benzyl benzoate, methyl benzoate and linalyl acetate, and is used to compose inebriating fragrances with a hypotensive, calming and relaxing effect on the nervous system. Those who suffer from hypertension can benefit from massages with almond oil combined with a few drops of yling-ylang essence.
Low sodium and high potassium
Excess sodium increases the volume of blood in circulation and consequently also blood pressure; therefore it is good to use little salt (sodium chloride), limit cured meats and aged cheeses. In our body, at a cellular level, there is the so-called sodium-potassium pump that maintains the balance of these two mineral elements, important for many vital functions, including that of maintaining the correct hydration of the body. Hypertensives, in addition to avoiding excess sodium, must introduce into their diet, foods rich in potassium such as bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, beans, soy. The daily requirement of potassium is about 4 g, while that of sodium is 6 g maximum. Another enemy of hypertensives is cholesterol, to lower it eat foods that help reduce it, such as cardoons, artichokes, chicory, dandelion, walnuts, brown rice, citrus fruits.