The use of tea for medicinal purposes is nearly as old as time. For many, tea served as a common cure for a variety of physical symptoms and conditions, ranging from anxiety to chronic inflammation, to hypertension. Nearly 47% of United States adults struggle with chronic or acute hypertension, which may or may not be controlled through medication or lifestyle changes. Tea can be a powerful aid to those who need to lower their blood pressure and cannot tolerate medication. In this article, we explore 5 teas that you can enjoy to lower your blood pressure.
How Can Teas Lower Your Blood Pressure?
Tea can lower your blood pressure by negating any negative environmental influences, such as stress, or other contributors to hypertension. You can enjoy these teas and tonics in any form, either hot and freshly brewed, or cooled in the fridge as you would drink an iced tea. While these are designed to be used for medicinal purposes, you can choose to dress up your drink with healing raw honey or other fruity additions for taste enhancement.
1. Hibiscus Tea
This fruity and fun blend can help you lower your blood pressure with consistent use. You won’t find it difficult to enjoy this delicious tea, giving you exotic, light, and floral flavors with each sip. This is complemented nicely with the tartness that comes into play with the aftertaste, making each drink a new, well-rounded experience. You can enjoy this tea any time of day without ill effect, reaping the benefits of the powerhouse antioxidants and anti-cancer polyphenols. For best enjoyment and benefit, consume one to two cups daily.
2. Greek Mountain Tea
This tea may be lesser-known, but gives some of the most potent benefits of any blend. One of the biggest benefits of Greek Mountain Tea is its ability to cause vasodilation, reducing the muscular strain on the heart and helping drinkers to enjoy lower blood pressure. While it does have earthen undertones, the main flavor highlights are floral, sweet, and mild compared to other, more aggressive tasting teas.
3. Turmeric Tea
Turmeric is one of the most well-known herbs thanks to its prevalence in Eastern medicine and traditions. Tea drinkers in the US are welcoming the familiar golden blend and enjoying a variety of benefits. Beyond reducing your blood pressure, Tumeric offers the extra preventative benefit of arterial protection and regulation, helping you to maintain healthy blood pressure levels into the future. This tea has a full-bodied, rich flavor that can be herbaceous and spicy with just a hint of sweetness in the afternotes. The spice is not overpowering and pairs well with other common additions of lemon or ginger.
4. Chamomile Tea
That’s right — chamomile tea isn’t just known for its soothing benefits and anti-anxiety properties. This tea can have a direct effect on your blood pressure and health, working preventatively to support your other symptoms. If hypertension is commonly caused due to anxiety, stress, or other related mental health difficulties, chamomile blends can work to soothe and comfort, directly lowering your blood pressure and helping you to build resiliency to stress. The soft, sweet, vanilla-like notes of the tea make this a favorite around the world and is especially delicious before bed or in times of stress. You can pair this tea well with honey or lemon and enjoy it in a whole new way.
5. Rooibos Tea
Also known as bush tea or red bush tea, rooibos tea has been incorporated into blends for centuries for its variety of health benefits. This tea won’t help to just soothe you — it actually goes to work on a molecular level. Your blood vessels constrict under stress or due to other factors via the ACE enzyme. This causes your heart to pump harder and your symptoms to appear. Rooibos breaks down and actively stops these enzymes from binding to their reactionary sites, helping to support your body’s natural processes. Bush tea has a milder flavor and has a sweet and savory profile. Some have likened the taste to a light, nutty, and spiced flavor as you would expect from a holiday blend. You can enjoy rooibos as a standalone tea or blended with other elements such as vanilla or citrus.
What To Know Before Using Blood-Pressure Lowering Tea Blends
Natural ways of addressing common medical ailments are becoming mainstream thanks to the rise of complementary and alternative medical practices. While teas are a great resource to help your body support itself naturally and through low-risk methods, it is important to consult your physician or pharmacist before incorporating them into your daily routine.
Teas are a low-risk way to help support your body but may interact with other medications or treatment options. Always speak with your provider to ensure that you can enjoy these blends safely.
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