Best Foods and Herbs to Naturally Lower High Blood Pressure

Cherry tomatoes on the vine,garlic and basil

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10. Tomato

OK, if you want to get technical, tomatoes are a fruit, but most refer to it as a vegetable. Whatever, tomatoes are key ingredients in many, many foods, so it isn’t often thought of as having medicinal value. However one study published in the American Heart Journal in 2006 found that subjects who had stage 1 hypertension had a significant reduction in their blood pressure when treated with tomato extract. Another study, this time out of Israel, found that tomato extract supplements improved the subjects hypertension when compared to the placebo group, Scientists believe that it is the high concentration of lycopene, beta carotene, and vitamin E in the tomato extract that does the job of lowering blood pressure so well.

11. Flaxseed

Flaxseed, thought to come to us from Egypt, is one superb herb when it comes to hypertension. Flaxseed contains a type of essential fatty acid called linolenic acid, which can not only manage the pain of arthritis and IBD, but can lower blood pressure as well. Some researchers also believe that it is the omega-3 fatty acids that help to lower blood pressure. One thing is certain; flaxseed will greatly reduce cholesterol levels, improve glucose tolerance, and is a super powerful antioxidant. In one study, subjects in Los Angeles, California, who were given flaxseed for 6 months, had their diastolic pressure dropped by 7mm Hg, and their systolic pressure dropped by 10mm Hg. That’s quite a drop for simply consuming some tasty little flaxseed.

12. Onions

Since onions are a close cousin of garlic, it’s no wonder that onions are perhaps one of the best natural treatments for high blood pressure. Onions contain high levels of quercetin, a type of antioxidant flavonol that is well-known for its ability to prevent heart disease and stroke. It’s believed that quercetin helps the body lower its production of a powerful compound which causes the blood vessels to constrict, this compound is angiotensin II. Studies have been done with onions showing that they can really reduce blood pressure levels. Subjects of one study who consumed onions had reductions of 7mm Hg systolic and 5mm Hg diastolic. Eating raw onions regularly can greatly help the arteries function properly. Onions can also reduce the viscosity, or stickiness, of the blood, which also helps to stop the formation of blood clots.

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