Hibiscus Tea to control BP

[TheJazzSinger]

Happy Easter 🐣. Has anybody tried hibiscus tea to control their BP? I’ve been investigating more natural ways than tablets, although I am on lercanidipine 10mg a day and get no side effects. My BP was beginning to rise again, funnily enough after losing 1st in weight and I didn’t want to have to change my medication. Nearly 50% of people on medication have poorly controlled BP and side effects, and you can see this when reading posts on this forum. I’ve been drinking it for a few days and it seems to be working.

[Happyrosie]

Good for you! I’ve also tried beetroot juice in the past but I didn’t have a monitor then so don’t know how effective it was. I eat beetroot (freshly cooked by me) nearly every day, but haven’t done a study as to whether it has any effect - too many other variables!!

[TheJazzSinger in reply to Happyrosie]

Thanks Happyrosie. I’m willing to try anything more natural than tablets. There are so many people posting on here with side effects to medications which is not good. I also eat beetroot which is supposed to have a BP lowering effect, as has spinach which I eat every week, but I haven’t noticed any difference. Will let you know if the tea is successful.

[moonerman in reply to Happyrosie]

How long do you cook your beetroot? I heard too long loses its goodness

[Happyrosie in reply to moonerman]

I’ve tried boiling and roasting but the best is microwave. Pour boiling water onto the root and being back to the boil in microwave, then turn down to minimum for about ten minutes (20 if it’s huge or you are doing several). In my view that retains the best of the flavour.

[moonerman in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank you

[TheJazzSinger in reply to Happyrosie]

I tend to buy mine already prepared and pickled to use in salads.

[Happyrosie in reply to TheJazzSinger]

I really don’t like the taste of vinegar so that’s not for me!

[Sleepyholllow in reply to Happyrosie]

Happy Rosie, can I ask if you were able to reduce/stop meds? My dream!!

[Happyrosie in reply to Sleepyholllow]

Hahaha - no! I’ve been on bp meds since I was fifty, now I’m just about to hit the three-quarter century. I’ve a good diet and do (almost) 10,000 paces a day and I think it’s because of this lifestyle that I’ve never had to increase meds,

[Tammo1 in reply to Happyrosie]

Beetroot and beetroot juice works for me, I love the taste, it's cheap and effective, BUT, it cripples me with terrible gout - otherwise I'd take it every day for BP control.

[Happyrosie in reply to Tammo1]

I have beetroot almost every day - helps the bowels! I can’t see that it’s ever done anything for the BP though ……. Maybe I should carry out a study on myself!

[springcross]

Hi TheJazzSinger. I tried it several years ago - in fact I bought a large boxful of smaIl (normal sized) boxes of it from a distributors. I tried it and my goodness was it bitter. I could have used honey but I don't think that would have made the indigestion it gave me any easier. That said, it doen't mean it would affect you in that way as we're all different. I had read that it was good for reducing BP but I wish I had saved my money. I actually started using it as a final hair rinse as it's supposed to darken the hair. Good luck with it if you decide to try it.

[TheJazzSinger in reply to springcross]

Thank you Springcross. Maybe I’ll try it on my hair. I could do with something improving my lockdown locks! 😂. It is bitter but I believe we are supposed to eat/drink bitter foods. I steep it in cold water and add slices of lime and erythritol (plant-based sugar substitute) for sweetness and it’s palatable. I’ll report back on the BP.

[springcross in reply to TheJazzSinger]

Please do, I'll be interested to know what you think. 🤞 xx

[Collywobbles64]

Hi JazzSinger, hawthorn tea also helps bp but you need to drink it regularly. I have also found that a no sugar diet helps as well. You also lose some weight. I have managed to reduce my medication as a result. I am currently doing a low carb diet, I haven’t yet managed a true keto diet but have seen my bp drop on the days I do manage it.

[TheJazzSinger in reply to Collywobbles64]

Thank you Collywobbles64. Interestingly I have just lost 16lbs on a low carb and virtually sugar-free diet and it’s made no difference. In fact my BP and cholesterol have gone up! The reason why people’s BP goes down on a keto diet, apart from the weight loss, is because you lose a lot of water which has the same effect as a medical diuretic given to reduce BP. So a bit disappointing really.

[Collywobbles64 in reply to TheJazzSinger]

According to Dr Eric Berg your cholesterol will go up initially. He has done a video on it but I cannot recall what he said. He has also done one on insulin resistance, and cortisol. I just noticed that you said virtually sugar free diet. This may make a difference but I don’t know what you had, all I know that eliminating sugar from my diet made a difference. Good luck with your journey. 😊

[Sleepyholllow in reply to Collywobbles64]

That’s really brilliant, well done

[peter999999999]

turmeric in warm milk will lower it but drink it twice a day,cayenne pepper in water will but its very hot so start with a quarter of a teaspoon, i also find a baby asprin a day will knock it down a lot but its not as popular as in my day, out of all of them id go for baby asprin once a day for quick results but turmeric helps every part of your body, trouble with asprin is you can get heartburn in some people but i find i feel brill on it, i stopped my bp meds as they were making me so ill physicaly and mentally,

[TheJazzSinger in reply to peter999999999]

Thank you Peter999999999. 50% of people on BP meds have side effects and uncontrolled hypertension. I’m sure baby aspirin work but they are very bad for the stomach unless they’ve improved them. My mother-in-law was given them for years and ended up with a bowel haemorrhage which nearly cost her her life. She was given proton pump inhibitors as well as a stomach protector but they didn’t stop it. I would rather use natural methods first if possible. I do use turmeric in curries and soups but not tried it in milk so will give it a go.

[Hidden in reply to TheJazzSinger]

You can thin the blood with raw garic, allicin (capsule form), or raw ginger.

[Sleepyholllow in reply to peter999999999]

Hello Peter 9999999999Can I ask how your BP reacted when you stopped your meds

Thanks

[peter999999999 in reply to Sleepyholllow]

no idea i just feel a hell of a lot better,ill check it in another month,last time on amlodipine 6 monthsago it was 160/90 i only take it now once every few months as it use to make me so anxious,if i take it and its high it ruins my day then got to keep checking every day,not checking it i dont get stressed and try to enjoy life again, it was 161/90 at 70 years of age till i got bad and i wasfit as a fiddle,the virus i got shot it up to220/120 let out of hospital at 180/95, so im ok at that but when i do it 160 ./90ok with me , i go on 100 plus my age which is 72

[Sleepyholllow in reply to peter999999999]

100% agree, taking readings often was making me v anxious, I thought I was losing my mind until I read the side effects again on lercanidipine, “anxiety “. It certainly causes that!! Together with covid and it’s not nice!! Can I ask if the calculation of 100 plus age is reasonably accurate? I’m 62 and would often have 160/90

[TheJazzSinger in reply to Sleepyholllow]

Hi Sleepyhollow, I don’t think doctors use the 100 + age any more. I’m 70 next week and my doctor gets a bit concerned at 150-160/80 onwards. They tend to be a bit more lenient as you get older, despite every article you read that says we should all be worried if BP is more than 120/80 at any age. For a while doctors were medicating older people too quickly and found that lots of people’s levels were too low and they were passing out so they’ve revised it. It’s also why they are happy for you to take it at home and send in the results as they can be more accurate. A lot of us find it’s higher when taken in the surgery because we’re anxious.

[Sleepyholllow in reply to TheJazzSinger]

Thank you for that, makes sense

[peter999999999 in reply to Sleepyholllow]

well my friends father was a surgeon and he told me that 30 odd years ago , my doc does not bother if its about 170 under 100 as long as no chest pains etc, at 60 mine was 161 /90 and i took no meds till i got a virus, ive stopped all meds and dont take bp anymore well not for 6 months so far thats 180 days times say 3 about 500 at least bp readings ive not done so no stress lol,my son is 40 and different docs his is 145/90 and docs say fine, so im sure its just to get us all on drugs,i no nobody on bp pills who is really healthy, all the pills do is make the numbers look good they dont cure the cause,anxiety,weight, diet etc or something else, as you age it goes up anyway , im doing the healthy way i hope im sure ill live longer and healthy than on pills, if you have high bp does not say you will have heart attack or stroke if you do nothing,

[TheJazzSinger in reply to peter999999999]

I agree with you peter999999999. Unfortunately a lot of this originates from the US where a huge number of the population is medicated. When I was young my BP was 110/60 and has slowly risen with age. Does that mean I'm unhealthy? I don't think so! My weight's ok, my diet is very good, pulse rate 58-63, and I exercise regularly, and I can still run for 30 minutes non-stop, so I guess I'm doing ok.

[peter999999999 in reply to TheJazzSinger]

yes you seem fit and healthy,start taking bp pills you wont stay that way long, im sure they slowly kill you,but at least your bp numbers were good lol, ive 2 mates one terminal cancer the other on dyalisis 3 times a week there bp numbers perfect, ive never been so bad in my life when on bp pills,one year of hell ive wasted, never again, dont no why they dont prescribe asprin a day that did me for 30 years never thought id stop it,doc advised me to ,worst thing ive done , im started taking half a baby asprin every other day again ,that was another thing i was told to do years ago.

[Sleepyholllow in reply to peter999999999]

Think you might have a point, I’ve never felt as miserable as since I started taking these damn meds in 2018, I’ve just turned 62, fit and healthy otherwise Thank you

[peter999999999 in reply to Sleepyholllow]

think about it if you have high bp you are not healthy,something is wrong, stress reduce,diet exercise i try to keep well and live a happy life, 8 weeks off bp pills still here ,there are side effects of no pills, you feel better lol, ive gone from feeling suicidal on them for a year ,before that 71 happy years then terrible, now about 80 percent well and feeling and getting better every day,still wonder what they did to my mind and body and i know it will take a few months to repair whatever they did,i can now do everything i did before them easily again, sleep is the hardest,i was only getting 1 or 2 hours a night for a year now about 5 on average, i do 10 till 3 then can not get back sleep , the other night it was 4 so im getting there.i take turmeric,iron supplement big help, sometimes olive leaf extract and half a baby asprin twice a week.

[Sleepyholllow in reply to peter999999999]

Wow that’s v impressive, don’t know if I’m that brave, but you’re right the mental health side and anxiety has been my worst problem, think the GP has made me nervous, it’s all a minefield!!Thank you for your reply

[peter999999999 in reply to Sleepyholllow]

i started reducing pills slowly while doing the other things, it depends if you can live happy with what you are on,i could not and i knew i would die from them or because of them just because you have high bp does not mean you will have heart attack/stroke what we all think is going to happen,

[Hidden]

Any food that produces nitric oxide in the body will relax your arteries albeit temporarily, beetroot, garlic,ginger, hibiscus tea...l-arginine...l-citrulline.

Anything that reduces inflammation in the blood, flaxseeds, cinnamon, fennel, thyme, rosemary.

Leafy greens contain more magnesium which counteracts the calcium levels which cause contraction.This is why calcium channel blockers are used in heart medications...to allow the magnesium channels to get the upper hand.

Magnesium makes muscles (heart too) and arteries relax...calcium makes muscles arteries contract....thus increases pressures.Most people never realise that increases in bp happen because calcium has built up in the kidneys, again magnesium over time (2years)dissolves calcium(kidney stones) as does apple cider vinegar(malic acid).The new kid on the block vitamin K2 will soften calcium deposits in the arteries and organs and move them into the bones and teeth.

Best route by far is to reduce the calcium in your diet and increase magnesium....some foods like spinach have both but in the right ratio.

My go to has been Olive leaf extract..(swannsons).no bad side effects just lower blood pressure....and will only lower it to normal levels ..not make it drop too low.

Out of the 10 main types of magnesium....taurate is most useful for the heart... and definately helps relax the body.It is very safe and will even correct arrythmias.

Hope you find some help from all these above comments, we all respond differently to the same things.

Btw ...Happy Easter...dark chocolate is better!

[TheJazzSinger in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Jomico. I eat a lot of green leafy vegetables, including spinach, but have wondered about my magnesium level, especially as I’ve been on a diet, so will try to boost it; I didn’t know taurate was the best. I’ve not come across Olive leaf extract so might give that a try.

[Hidden in reply to TheJazzSinger]

Yes there are quite a few double blind studies that support OLE and blood pressure.Flax seeds too.

[omits in reply to Hidden]

How are the Flax seeds consumed? As a powder? Thanks.

[Hidden in reply to omits]

I use flax seed oil....but remember only obtain small bottles as once opened the oil will become rancid within 3 months....one to two spoons a day.....chewing the seeds is cumbersome you would need several mouthfulls to obtain a teaspoon of oil....this is a very good source of omega 3 ...which reduces inflammation in the circulatory system thus lowers BP....also increases nitric oxide thus opens and relaxes arteries...its the omega 6 that increases inflammation...rape seed oil....sunflower oil...biscuits cakes....

[Sleepyholllow in reply to Hidden]

Very interesting thank you

[Sleepyholllow in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for that, very helpful.

[omits in reply to Hidden]

Interesting about Magnesium Taurate. What dosage have you used. I have just been put on Ramipril and getting hand/feet tingling at night. thanks.

[Hidden in reply to omits]

I would try obtaining 500 mg tablets and break them into quarters...which is 125mg each....then take them 4 times a day...this allows the body a continued absorption over the day rather than one large hit....you may decide to take at night rather than morning once you discover if this makes you sleep better.Men can take 450 mg a day...women usually require 350 mg....i have taken as much as 1000 mg a day without any adverse reactions.

[peter999999999]

a resperate machine i find very good as well it lowers your heart rate and bp i use mine 4 times a day, walking 3 times a day fast, losing weight you have tried that porridge with walnuts, pumpkinseeds all supposed to help, ive stopped even taking bp as that in itself is stressful, but i feel better off meds and at last sleeping,i got 1 or 2 hours a sleep a night if lucky for a year on meds,docs would not give me anything,so no meds and sleeping ill take any day, im sure the bp pills would have killed me so ill take my chance and live happy and healthy for as long as i can,ive just done a2mile walk could not do 100 yards 3 months ago

[TheJazzSinger in reply to peter999999999]

Well done - sounds like it’s all worked for you 😊

[cuore]

Hibiscus tea did not work for me. I also have high atrial fibrillation. My blood pressure has gotten worse and goes all over the place with the addition of atrial fibrillation despite my already having three ablations.

[TheJazzSinger in reply to cuore]

Sorry to hear that your AF and BP is not well controlled. Apart from drugs, ablation and maybe a pacemaker, I’m not sure what else works for AF. As for BP, there’s lots of helpful postings about natural ways of trying to reduce it, especially as around 50% of people have poorly-controlled BP on medication and are often in 3 or 4 different medications. I suppose the key is to find something that helps but doesn’t affect the medication you’re taking.

[cuore in reply to TheJazzSinger]

Thank you for your concerned thoughts. Pacemakers are for patients whose blood pressure is too low, for the most part. At present I usually go into tachycardia hovering around 101 - 105 b.p.m. I also go into AF, but that arrhythmia for me is below 100 bp.m. probably due to the three ablations that it does not speed up very high. I will be getting a cardioversion to reset the electrical factor of my heart.

For the blood pressure, for my body, the blood pressure sky-rocketed right after my third ablation. I was not pleased how my GP was handling my blood pressure, so I did my research to make sure that I was on combo therapy with Olmesartan 20 mg. ( ARBS are the best choice for AF from what I read) and a calcium channel blocker Amlodipine 5 mg (which he chose when I didn't want a diuretic that may cause an electrolyte imbalance that could trigger AF) . I had not done research which the best calcium channel blocker would work. There are less side effects if you go on low doses of more than one drug than if one medication dose is increased. My blood pressure is not great, but it will squeeze through for a pass. I have read some about natural ways. For me, cutting out sugar is the big plus. Losing weight and exercise help. Some of the natural ways for blood pressure conflict with my AF, so it's a balancing act.

[Hidden in reply to cuore]

I have heard good reports with people using magnesium taurate...this is found mainly in heart tissue.Research Dr Sanjay Gupta....yorkcardiology.co.uk/benefi...

[cuore in reply to Hidden]

Yes, Dr. Sanjay Gupta prefers Magnesium Taurate above the others. I am currently taking 800mg of Magnesium Taurate which I buy online. Thank you for re-enforcing that particular one.

[TheJazzSinger in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Jomico. I do use magnesium body lotion but I’m not sure how successful it is. I will try the magnesium taurate.

[Hidden in reply to TheJazzSinger]

If you are a woman you need 350mg magnesium per day.....400 mg for a man.There isnt enough in body lotion to supply this amount.If you do feel a little odd within the first few days of beginning magnesium therapy it a sure sign you were deficient...this is due to enzyme activity switching back up within the body.

If you take calcium supplements or lots of calcium rich food...this upsets the calcium/magnesium balance..you need to supplement because modern farming and processing has depleted this from western diets.

Hope this explains why it is essential to ensure you are getting enough.

[Monkry]

I order rosehip and hibiscus tea for my son who suffers with a painful digestive condition and finds it very helpful. The Company I buy it from say a lot of people drink it to help their blood pressure.

[Sleepyholllow]

Hello jazz singer, I am also on that medication, same dosage, can I ask what brand of hibiscus tea you might recommend, unfortunately I do suffer side effects from that lercanidipine medication.Thank you

[TheJazzSinger in reply to Sleepyholllow]

Hi Sleepyhollow, I use The Natural Health Market - the naturalhealthmarket.co.uk and the tea is Organic Hibiscus Tea with Roselle. I hope it helps.

[Sleepyholllow in reply to TheJazzSinger]

Hi jazz singer Thank you so much for that, I will check it out, I’m in rep of Ireland so hopefully they’ll deliver.

[Aloha108]

I’ve been drinking Tazo Passion and Red Zinger for decades, so shocking that I just got diagnosed with really high BP all of a sudden after always having exceptionally great BP readings. Anyone else experience that?I’m not overweight, very active, vegetarian most of my life...go figure

[TheJazzSinger in reply to Aloha108]

Hi Aloha 108, I've not come across Tazo Passion & Red Zinger. Your high BP might be a blip. Worth taking over a few weeks as it can vary.

[Aloha108 in reply to TheJazzSinger]

Aloha, thank you for your reply. Both Tazo Passion and Red Zinger are primarily a hibiscus tea with other tasty goodies. I wish my soaring BP was a glitch, but it has been staying high for about three weeks now.

[Sleepyholllow]

That’s great, would be wonderful not to have to take meds even though they’re a necessary evil!!

[peterjones105]

Try giving up caffeine entirely to see if it makes a difference to your BP, in my case it has made a massive difference.