9 options you need to know

Portugal is one of the countries with the highest levels of mean arterial pressure. Meet 9 teas for high blood pressure that will help.

THE arterial hypertension It is a chronic disease, which is characterized by the fact that blood pressure (the force that the blood exerts on the walls of the arteries) is constantly high. When left untreated, it can result in damage to arteries and vital organs. Drug treatment is effective but there are also other options that should be known, including some teas for high blood pressure🇧🇷

Understanding high blood pressure

Simply put, we can define blood pressure as the pressure produced by blood flow against the artery wall, which increases when the heart beats (systolic pressure) and decreases when the heart is at rest, that is, between beats (diastolic pressure). The blood pressure values ​​of each one of us are determined by the pressure at which the blood circulates in the arteries, as a result of the pumping that the heart performs.

Each time the heart contracts, blood is expelled through the aorta. The maximum pressure reached during expulsion of blood is the so-called systolic (maximum) pressure. Later, the pressure inside the arteries goes down as the heart relaxes. The lowest pressure reached is the diastolic pressure.

Hypertension occurs when blood pressure registers values ​​greater than or equal to 120mmHg of systolic blood pressure and 80mmHg of diastolic blood pressure and can be classified as:

a) Essential or primary hypertension (about 90-95% of cases): when the cause is unknown (for example, when it results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors);

b) Secondary hypertension (about 5% of cases): when the cause is known (for example, kidney disease or hormonal disturbance).

As we saw, in most cases it is not possible to identify a specific cause of hypertension. Even so, it is thought that high blood pressure is largely due to a combination of hereditary and environmental factors and the adoption of less healthy lifestyles. It should also be noted that in most cases no symptoms are identified, which is why, despite the fact that there are around 2 million hypertensive people in Portugal, only half are aware that they have high blood pressure.

9 risk factors for high blood pressure

Some of the main risk factors already identified are:

1. excessive consumption of salt;
two. low consumption of fruits and vegetables;
3. obesity;
4. sedentary lifestyle;
5. excessive alcohol consumption;
6. smoking;
7. age (blood pressure tends to increase as people age);
8. diabetes (about 60% of people who have diabetes also have high blood pressure);
9. heredity.

The 9 main consequences of hypertension

High blood pressure is a huge risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, but there are several diseases associated with or caused by high blood pressure, namely:

1. angina pectoris;
two. Congestive heart failure;
3. microvascular aneurysm;
4. stroke;
5. atherosclerosis;
6. renal insufficiency;
7. retinopathy;
8. sleep apnea;
9. severe damage to vital organs.

Teas for high blood pressure: 7 options you should know

Arterial hypertension is a relevant public health problem in our country, as it is responsible for a high number of cardiovascular complications. Happily, pharmacological treatment is effective in controlling this pathology and reducing its complications.

Moreover, the adoption of a healthy lifestyle can also contribute to a significant decrease in blood pressure, which may even be enough to bring it down to normal blood pressure values. There are also some studies that suggest that teas for high blood pressure can contribute to the reduction of blood pressure, assuming a supporting role in the treatment of high blood pressure.

Having mostly calming properties, which help to prevent the pressure exerted by the blood on the arterial walls from being excessive, there are 7 teas for high blood pressure that are important to know.

1. Green tea and black tea

Both teas have properties that can help improve blood pressure. Furthermore, they seem to contribute to the reduction of total and LDL cholesterol levels.

2. Lemon balm tea and chamomile tea

Because they are natural tranquilizers, they can help to relax and thus lower and control blood pressure.

3. Olive leaf tea

Olive leaves have vasodilating properties, which contribute to the relaxation and dilation of blood vessels, facilitating the passage of blood and reducing pressure on arterial walls.

4. St. John’s wort tea

Although St. John’s wort tea is usually recommended for liver and gallbladder problems, it also seems to be an important natural tranquilizer. Therefore, it not only contributes to a good night’s sleep but also helps to lower blood pressure.

5. Avocado tea

This very popular pear-shaped fruit can also be a good option, as the tea made from its leaves seems to act on cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure.

6. Lettuce tea

Widely cultivated as a vegetable, tea or juice from lettuce leaves also seems to act at the level of high blood pressure.

7. Garlic tea

In addition to its use as a spice, garlic can also be an ingredient with medicinal properties. Indicated for not so severe cases of hypertension, garlic tea has a high content of selenium, flavonoids and even allicin, which helps to reduce not only cholesterol levels but also helps to prevent diseases of the circulatory system. The consumption of one cup every 12 hours should be made from the infusion of a crushed garlic clove.

In short

Many people have high blood pressure for years without being aware of it. However, high blood pressure is an important risk factor for strokes and heart attacks. Therefore, hypertension severely impairs health and quality of lifeso it should not be ignored.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle contributes to maintaining normal blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart disease. Some of the precautions to be taken include adopting a complete, balanced and varied diet, reducing salt consumption, moderating alcohol consumption, practicing regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body mass index. You can also try some of the teas for high blood pressure that you are now familiar with.