Turmeric for lower blood pressure
Does turmeric reduce blood pressure?
I’ve been coming across articles about turmeric for lower blood pressure more and more lately. It seems that research is starting to stack up showing that turmeric can be beneficial for high blood pressure.
How does turmeric lower blood pressure?
The main reason is that turmeric has antioxidant properties and also helps reduce inflammation. Getting more antioxidants is known to lower blood pressure, and more scientists now think low-level chronic inflammation is a cause of high blood pressure.
So foods that reduce inflammation can potentially help lower your blood pressure (this is one of the reasons health websites are all going on about omega 3 fatty acids, by the way, as they’re also anti-inflammatory).
Studies show that eating turmeric can help prevent plaque building up in the arteries, and it also might help lower blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels are definitely bad news for blood pressure (read about sugar and blood pressure here), so there are many reasons why getting more turmeric for lower blood pressure is a good idea.
In fact, turmeric has numerous health benefits, not just for your blood pressure. Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties mean it can help with other chronic diseases where inflammation is a factor, such as irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, and asthma and allergies. Turmeric may also help with preventing dementia and treating cancer.
You can read a good, and very comprehensive article, about turmeric’s uses and benefits here: The Health Effects of Turmeric (manyeats.com)
How much turmeric for high blood pressure?
As you probably know, turmeric is traditionally used a lot in Indian cooking and it’s also what makes mustard yellow. Despite it’s bright colour, it doesn’t have a strong flavour so you don’t have to save it just for curries – you can use it in stews and soups or even omelettes or potato salad, or mix some into rice. It’ll make your mealtimes colourful 🙂
You can even put turmeric in porridge…
Seriously. Just add about half a teaspoon (or more or less, as desired) or turmeric when you begin cooking it. A friend just served me this and it was a bit of a revelation, I have to say. You can throw in some raisins or sultanas to add some sweetness.
He also cooked it with water which had had ginger root boiled in it. The very gentle ginger tang complemented the sultanas and turmeric beautifully. Or you can just cook it with freshly chopped ginger for a stronger flavour. (Ginger’s great for your health and circulation and may help lower blood pressure too.)
Oats are excellent for healthy blood pressure and general health in several ways, so this is a winning way of combining several beneficial ingredients for a “super-breakfast”.
Turmeric supplements?
There’s only so much turmeric you can put into your dinner though, so some health experts recommend taking supplements of curcumin – the key ingredient of turmeric which is so good for you. (Click on the picture on the right here for a high-quality curcumin extract.)
One thing to keep in mind though, is that curcumin is not that easy for our bodies to absorb well. Some research suggests that a substance found in black pepper can improve our ability to absorb curcumin – so it might help to use black pepper too when you’re cooking with turmeric for lower blood pressure.
By the way, turmeric may interact with medications for blood-thinning and for diabetes, so see your doctor if you’re considering taking curcumin supplements. (Using turmeric in food is unlikely to be a problem.)
Lower your blood pressure naturally
Turmeric is of course not the only natural food which has a beneficial effect on high blood pressure. There’s actually a huge choice of affordable natural ingredients that lower blood pressure. Many of these herbs, berries, fruits, grains, vegetables, meats and drinks are available in local stores.
Of course there are other factors beyond diet (like fitness and stress) that affect your blood pressure. So the best way to lower your blood pressure without drugs is to apply a broader approach – covering all causes and cures with natural home-based remedies.
To help, we’ve now put together a guide to lowering blood pressure naturally (imaginatively titled Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally).
The guide is in the form of nine easy-to-follow steps, each containing simple and proven strategies for lowering your blood pressure and keep it low through easy, effective and enjoyable changes in lifestyle.
These progressive steps are based on the principle that positive incremental change is always best in health matters. Each chapter will take you further along the road of greater vigour and peace of mind (and a healthy blood pressure).
Click on the link below for more information:
Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally Guide
P.S. This guide shows you how to lower your blood pressure permanently and naturally without side-effects or complications.
Follow each step to get your blood pressure back in balance.
Choose between a wide range of delicious foods that reduce your blood pressure. Include a number of mental and physical exercises in your schedule for both relaxation and invigoration.
This is a guide for good healthy living and will be beneficial for all – even if you don’t currently suffer from high blood pressure.
Beetroot juice. Not the first thing you think of when pondering how to quench your thirst. Probably also not the first thing you think of when wondering how to lower your blood pressure. Yet medical studies are showing that drinking beet juice for lower blood pressure could be a very good idea.
Beets also contain “betaine” – a nutrient which helps protect cells from stress and toxins (e.g., caused by pollution) and which reduces inflammation (inflammation is now thought to be a key factor in high blood pressure, and indeed many common modern diseases).
No you don’t have to drink beet juice for lower blood pressure. You can get the same beet benefits by eating beetroot and/or by eating other foods which are rich in nitrates, such as leafy greens like kale, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, and leeks, string beans, carrots…
Some call bananas a ‘super-food’ for blood pressure and cardiovascular health because of it’s high potassium content.
Cayenne, chilli pepper, call it what you will, but can Cayenne control hypertension? Well, not just on its own but it’s a good thing to include in your meals (and even drinks) if you’re on a general mission to lower your blood pressure.
Another diet that was promoted for high blood pressure was the so-called ‘Mediterranean diet’. In other words, eating similar foods to those commonly eating in the European countries bordering the Mediterranean sea, such as France, Italy and Greece.
Later in the morning as hunger begins to rise its head I prepare a bowl of oatmeal. As far as I am concerned, oats are the best health food anywhere – not just for high blood pressure but for all around good health. This traditional staple of the Scots.