An expert has weighed in on the effectiveness of home remedies for lowering blood pressure
Blood pressure can be a tricky beast to tame, with sudden spikes often brought on by stress, boozing or forgetting to take your meds. Home remedies like lemon and garlic are often touted as quick fixes for high blood pressure, but do they really do the trick?
Dr Max Fritschka, a heart specialist from Charité Berlin, has shed some light on the matter, revealing three home remedies that actually have some scientific backing to the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper. But he highlighted that once your blood pressure hits a certain level, you’ll need medical intervention and you can’t just rely on home remedies to keep health problems at bay.
One of these home remedies is a glass of lemon juice on an empty stomach. It’s usually recommended as a simple way to kickstart your metabolism and help you shed pounds, but the doctor pointed out it could also have some surprising effects on your blood pressure.
Lemons are packed with vitamin C, and past studies have shown this vitamin can be pretty effective as a DIY treatment for high blood pressure. A 2012 study found that taking 500mg of vitamin C every day for eight weeks could lower blood pressure by 4.85mmHg.
But the expert was quick to add: “However, a short-term effect of lemons on high blood pressure could not be proven.” Meanwhile, the cardiologist debunked the claims that another refreshing drink could help lower blood pressure.
While some tea lovers swear by peppermint brews for slashing high blood pressure, thanks to the vessel-dilating properties of the menthol in its leaves, the expert has thrown cold water on the theory. He pointed out the drink’s menthol levels were too low to pack any real punch.
More potent, however, is peppermint essential oil which could lower blood pressure, according to a 2020 meta-analysis, though, the medical community hasn’t settled the score due to mixed research findings. Nevertheless, the cardiologist warned: “These home remedies cannot replace adequate medication to lower blood pressure – prescribed and controlled by a specialist.”
He also stressed that just tweaking your menu won’t cut it; you’ll need to pair it with other changes like proper hydration and exercise. To top it off, he shared: “Yoga or meditation can help to lower blood pressure in the short term, using deep breathing techniques, among other things. Stress reduction and physical activity or exercise are considered to be extremely helpful for high blood pressure.”
