If you have ever read an article on a health blog or have ever walked into a herbal supplements store, you have definitely heard about turmeric and curcumin. Science tells us that turmeric/curcumin products have some amazing health benefits. Lately has been suggested that there are other herbs that have health significant benefits however these claims are unfounded due to the lack of scientific research. Turmeric/curcumin is one of the most researched plants in the world and it is beneficial for a wide variety of health conditions. In today’s article you will find out more about these awesome benefits and also learn the turmeric and high blood pressure.
What Is High Blood Pressure?
Blood Pressure- also known as hypertension, occurs when the force of the blood (that flows through the arteries against their walls) is higher than normal. When this pressure is at a very high levels, most people do not feel any symptoms. Therefore they continue doing things that are causing the issue; damaging the heart and blood vessels until it is too late to do anything about it. This is why high blood pressure is known as “the silent killer”.
What Causes Hypertension?
- Age – as we grow older and our body deteriorates, the risk of having high blood pressure increases
- Race – hypertension is more common among African people
- Family history – unfortunately, this condition runs in the family
- Obesity – the bigger and heavier a person is, the more blood is needed in order to provide oxygen and nutrients to all the cells in the body. And when the volume of blood increases, so does the pressure on the walls of the arteries
- A Sedentary Lifestyle – people that have a lack of physical activity in their lives, have a higher heart rate at rest. This means that the heart needs to work harder with each contraction, and the blood pressure increases as well
- Alcohol – heavy consumption of alcohol on the long term can damage the heart and increase the risk of hypertension
- Smoking – the blood pressure increases temporarily when smoking, and over the long term it can cause damage to the arteries
- An excess of sodium – too much salt causes fluid retention, which then increases the blood pressure
- Not enough potassium – this substance balances the amount of sodium, preventing the above mentioned problem. But if there is not enough potassium, the sodium accumulates in the blood
- Stress – it has many negative effects on the body, including depression and anxiety which all cause spikes in blood pressure
- Other factors – a high blood pressure can also be caused by kidney disease, diabetes, thyroid problems or sleep apnea
All of these factors can cause hypertension which left untreated can cause a stroke or other heart disease, dementia, metabolic syndrome or aneurysm.
Turmeric and Blood Pressure
Besides all of the amazing benefits mentioned above, turmeric has also been shown to modulate blood pressure and help the cardiovascular system. It can reduce inflammation, enhance immunity and provide protective effects for the heart. It also regulates cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar and improves the overall health of the cardiovascular system.
Hypertension is closely related to the endothelial function which controls the contraction and relaxation of the blood vessels and heart. Studies have shown that antioxidants are able to restore the endothelial balance. For example, a study looked at patients with type 2 diabetes that took 150 mg of curcumin twice per day for 8 weeks. They found out that curcumin reduced the presence of inflammatory cytokines and lowered oxidative stress.
Another study found out that turmeric may improve the decline of the endothelial system caused by aging, and stabilizes blood pressure in menopausal women. Even healthy adults were shown to have an improve of the endothelial function when taking 200 mg of curcumin daily.
There are plenty of other studies out there confirming the benefits of curcumin for hypertension, but you get the idea.
Turmeric Dosage for High Blood Pressure
The dosages used in studies are ranging from as low as 66 mg of curcumin per day, to as high as 2,000 mg per day, and they were all beneficial. Most turmeric pills offer 200 mg to 500 mg of curcumin, which seems to be a good dosage for high blood pressure. Consume 2 to 3 capsules per day, or as recommended by your doctor.
For a wide variety of turmeric products (capsules, elixirs, gels or powder blends), you can check out this page.
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