Take Ginger And Say Good Bye To High Blood Pressure Once And For All!

Is high blood pressure wreaking havoc in your life? Have you been trying numerous medicines and other synthetic supplements, but aren’t able to combat HBP? Owing to our poor eating habits and lifestyle, high blood pressure is by far one of the most common problems we face.

So, what can you do to prevent or treat high blood pressure in an effective way? Is there any single ingredient which can help you fight high blood pressure once and for all? Yes, there is; and it is the humble ginger!

Want to know how ginger helps combat high blood pressure and how you can prevent the same? Then here is all you need to know about ginger and high blood pressure in detail.

Ginger – A Brief History

It has been noted that ginger has been extensively used in China for over 2,000 years (1). Ginger has found its uses in treating common ailments like flatulence, morning sickness, nausea and stomach upset.

The mention of ginger has also been made in the Mahabharata, a major epic of ancient India. Apart from this, ginger has been an indispensible substance in Ayurvedic medicine.

What Does Ginger Contain

The active compounds of ginger include volatile oils, and phenol compounds like gingerols and shogaols.

Gingerol is the main compound of ginger that is effective in treating ailments like arthritis and other cancerous tumors (2). Shogaol has a very strong anti-cough effect, and both gingerols and shogaols play a major role in reducing high blood pressure (3).

How Does Ginger Help Lower High Blood Pressure?

Ginger is a mild stimulant, and this is why it is used in improving blood circulation. This benefit of ginger gives it the ability to lower blood sugar as well (4).

Ginger And High Blood Pressure – The Research:

Is ginger good for high blood pressure? Numerous studies have been conducted that show ginger’s ability to treat high blood pressure. Some of them include:

• The University Of Ilorin Study:

A study conducted by The University of Ilorin, Nigeria, came up with such remarkable results that support ginger’s ability to treat high blood pressure (5).

The study consisted of a total of 60 subjects – 22 males and 38 females. All were divided into 3 groups of 20 each. One was the Control Group and the other two were the Experimental Groups.

The Control Group was made to consume ordinary water, while the two Experimental Groups consumed ginger powder. The readings were taken, which consisted of the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and the heart rate.

The results proved to be astonishing. 2 hours after the administration of ginger powder, researchers observed a significant decrease in all of the measured parameters in the subjects of the Experimental Group.

• The New Healing Herbs By Michael Castleman:

Michael Castleman, an award winning American journalist and author (6), states in his book ‘The New Healing Herbs’, that the chemical compounds in ginger may play a role in reducing high blood pressure (7).

According to him, ginger can also treat high blood pressure by preventing the formation of blood clots in your arteries and blood vessels.

• The University Of Maine Publication:

It is a well known fact that sodium contributes to blood pressure (8). A publication brought out by The University of Maine has listed ginger under the category of low-sodium foods, clearly backing up the fact that ginger can discourage high blood pressure (9).

How Can You Prevent High Blood Pressure

Though high blood pressure can be fatal, just like most other health conditions, it too can be prevented. Following are few of the most recommended ways of preventing high blood pressure.

• Limit Sodium In Your Diet

This should be the most obvious way of preventing high blood pressure, and yet, something most of us fail to follow.

Limit your sodium intake to a maximum of 2,300 milligrams per day. And if you happen to be above 51 years of age, or have diabetes or kidney disease, your ideal sodium intake should not be more than 1,500 milligrams per day (10).

• Get Physically Active

If you are a physically active person, you have a 20 to 50 percent lower risk of suffering from high blood pressure than those who aren’t (11). Now, this doesn’t mean you spend hours at the gym everyday! Just a simple morning jog can keep things in place.

• Limit Alcohol

If you don’t have the habit of boozing, don’t start. And if you do, try to limit your intake or quit altogether. Alcohol hasn’t done anybody any good. The maximum limit of alcohol intake per day is 2 drinks for men, and 1 drink for women (12).

• Check Your Diet

You are what you eat, and you are what you don’t eat. Include more of fruits, nuts, low-fat milk products and whole grains in your diet. The best you can do to prevent or fight high blood pressure is following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet (13).

High blood pressure plagues thousands of individuals in the world. Make sure you aren’t going to be one of them! Have you ever consumed ginger for high blood pressure? Start taking ginger today and live a happy and healthy life!

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Author

Ravi Teja TadimallaCo-Editor-in-Chief

 

Ravi Teja Tadimalla is a Co-Editor-in-Chief and a published author. He has been in the digital media field for over a decade. He graduated from SRM University, Chennai, and has a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition & Research from Wageningen University.

Read full bio of Ravi Teja Tadimalla