A majority of people all over the world suffer from high blood pressure. However, by mending your lifestyle and including green tea in your diet you can control high blood pressure to a certain extent.
Let’s find out how green tea can help those with high blood pressure. But first of all, let’s understand what high BP or hypertension is?
What is High Blood Pressure (BP) or hypertension?
High BP or hypertension is a medical condition where blood flows through the arteries by constantly exerting a lot of pressure on the arterial walls.
This is considered to be bad for the health. You should be aware of the category in which you fall…
- If the reading is 120/80 mmHg, you are in the normal BP group.
- When the reading is more than 120/80 mmHg but below the 140/90mmHg, you are in the normal high BP group.
- Those with a reading higher than the 140/90mmHg mark fall in the high BP category.
Now, how harmful is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure harms the body’s blood vessels and damages the vital organs. It increases the risk of serious health issues like stroke, kidney problems, and heart disease.
What are the risk factors for high blood pressure?
- Age – The risk is more as you age. That is why high BP is more common in the elderly.
- Family history – You are at a higher risk of having high BP if someone in your family has it too.
- Ethnicity – Those belonging to Africa or South Asia are at a higher risk of developing high BP.
- Obesity and overweight – Those who are overweight or obese have more chances of suffering from hypertension.
- Sedentary lifestyle – The risk of developing high BP increases when you lead an inactive and sedentary lifestyle.
- Alcohol and smoking – Those who consume alcohol or smoke are more likely to suffer from hypertension.
- Excess salt intake – More salt consumption causes high blood pressure.
- High fat consumption – Consumption of unhealthy fats leads to hypertension.
- Mental stress – Mental stress over a long period of time can cause high BP.
- Diabetes – Those who have diabetes are more likely to develop high blood pressure.
However, by making the right kind of tweaks in your lifestyle, you can control high BP. Furthermore, the most recommended addition to your lifestyle is Green tea.
How does green tea help in controlling high blood pressure?
Green tea and its role in reducing high blood pressure is backed by science.
There are pieces of evidence that show the effectiveness of the beverage in helping the blood vessels relax.
The reason behind this effect is the polyphenol content of green tea.
The polyphenol EGCG (or Epigallocatechin Gallate) in green tea helps in lowering high blood pressure. It does this by ensuring the elasticity of your blood vessels so that blood flows properly through them.
It also works towards preventing the formation of deposits in your arteries. As a result, the BP stays normal.
Other kinds of polyphenols present in green tea help in maintaining the right levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood so that the arteries don’t get clogged up!
Polyphenols also help in reducing the production of angiotensin in the body. It is a hormone that raises the BP of the body.
Overall, polyphenols have a pivotal role to play in improving the pumping function of the heart and regulating blood flow for good cardiovascular health.
Additionally, it has been found that consuming green tea reduces your total cholesterol levels and LDL (bad cholesterol levels).
It is LDL that blocks your blood vessels and increases the chances of a heart attack. Therefore, it is important to keep your LDL levels in check.
In order to reap the blood-pressure-lowering benefits of green tea, studies indicate that you need to consume 5 to 6 cups a day.
However, the consumption of the beverage should not be more than this, or else it can lead to adverse effects.
Can you drink green tea if you have low blood pressure?
A lot of people suffer from low blood pressure. The condition can make you feel dizzy without a warning. It occurs only because the amount of blood flowing to your head is not sufficient.
Mild cases of low blood pressure or hypotension can be easily dealt with using simple home remedies.
Sipping on green tea is one great way to get your low blood pressure back to normal. A single cup of green tea has 25 mg of caffeine that works really well in enhancing your body’s blood flow.
However, it is best advised to consume the tea within limits.
Does green tea harm or affect those on blood pressure medicine?
Those who are consuming high blood pressure medicines need to be a little wary while consuming green tea.
According to research conducted by the Japanese, it has been found that green tea can block the effects of nadolol, which is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs to high BP patients.
Green tea renders the drug less effective by not letting it completely get into the bloodstream.
However, this fact does not make green tea unhealthy. It has a number of other health benefits to offer.
To resolve the issue of the interaction of green tea with nadolol, it is suggested that high blood pressure patients leave a gap of 4 hours between their medicine intake and green tea consumption.
Does the caffeine in green tea constrict blood vessels?
No! In fact, green tea helps in keeping the arteries relaxed and supple so that there is no problem when there are changes in blood pressure.
A study indicates that green tea is capable of helping vessels relax.
Green tea makes the cells on the lining of the blood vessels secrete chemicals that facilitate the relaxation of the vessels.
The flavonoids in green tea are the antioxidants that ensure the flexibility of the blood vessels. They also have a role to play in preventing the formation of blood clots.
Final Thoughts
Green tea, ample exercise, and a healthy diet have to be a part of your lifestyle if you are suffering from high BP.
However, if you are already on medication for high blood pressure, it is best advised that you talk to your doctor regarding green tea consumption.
This is important because green tea has an effect on medicines meant for high BP patients.