Coreg, or carvedilol, is a prescription medication that’s typically recommended for treating high blood pressure and heart failure, as well as to prevent heart attacks. Coreg belongs to a group of drugs known as beta-blockers, which act to improve circulation and slow down your heart rate. Certain natural remedies might offer similar benefits as Coreg, but consult your doctor before taking them.
Hawthorn
A 2006 double-blind study published in the British Journal of General Practice found that taking 1,200mg of hawthorn extract substantially reduced blood pressure in type 2 diabetics, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Hawthorn might also lower blood pressure in people with chronic congestive heart failure, according to a 1994 study published in Phytomedicine. Like Coreg, hawthorn might also improve circulation by reducing your blood platelets’ ability to stick together and form clots. Don’t stop taking Coreg before first discussing hawthorn with your physician.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Taking fish or flaxseed oil can provide you with omega-3 fatty acids, which supports heart health. Like Coreg, omega-3 fatty acids might help lower blood pressure and help to prevent heart attacks by reducing cholesterol levels. A review of medical studies on fish oil that was published in the American Journal of Medicine in 2002 found that omega-3 fatty acids could reduce the risk of death due to heart disease and arrhythmia, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Another analysis of clinical trials involving fish oil that was published in the journal Circulation in 1993 concluded that omega-3s can lower blood pressure, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Ask your doctor about the proper dosage and potential drug interactions before taking omega-3 fatty acids.
Garlic
Garlic is one of the best-known natural remedies for heart health. Taking 600mg to 900mg of garlic daily has mild antihypertensive effects, according to a 1994 review of clinical trials published in the Journal of Hypertension. A preliminary medical study reported in Current Therapeutic Research in 1985 also found that taking onion extract can lower blood pressure, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Garlic might also act like Coreg in improving circulation by thinning the blood and preventing clots, according to a study in Germany in 1993. Also like Coreg, garlic might help reduce the risk of heart attack. A 1989 three-year-long study of heart attack survivors in Germany discovered that taking garlic reduced the risk of having a second heart attack and death, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Garlic might affect current heart medications that you’re taking like Coreg, so tell your doctor whether you’re taking garlic supplements.
Hibiscus
Taking 10g of hibiscus daily can be equally effective as captopril, a drug used to relax the blood vessels and reduce blood pressure, according to a clinical trial published in Phytomedicine in 2004. Another study reported in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 1999 found that taking 5g to 6g of hibiscus in a tea three times daily substantially reduced blood pressure in people with hypertension, according to the University of Michigan Health System. No other human studies have been conducted on hibiscus’s effects on blood pressure, so talk with your doctor before taking it with or in lieu of Coreg.
Yarrow
The yarrow species Achillea wilhelmsii might help lower your blood pressure like Coreg, but only one human study has confirmed this effect. Published in Drugs and Experimental Clinical Research in 2000, the double-blind study found that taking 15 to 20 drops of yarrow tincture twice daily significantly reduced blood pressure.
Coenzyme Q10
Taking 100mg of coenzyme Q10 supplement each day to lower your blood pressure, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Several clinical trials in humans have confirmed the supplement’s antihypertensive actions might be similar to Coreg. For example, a double-blind study reported in the Journal of Human Hypertension in 1999 found that taking 120mg per day of coenzyme Q10 lowered blood pressure by 9 percent in men with hypertension, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
