Blood pressure is a measurement of the force of your blood pushing against the walls of arteries as the heart beats and pumps out blood. About one in three Americans get HPB, or high blood pressure, at some point in their lives. It is a silent killer because if your blood pressure is high, there are usually no symptoms, but it can lead to coronary heart disease, stroke, blood vessels damage, blindness and kidney problems. So, it is important to check and control high blood pressure to prevent damage to your body's organs. Green tea can be helpful in managing your high blood pressure; however, you must take green tea only under the supervision of a physician.
Plant Description
Green tea is a product made from the prepared leaves and leaf buds of the Camellia sinensis plant. It's an evergreen shrub, native to mainland South and Southeast Asia. Today, green tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, excluding water. In modern Chinese medicine and culture, green tea and green tea extract have been consumed to promote health.
Green Tea Composition
The buds and young leaves have been found to contain the highest concentration of green tea phyto compounds, which are thought to be responsible for producing therapeutic effects. These include polyphenols, flavonoids, volatile oils, alkaloids, caffeine, polysaccharides, vitamins and minerals.
Green Tea and Blood Pressure
Green tea is a natural high blood pressure remedy. It can assist you with high blood pressure because it keeps the arteries from narrowing by repressing ACE, or angiotensin converting enzyme, according to the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. ACE is a proteolytic enzyme secreted by the kidneys that reduces the elasticity of smooth muscles surrounding the arteries, blocking the normal flow of blood and raising blood pressure.
Precautions
Green tea is generally safe for most adults when used in recommended doses. But, drinking or supplementing with green tea can lead to some adverse effects among pregnant and breastfeeding women. Green tea contains caffeine that can pass into breast milk and trigger side effects in nursing infants, such as sleep deprivation and insomnia. People with gastric disorders must avoid consuming green tea in larger quantities, since it stimulates the production of stomach acid that causes heartburn.
References
- Yale School of Medicine: High Blood Pressure
- Boston University: What Is High Blood Pressure?
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center: Green Tea
- University of California: Agriculture and Natural Resources: Catechins
- Fairfax Country Public Schools: Herbal Supplements
- Colorado State University, Extension: Weight Loss Products and Programs; J. Anderson, L. Young and J Roach; December 2008
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