Blood pressure is a measurement of the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower. If your blood pressure is too high, you can develop damage to different parts of your body, including your heart, kidneys and eyes. Exercise, monitoring your salt intake and any medications that your doctor recommends can help you manage your blood pressure levels. Certain spices might also influence blood pressure by lowering your pressure, increasing your pressure or interfering with your blood pressure medications.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon comes from a plant and has been used as a flavoring in cooking and baking for centuries. However, in traditional Chinese medicine, cinnamon has been used to treat a multitude of health ailments. High blood pressure is one of these conditions, although the scientific research on its effects is inconclusive at this time. A 2006 study published in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" found that cinnamon could lower blood pressure in rats with high blood pressure. Another study published in a 2010 issue of "Diabetic Medicine" showed that two grams of cinnamon each day reduced blood pressure in people with diabetes. You can easily add cinnamon to your tea or meals to try to obtain some benefit for your blood pressure. However, because the details about cinnamon's blood pressure benefits are not fully understood, you should speak with your physician before you begin taking large amounts of cinnamon.
Ginger
Ginger is a spice that is often used to treat stomach problems, according to the National Institutes of Health. Ginger also can lower blood pressure. If you already take high blood pressure medications, your pressure might drop too low with ginger, which could cause other problems. As with most complementary medicines, the scientific evidence for using ginger to manage your blood pressure is not definitive at this time. You should let your physician know if you are taking ginger -- especially if you are already being prescribed high blood pressure medications.
Rosemary
Another spice, rosemary, can influence your blood pressure as well. Using rosemary in your food will not likely have an effect on your blood pressure, but using it in supplemental form can have more of an effect. Rosemary can act as a diuretic -- which increases urination and lowers the amount of fluid in the body -- which can help lower blood pressure levels. Diuretic prescription medications are often used to treat high blood pressure; rosemary might increase the amount of water that your body loses if you take this spice while you are taking diuretics, as noted by the University of Maryland Medical Center. Rosemary might also react with another type of blood pressure medication called angiotensin-converting enzyme, or ACE, inhibitors, so if you are taking these medications, you should not use rosemary supplements. If you have high blood pressure, you should not take rosemary without express consent from your physician.
Celery Seed
Celery seed or celery seed oil both have some diuretic properties and might also help regulate blood pressure levels, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center website. Small animal studies have shown some benefit from celery seed, as noted by the University of Maryland Medical Center. A small human study suggested similar results, according to Drugs.com. Celery seed supplementation might also interfere with diuretic medications or blood-thinning medications. You should not take celery seed unless you discuss the situation with your health care provider first.
Garlic
Garlic contains antioxidants and has been found to offer benefits against heart disease, cancer and high cholesterol. Garlic might also help manage high blood pressure. While garlic should never be used in place of medical management, research has suggested some blood-pressure-lowering abilities. In one 2008 paper on the effect of garlic on blood pressure, published in "BMC Cardiovascular Disorders," the researchers found that daily garlic supplementation -- containing between 600 and 900 mg -- produced significant blood pressure reduction. Another study from a 2010 issue of "Maturitas" found that aged garlic supplements lowered blood pressure by around 10 points in people with uncontrolled blood pressure. However, garlic can interact with any blood-thinning medication that you might be taking, so you should discuss any supplementation with your doctor.
References
- "Diabetic Medicine"; "Glycated Haemoglobin and Blood Pressure-Lowering Effect of Cinnamon in Multi-Ethnic Type 2 Diabetic Patients in the UK: a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Clinical Trial"; R. Akilen et al; 2010
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; "Whole Cinnamon and Aqueous Extracts Ameliorate Sucrose-Induced Blood Pressure Elevations in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats"; Harry Preuss et al; 2006
- National Institutes of Health: Ginger
- "BMC Cardiovascular Disorders"; "Effect of Garlic on Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis"; K. Ried et al; 2008
- "Maturitas"; "Aged Garlic Extract Lowers Blood Pressure in Patients with Treated But Uncontrolled Hypertension: A Randomised Controlled Trial"; K. Ried et al; 2010.
- Wellness.com: Rosemary
