What is high blood pressure?

We are all familiar with the term ‘blood pressure’, but what is it really and what causes it to increase to dangerous levels?

Blood pressure is the term used to describe the force which blood exerts on the arteries when your heart beats. The higher the blood pressure, the harder your heart needs to work.

High blood pressure, or hypertension as it is also known, is not always easy to detect without a blood pressure monitor. It is therefore potentially a silent assassin that may cause a heart attack, stroke, or organ failure.

There are two categories of hypertension:

1. Primary/essential hypertension, which is caused by years of unhealthy lifestyle with smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise, or by genetic factors.
2. Secondary hypertension, that is caused by an underlying illness or medication.

What causes it?

There can be many contributing factors that cause high blood pressure, which makes it a complicated condition to treat. A sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol consumption and diet all have a major role to play in high blood pressure. You have for instance probably heard that a high salt intake may contribute to the problem.

We believe that a holistic approach is the best way to take care of underlying contributing factors to hypertension. Using prescription medication should always be a last resort.

It it treatable in a natural way?

YES, the good news is that it is often reversible without the use of prescription drugs.

You know wat to do: eat fresh healthy food, exercise, stop smoking, cut down on alcohol, etc. Easier said than done, right? An easy and extremely effective first step, is to immediately start supplementing with Moringa leaf powder, capsules, or juice extract. This alone will go a long way to healing your hypertension, and here is why:

Potassium

Potassium is a mineral that helps to reduce the negative effect of a diet that is high in sodium (salt), which can cause high blood pressure. Natural foods like fruit and vegetables are often a good source of potassium. Moringa leaves are exceptionally high in potassium – 15 times higher than bananas.

Antioxidants

Research has shown that antioxidants are mighty allies in the fight against hypertension. Antioxidants are molecules that fight the effect of free radicals in your body. Two of these nutrients, namely flavonoids and quercetin are both known to powerfully combat high blood pressure. They also assist in reducing fat in the blood.

Moringa is the king of plants when it comes to antioxidants. There is no known green and growing thing on earth that packs a more potent punch of these little guys. In fact, Moringa Oleifera contains 15 times more antioxidants than goji berries – a well-known superfood.

Phytochemicals

Another weapon in Moringa’s mighty arsenal, is phytochemicals. These compounds work hard to, (amongst other things), protect cells and DNA against damage, lower inflammation, and, yes, you guessed it, lower blood pressure. Very importantly, phytochemicals also reduce the sodium content of the blood, which in turn, lowers blood pressure.

Lifestyle

We all know how stress can raise your blood pressure through the roof. It is impossible to avoid it altogether, but there are ways to ensure that tension does not hold you hostage. While we cannot control what happens to us, we can decide how we process and react to it. Maybe have a look at this talk by psychologist Kelly McGonigal about how we can change the way we look at stress: TED Global 2013 | How to make stress your friend.

As we explained in the article about Moringa and Mood, the food that you eat has the ability to change the way your body reacts to tension. Supplementing with Moringa may help to lower your stress and, as a result, lower your blood pressure.

Being overweight is another cause of hypertension. Once again, Moringa puts up its hand to help. In our next article we will discuss the ways in which Moringa can help you to lose those unwanted kilo’s – and, as a result, also help lower your blood pressure. Watch this space…

All this is just dandy, but what does actual scientific research say about how effective Moringa is for treating hypertension?

Well, data recently published in the Journal of America College of Nutrition, shows that consuming Moringa Oleifera leaves may significantly reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (M. Chan Sun, et al.).

In summary, it has been scientifically proven that Moringa works in various ways to treat high blood pressure. Our Moringa leaf powder, capsules, or juice extract, may very well be so effective, that you might need to stop taking your hypertension medication. (As always, do consult with your doctor  before you stop taking any prescription medication).