Can high blood pressure be lowered using a simple, safe herbal remedy?
Dr. Ann Walker believes it can. As we explained in Tuesday’s message, she’s a Senior Lecturer with Reading University in the UK. She also runs a successful alternative health clinic.
And she’s published a study that shows hawthorn extract can lower blood pressure. Even in people with diabetes.
The extract comes from the hawthorn tree, found in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its flowers and fruit offer hope for people with high blood pressure.
That’s because they contain a flavonoid that improves blood circulation.
“It works by relaxing blood vessels which reduces the pressure needed for blood flow,” says Dr. Walker.
Dr. Walker stumbled into herbal research after her husband succumbed to chronic fatigue. His doctors offered him drugs but they had no effect. So his wife began to look for herbal alternatives. And that began the herbal research journey that led to this study and the formation of one of the most successful alternative health clinics in Northeast England.
Tackling High Blood Pressure
Dr. Walker studied 79 patients with type II diabetes and hypertension. Half were given the herbal extract. The other half were given a placebo.
She took blood pressure readings at the beginning of the study. These readings measure the force exerted on the walls of the arteries when the heart beats. She then gave the patients either the placebo or hawthorn extract.
They made no changes in lifestyle or diet, but simply took the extract.
At the end of 16 weeks, she took their readings again.
In every case the people taking the extract had dramatically lower blood pressure.
Dr. Walker’s study is not the only one to show favorable results for hawthorn.
Several researchers form the prestigious Cochrane Collaboration have reviewed several related studies. They looked at 14 randomized trials and a total of 855 patients.
They found that hawthorn extract:
- improves maximal heart workload
- increases exercise tolerance
- reduces oxygen consumption by the heart
- reduces shortness of breath and fatigue
“There is good evidence that hawthorn extract can bring [real] benefits,” says lead researcher Dr. Ruoling Guo, who conducts research for the University of Plymouth, UK.
Other Cochrane researchers agree.
“If I had chronic heart failure, I certainly would [use] it,” says Dr. Max Pittler. He’s the deputy director of complementary medicine at Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, UK.
While both doctors caution against giving up any current medication that you’re on… they agree hawthorn can really make a difference to your heart.
So how can you get hawthorn into your diet?
Nature’s Way offers a hawthorn extract in pill form. Each pill contains 1,530 mg. The recommended dosage is 2-3 pills a day.
We’ve just finished an extensive report on high blood pressure. In it, we look at one little-known solution that may help you combat this problem. For a complete guide on managing your blood pressure subscribe to our in-depth health advisory service here.
To your health,
Ian Robinson,
Managing Editor,
NHD “Health Watch”