Help for High Blood Pressure in a Cup of Tea

Boulder Colorado was my home for many years. In my twenties I moved to Boulder Colorado. Boulder was nestled against Colorado Rockies back in my twenties. It was full of new ideas, world class athletes, college students, and natural food.

One of my earliest memories was the Red Zinger, a local bicycle race. Celestial Seasonings Tea founder Mo Siegel invented it. It is named after the red-colored Celestial Seasonings Tea. The race started in Boulder and was still held there. The first year I was there to watch the cyclists race around North Boulder Park. The next day, we were there to observe the riders climb up through a canyoned mountain.

This is all great stuff. But what does a bike race have do with blood pressure? Red Zinger Tea’s magic ingredient might also help lower blood pressure. This is important for me as a practitioner because I see many patients trying to lower their blood pressure, and who struggle with the idea to take medication.

Numerous studies have shown that hibiscus tea, which is equivalent to three cups per day, works as well as the ACE inhibitor drugs Captopril or Lisinopril in mild to moderate hypertension. Although the effect is small, the red stuff (and other teas that contain hibiscus), can reduce your systolic (or maximum) blood pressure by as much as ten points.

Researchers have offered several theories on why hibiscus has a positive effect on blood pressure. One idea is that the red compounds in the tea, called anthocyanins, actually inhibit an enzyme (ACE) in a similar way as some frequently-prescribed blood pressure medications. Another theory is the anthocyanins in the hibiscus plants relax the endothelium, which reduces blood pressure. This effect has also been attributed to beets as well as cocoa.

The Coors Classic became the beloved Red Zinger bike race. Before it was ended in 1988, it was the fourth-largest bike race in the entire world.  Red Zinger’s bike race is over. However, Red Zinger and Lemon Zinger teas still can be found at your local grocery. I believe that small changes can bring about big results. You can lower your blood pressure by adding red tea, beets, or beet juice, to your grocery list.

Republished in AcupunctureTwinCities.com

Lynn Jaffee, a licensed acupuncturist, is the author of “Simple Steps: The Chinese Way to Better Health.” This article was originally published on AcupunctureTwinCities.com

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