How To Make Iced Tea That Lowers Your Blood Pressure
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on the link I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
Last year I did some research on the health benefits of tea for a project, and I was excited to learn that several types of tea are great for your blood pressure. Since then, Ive been experimenting with different brands and flavor blends, and I hit on an iced tea recipe that I really love. Its my sparkling hibiscus green iced tea.
This is a cold-brewed iced tea . Its packed with antioxidants that are great for your heart and can reduce your blood pressure.
Did you know, next to water, tea is the most popular beverage in the world? I have to admit, Ive always been more of a coffee lover. Tea used to be something that I only had when I was sick. I think its because back in the day, I only knew about black tea, and I couldnt get past the astringent feeling it leaves in your mouth. Im the same way about red wine.
It turns out that astringent feeling, which some people describe as a bitter, dry taste on your tongue or in your mouth, is exactly why tea is SO good for you. Its caused by tannins. They belong to a larger class of antioxidant compounds called polyphenols. All types of true tea are packed with polyphenols.
Tea Drinkers Reap Blood Pressure Benefits
Drinking a Half-Cup of Tea per Day Cuts Hypertension Risk in Half
Researchers found that men and women who drank tea on a daily basis for at least a year were much less likely to develop hypertension than those who didn’t, and the more tea they drank, the bigger the benefits.
Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world. Water is first.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the most common form of heart disease and affects about 20% of the adult population in many countries. The condition is associated with stroke, heart failure, and kidney dysfunction and is a major risk factor for heart-related death.
“A link between tea drinking and blood pressure reduction has been postulated for decades in general health care in Chinese populations,” write researcher Yi-Ching Yan, MD, MPH, of the medical college of National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, and colleagues.
In recent years, researchers say there has been growing interest in exploring the role of antioxidant compounds called flavonoids found in tea that may protect against heart disease.
But researchers say few studies have examined the long-term effects of tea drinking on the risk of hypertension, and the results so far have been conflicting. They say this study is the first on the issue to use a large number of people and detailed information about tea consumption and other lifestyle and dietary factors associated with hypertension risk.
When Should I Drink Green Tea For A Flat Stomach
For weight loss, you can have green tea right after your meals. But you should do it if you do not have a sensitive stomach because green tea is alkaline in nature and stimulates the secretion of extra-gastric juices. Experts also suggest to have green tea right in the morning and later in the evening.
You May Like: What’s In S Long Island Iced Tea
Pregnancy And Infant Health Risks
Green tea contains caffeine, catechins, and tannic acids. All three substances have been linked to pregnancy risks. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, green tea in small amounts about 2 cups per day is safe. This amount of green tea provides about 200 mg of caffeine. However, drinking more than 2 cups of green tea per day has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage and other negative effects.
Caffeine passes into breast milk and can affect a nursing infant. In addition, drinking a large amount may cause neural tube birth defect in babies.
About This Tea That Lowers Your Blood Pressure
I still dont love hot tea. But I realized I love iced tea its so refreshing! Ive started making a pitcher of cold-brewed tea every week. I keep it in the refrigerator, and Ill usually pour a glass over ice, and then top it off with water throughout the day. Ive found it really helps me drink more fluid. And, along with the other lifestyle changes Ive made, it also helps lower my blood pressure.
Rather than worrying about whether Im drinking the best or healthiest tea, I put a blend of different teas, and other polyphenol-rich ingredients into my pitcher and let it brew on a sunny windowsill for a few hours. That way, Ive got a little bit of everything and a whole lot of healthy in each and every glass.
I like to make my tea fairly concentrated, so it holds up to a full cup of ice. I also realized if you add a splash of seltzer to your glass, it takes your iced tea to a whole new level of refreshing and delicious.
One important thing about tea: Try to buy organic whenever possible. Many teas are high in pesticides.
And heres a money-saving tip when youre buying green tea. Theres no need to spring for fancy designer brands. One of the most highly rated by the independent testing lab ConsumerLab, was Trader Joes Organic Green Tea. It had had significantly higher levels of the antioxidant EGCG compared to other brands.
You May Like: How To Brew Essiac Tea
Is Caffeine Bad If I Have Hypertension
You may wonder if its safe to consume caffeine if your doctor has diagnosed you with hypertension. While you should ask you doctor just to be sure, having 1 to 2 cups of coffee or tea a day is usually considered safe.
If your doctor recommends that you regularly monitor your blood pressure at home, make sure to take any readings BEFORE you have your coffee or 6 hours after you finish drinking it, so you log your normal blood pressure and not your post-caffeine spike. Likewise, at each of your doctors appointments, you should let your doctor know when you last drank a caffeinated beverage .
Sounds Great Now What Is The Best Way To Try These Teas To Lower High Blood Pressure
Ok, now that you know some of the ingredients – what next? How much should you drink? Tea is an ideal water substitute, so sipping on tea throughout the day ensures you have these beneficial compounds in your bloodstream at all times. Most studies show 3-5 cups as the ideal “sweet” spot for measurable benefits.
To make it easy for you, we created a sampler specifically designed with all the ingredients mentioned above. And as a thank you for signing up, we’ll offer you 15% off.
Don’t Miss: How Is Green Tea Good For You
Green Tea May Interfere With A Blood Pressure Medicine
Tiny, early study found reduced blood levels of nadolol among green tea drinkers
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Jan. 13, 2014 — Drinking green tea may lessen the effects of the medication nadolol , used to treat high blood pressure, a new small study suggests.
Researchers gave 10 volunteers a single dose of 30 milligrams of nadolol after they had consumed either water or about three cups of green tea daily for 14 days.
When researchers tested blood levels of the drug, they were 76 percent lower in the group that drank green tea compared to the water-drinking group.
According to the study’s authors, that means that “patients treated with nadolol should avoid taking green tea.” They published the findings online Jan. 13 in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
The researchers include Shingen Misaka at Fukushima Medical University in Japan and other universities in Germany, Japan and Italy.
“Individuals who take nadolol and also consume green tea should be aware of this potential interaction and discuss this with their physician,” advised Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a spokesman for the American Heart Association. He reviewed the findings but did not take part in the study.
Researchers for the new study say ingredients in the green tea are thought to interfere with the absorption of the medication in the intestine.
In the United States, nadolol is used less frequently than other beta blockers, Fonarow said.
The Best Teas To Reduce Blood Pressure
If you suffer from high blood pressure there are plenty of things you can do to reverse the condition. Certain lifestyle changes can make all the difference to your health. Eating a better, more nutritious diet, getting plenty of exercise, quitting smoking and reducing smoking can all help bring your blood pressure back under control. Stress is a major risk factor so working on relieving your stress levels naturally can also have a positive impact.
As well as these lifestyle changes, certain herbs and teas can also help you get your blood pressure down to normal levels. Studies show that certain herbal remedies and teas can have a very positive impact on blood pressure without the side effects experienced from blood pressure medications. This article will look at the most effective teas to treat hypertension and prevent your condition from recurring.
Read Also: Is Black Tea Good For Uti
What Are The Risks Associated With Drinking Green Tea
Green tea sure has a number of health benefits as we can see in the above sections. However, there are certain risks associated with the drinking of the green tea as well. It becomes highly imperative to know these disadvantages and be careful while including it in the regular diet.
The following points explain some of the risks associated with drinking green tea:
As seen above, it becomes extremely important to keep in mind the adverse health effects and the risks associated with the intake of green tea to a large extent. The above- mentioned risks makes it extremely important that we do not go overboard in our consumption of the otherwise healthy green tea.
Research Reveals How Tea May Lower Blood Pressure
- Drinking tea is associated with a range of health benefits, including reductions in blood pressure.
- Researchers have discovered how compounds called catechins, found in green and black teas, relax the smooth muscle that lines blood vessels, which may lead to lower blood pressure.
- The discovery could lead to the development of better medications for high blood pressure, also called hypertension.
- The finding could also inspire new treatments for a debilitating condition called epileptic encephalopathy.
Humans first drank caffeinated tea more than 4,000 years ago in China. Since then, it has become one of the most popular drinks worldwide, second only to water.
Both green and black teas are brewed from the leaves of the same shrub, Camellia sinensis, but green tea, which is made from unfermented leaves, contains more antioxidants.
Oxidation during the fermentation process of black tea reduces its antioxidant levels.
Several studies have found that green tea inhibits the formation of cancers, lowers high blood pressure, and reduces the risk of heart disease.
However, the molecular mechanism responsible for the effect on blood pressure has been unclear until now.
Scientists at the University of California, Irvine and the University of Copenhagen, in Denmark, have found that antioxidants in tea open ion channels and can relax the muscles that line blood vessels.
They report their findings in the journal Cellular Physiology & Biochemistry.
Also Check: Which Green Tea Has The Most Antioxidants
Does Green Tea Harm Or Affect Those On Blood Pressure Medicine
Those who are consuming high blood pressure medicines need to be a little wary while consuming green tea.
According to a research conducted by the Japanese, it has been found out that green tea can block the effects of nadolol, which is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs to high BP patients.
Green tea renders the drug less effective by not letting it completely get into the bloodstream.
However, this fact does not make green tea unhealthy. It has a number of other health benefits to offer.
To resolve the issue of the interaction of green tea with nadolol, it is suggested that high blood pressure patients leave a gap of 4 hours between their medicine intake and green tea consumption.
Blood Lymph Flow And Your Heart
Each of these circulatory systems have a hand in nutrifying and detoxifying healthy heart cells, while playing into their immune health. It’s reported that muscular exercise is helpful for these systems to completely circulate and maintain organ health .
That said, practices which share similar;physiological effects;as exercise may also be conducive to healthy hearts:
- One example is intermittent fasting which improves oxidative stress response by the body, and may attenuate resilience of heart-cells , as would exercise.
- Antioxidants in green tea may protect against exercise-induced free radicals to optimize the beneficial effects of activity levels on heart health .
You May Like: What Does Green Tea Taste Like
Ginger Tea For High Blood Pressure
Coughs and other respiratory problems can be cured drinking ginger tea. Studies also show that ginger can reduce blood pressure. Gingerol, a component of ginger, has been shown to suppress Trusted Source tumor growth in the lab.
Ginger tea for blood pressure alleviates arthritis pain and muscle aches claimed by many users. Ginger tea is also been used for stomach problems, most famously for preventing or stopping nausea.
Other Ways To Manage Blood Pressure
Blood pressure needs regular practice to keep it normal. You need to follow other healthy practices to manage blood pressure. Some of them are:
- Reduce bodyweight if you are overweight
- Quit smoking
- Eat a healthy and nutritious diet which is loaded with fibre
- Exercise regularly at least for 30 minutes
- Limit your alcohol and caffeine intake
Recommended Reading: What Brand Of Green Tea Is The Healthiest
How Does Matcha Green Tea Powder Help Me Lose Weight
One of the top health benefits of matcha green tea powder is its ability to aid in weight loss and in weight management. Matcha green tea powder assists with weight loss in four specific ways:
Read the science behind why matcha green tea powder helps with weight loss.
Which Tea Is Best For Blood Pressure
Theres just something about making a cup of tea that makes you pause and relax. That in itself probably accounts for at least some of its blood pressure reducing action.
But its really the polyphenols in tea that make it so good for your heart and blood pressure. True tea includes black and green tea, as well as white, yellow, and oolong teas. They all come from the Camellia sinensis plant. Green tea tends to get all of the glory, but really, all of these teas are good for you. They simply differ in the way the plant is grown and how the leaves are processed.
- They all have polyphenol antioxidants. However, green tea has more epigallocatechin-3-gallate , whereas black tea is a rich source of theaflavins.
- They all have L-theanine, a compound that brings about a relaxed, but alert state.
- Black tea is highest in caffeine, whereas green tea and the other true teas tend to be lower.
- Studies show drinking about two cups of either green or black tea each day can lower your blood pressure.
Herbal teas are not part of the same tea family, so theyre not considered true teas. That doesnt mean theyre not good for you though! Herbal teas have no caffeine or L-theanine, but they do have antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They also provide various health benefits, depending on the herb or plant used to make the tea.
Don’t Miss: How Much Are Twisted Teas 12 Pack
Why Does Matcha Green Tea Powder Decreases Stress Enhance Mood And Improve Concentration
Another incredible health benefit of matcha green tea powder is its ability to enhance focus, balance mood and reduce stress.
The L-Theanine amino acid in matcha is known for its ability to increase alpha waves in the brain and promote calmness and alert concentration giving matcha users a great Zen state.
L-Theanine has a positive effect on the mind and improves memory by increasing Dopamine levels and boosting Serotonin. As a result, matcha helps decrease stress, enhance mood and significantly improve concentration.
Other Benefits Derived From Drinking Green Tea
Green tea has become a very popular drink in all over the world because of the several health benefits that the drink has to offer. Apart from the aforementioned benefits, green tea has a host of other benefits too. Some of these include:
- The caffeine present in the drink acts as a great stimulating agent.
- The drink is known to be highly rich in a number of nutrients, vitamins, etc. because of which it is highly beneficial in the treatment of heart- related diseases, cancer, arthritis, etc.
- Regular consumption of the tea is also known to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol present in the body.
- Very few people know that the drink is a very good astringent which helps one in getting toned muscles and skin.
Recommended Reading: Does Twisted Tea Have Sugar
Three Drinks To Lower Blood Pressure
Worried about high blood pressure? Try adding these heart-healthy drinks to your diet. Combined with regular exercise and a smart eating plan, they can help prevent and control hypertension. Here’s how.
If you’re serious about lowering your blood pressure, you probably already know to ditch high-sodium foods like deli meats, canned soups and frozen pizzas. Ditto for unhealthy fats and sugary sweets and sodas, which can pack on pounds and hike up your risk of hypertension.
But what about foods you need to eat more of? Research shows that eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables plus lean protein can help prevent and control high blood pressure. That’s why many folks have turned to the plant-based DASH diet, an eating plan that’s been proven in clinical trials to lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels.
Pictured Recipe:Hibiscus-Pomegranate Iced Tea
Of course, what you choose to drink matters, too. Here are three refreshing beverages backed by science to help lower blood pressureplus one to avoid. Add these three to a smart diet, get started with a safe exercise program, and you’ll be on your way to better blood pressure and a healthier heart. Cheers!
Pictured Recipe:Peanut Butter & Chocolate Banana Smoothie
Pictured Recipe:Cucumber-Peach Hibiscus Agua Fresca