Blog Category
High blood pressure is one of the most common health concerns I encounter in discussions with students and readers, and it is one where herbal medicine has a genuinely useful role to play — alongside, not instead of, medical management. I have written about mistletoe for many years: it is a herb with a long European tradition of use for hypertension, and modern research has begun to validate what herbalists have long observed. But mistletoe is just one of several plants that can support healthy blood pressure. In the articles collected here, we explore the herbal options, the lifestyle factors, and the physiological mechanisms that underpin one of the most important markers of cardiovascular health.
ASOHM News
15 July 2021
English physician Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654) wrote: “This plant is a remarkable instance of the truth of an observation. Few plants possess greater virtues than this, and yet it is utterly disregarded. It helps all fluxes of blood, either caused by inward or outward wounds. It is also used where there is flux of the belly […]
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ASOHM News
17 August 2020
High blood pressure or hypertension is extremely common and it is estimated that it affects approximately 33% of adults over the age of 20. Two types of pressure are measured—the higher or “systolic” is when the heart contracts and pumps the blood; the other, “diastolic”, is when the heart relaxes. When blood pressure is abnormally […]
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ASOHM News
15 October 2019
The birch tree (Betula alba), also known as silver birch, gets its name from the Sanskrit word ‘bhurga’ meaning a tree whose bark is used for writing upon. Found growing wild through Europe in woods and mountain regions, this ornamental and medicinal tree can be found in many parks and is also popular with […]
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Anxiety
24 June 2019
Passionflower or Passiflora incarnata is a climbing vine that is native to the south-eastern United States. It consists of about 400 different species and many of these are highly prized for their showy, unusual flowers. The above ground parts of the plant are used in herbal medicine, for their antispasmodic, sedative, hypnotic and narcotic properties, […]
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Allergies
6 September 2017
For thousands of years the humble onion has had a respected and often revered place in the diet of man. Sacred to the Egyptians, it often appears in the art of ancient India, China and Greece, but it probably originated in Central Asia. The onion’s unique properties have ensured its constant popularity throughout the civilised […]
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ASOHM News
13 August 2017
An overload of toxins in your body will lead to chronic illness, premature ageing and death. You and I are exposed to thousands of toxic chemicals, they are everywhere — all the time. They are in the air...
Read article →Blood pressure management is an area where the partnership between herbal medicine and conventional care is particularly important. Many people with high blood pressure are on prescribed medications, and some herbs can interact with these. Please treat these articles as an introduction to the topic and always discuss any complementary approaches with your doctor.
Mistletoe (Viscum album) is perhaps the most distinctively European herb for hypertension, used for generations in Germany and central Europe. Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) has strong evidence for supporting both blood pressure and overall cardiovascular function. Olive leaf (Olea europaea) has been studied for its antihypertensive effects, and garlic (Allium sativum) has demonstrated modest but consistent reductions in blood pressure in clinical trials.
Mistletoe contains compounds including viscotoxins and lectins that appear to act on the cardiovascular system by reducing peripheral vascular resistance and supporting the tone of the vessel walls. It has been used in European herbal medicine as a nervine (calming to the nervous system) as well as a cardiovascular herb, and this dual action may partly explain its traditional effectiveness. You can read more in our article on mistletoe and circulation.
In mild cases of elevated blood pressure, lifestyle changes — including dietary improvement, reduced sodium intake, increased physical activity, stress management, and smoking cessation — can bring readings into a healthy range. Herbal medicine can support this process. However, blood pressure that is significantly elevated requires medical assessment and management. Never discontinue prescribed medication without your doctor's guidance.
Diet (particularly high sodium and low potassium intake), physical inactivity, chronic stress, excess alcohol, and excess body weight are the primary modifiable risk factors. Herbal medicine works most effectively when these are also being addressed.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is traditionally used as a circulatory stimulant that can support low blood pressure, particularly in people who feel dizzy upon standing. Ginger and liquorice root (in small amounts) also have a mild blood-pressure-elevating action. However, hypotension that causes symptoms should be evaluated medically.
Garlic has a mild anticoagulant effect and can interact with blood-thinning medications. If you are on warfarin or other anticoagulants, please consult your doctor before significantly increasing garlic intake through supplements. Culinary use of garlic is generally considered safe for most people.
The stress response triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol, which cause the heart to beat faster and the blood vessels to narrow — temporarily raising blood pressure. In people under chronic stress, this becomes a persistent pattern. Nervine herbs such as passionflower, valerian, and lemon balm can support the nervous system as part of a comprehensive approach to hypertension with a stress component.
Lesson 6 covers the cardiovascular system comprehensively, including the mechanisms of blood pressure regulation, the herbs most beneficial for hypertension and hypotension, and the lifestyle and dietary factors that interact with both.
The herbs for blood pressure management sit within a much broader understanding of cardiovascular and nervous system health — and that broader picture is exactly what our course provides. If you would like to understand not just which herbs to use, but how and why they work, our online herbal medicine course offers that knowledge in a structured, accessible format. View lesson packages and enrol today.