High blood pressure and cholesterol are two leading causes of heart diseases. To minimize the risk of heart disorders, you must keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control. One of the easiest ways to maintain the normal function of your heart is to drink teas that help in maintaining the blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the healthy range. To reduce the risk of heart diseases, include the following heart healthy teas in your heart friendly diet.
List Of 5 Healthy Heart Tea For Lowering Blood Pressure And Cholesterol
Green Tea
By lowering the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or the bad cholesterol, green tea helps in reducing the risk of heart attack. Green tea is packed with flavonoids known as catechins, which are highly valued for their antioxidant activity. The powerful antioxidants help in preventing degradation of the LDL cholesterol that leads to formation of plague in the coronary arteries. Moreover, studies have shown that drinking green tea actually helps in lowering the LDL cholesterol level in the blood. Furthermore, the green tea flavonoids help in improving endothelial function, which helps in preventing hypertension and heart problems.
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea helps in reducing development of atherosclerotic lesions that over time blocks blood supply to the heart, leading to heart attack. This therapeutic property of ginger tea is attributed to its blood cholesterol lowering effect. Moreover, the active constituent of ginger also helps in preventing oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Studies have shown that ginger works like calcium channel blockers and helps in lowering the high blood pressure level.
Hibiscus Tea
Sipping warm hibiscus tea not only helps you to unwind, it also helps in improving the function of your heart. The antioxidants in hibiscus are believed to be responsible for the healing property of the herbal tea. Clinical studies have shown that drinking hibiscus tea thrice a day helps in lowering high blood pressure. Studies also suggest that the bioflavonoids in hibiscus can also help in reducing the LDL cholesterol level.
Hawthorn Tea
Hawthorn tea is widely used in the folk medicines of Europe as a cardiac tonic. The hawthorn berries, flowers and leaves contain compounds that help in reducing high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Hawthorn contains an active compound called proanthocyanidin, which helps the blood vessels to relax, thereby bringing down the blood pressure level naturally. It also helps in inhibiting cholesterol synthesis and increases cholesterol excretion.
Turmeric Tea
In Ayurveda, turmeric tea is recommended to improve heart function. Curcumin, the main bioactive constituent of turmeric, helps in lowering the cholesterol level by increasing production of LDL cholesterol receptors that help the liver cells to flush out the harmful lipids from the body through bile. In addition, the antioxidant activity of curcumin helps in preventing oxidation of lipids that helps in preventing accumulation of plaque in the coronary arteries. Studies have also shown that curcumin helps in reversing changes in the walls of the blood vessels that lead to high blood pressure.