High blood pressure increases your risk of more serious ailments like heart attack and stroke. There are prescription medications that can lower your blood pressure, but it's often a good idea to try to lower your blood pressure by other means before you resort to drugs. One of those non-medication options is herbs. By adding some herbal supplements to your routine or even just incorporating certain herbs into your diet, you may be able to lower your blood pressure naturally.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is derived from the bark of a certain kind of tree. It may help lower your blood pressure, and as an added benefit, it is quite delicious. While there are cinnamon capsules you can swallow, it's easy enough to just sprinkle some cinnamon on certain foods throughout the day. Add a little to your oatmeal, sprinkle some onto your toast, or put a few pinches in your smoothie. Make sure you are buying high-quality cinnamon as cheap, discount cinnamon is sometimes from a different species of tree and may not be as effective.

Garlic

Garlic is thought to increase the amount of nitric oxide in your body. This substance causes your blood vessels to relax, which in turn lowers blood pressure. Garlic is delicious to add to your meals, but it can cause the dreaded garlic breath. If you'd rather keep your breath smelling fresh, then you can buy some garlic capsules and swallow them once or twice per day to help keep your blood pressure in check.

Hawthorn Root

An old standby in Chinese medicine, hawthorn root is a great choice for cardiovascular health, in general. Not only does it help lower blood pressure, but it also helps keep your arteries pliable, reducing your risk of atherosclerosis. It may also help lower cholesterol. There are hawthorn root teas available, and if you don't like the taste, there are also pills.

Lavender

Lavender is thought to help lower blood pressure and also lower heart rate. It has a unique flavor that may take some getting used to, but you can add it to drinks, brew it into a tea, and even add it to baked goods. There are many herbal teas that contain lavender blended with other flavors, like lemon, which helps tone down the herb.

If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, consider trying some herbal medicines before resorting to medication. You might even have a useful herb in your cabinet already. For any questions you might have, reach out to a supplier, like Arcana Empothecary.