need ideas for food and nonalcoholic and noncaffeinated drinks to raise blood pressure

During a recent hospital stay I quit drinking coffee (my choice, it just didn't taste good anymore). At the same time (not necessarily related) my blood pressure was very low.... eighties over fifties....mine is 'normally' 120/70 or a little less.

Back home, and recovered, I find my BP is still really low and my doctors tell me to eat more salt (along with more exercise, which I am doing). The exercise I know will help, the salt seems wrong and I am looking for other ways through the foods that I eat and possibly herb teas.

I am drinking a little green tea and eating lots of vegetables, some chicken, eggs and tuna over the week, yogurt......I got to thinking that maybe coffee was all that kept me upright

.......so I'm looking for suggestions from my favorite group of folks

Licorice.

I'll find some links in a minute, but it's for real. I have low blood pressure issues too, and so does an incredibly geeky friend of mine whose blood pressure dropped in response to a medication she was on, and she dug out a load of articles, but I think they were all papers that could only be accessed by universities.

Ephedra genus. It was used in diet concoctions. Raise heart rates and blood pressure. Herbal ta speed.

Burra Maluca wrote:Licorice.

I'll find some links in a minute, but it's for real. I have low blood pressure issues too, and so does an incredibly geeky friend of mine whose blood pressure dropped in response to a medication she was on, and she dug out a load of articles, but I think they were all papers that could only be accessed by universities.

Thanks, Burra........I did some reading and want to try it.....sounds as though it would be great in general as explained in this article http://www.herballegacy.com/Knuteson_Medicinal.html
and here http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_licorice.htm
along with all of the possible side effects this site says

Its affinity for the endocrine system makes licorice a most remarkable herb, which when used judiciously can be very helpful in treating many human ailments. Licorice has an anti-inflammatory, antiallergic and antiarthritic effect similar to that of cortisone but without its side effects. This is because of glycyrrhizin which has a structure similar to hormones produced by the adrenal glands. Its antiallergic effect makes it very useful in treating allergic rhinitis, hay fever, conjunctivitis and bronchial asthma. Licorice has mild estrogenic properties and can be very helpful during menopause. It gets these properties from the steroid like compounds present in it which can change to estrogen precursors like estradiol and estrone. Licorice can act as a mild laxative and can also relieve indigestion and heartburn by lowering stomach acid levels.
The herb is popularly used to ease irritation and for inflammation and spasm in the digestive tract. Licorice is reputed to heal ulcers. The herb acts on the liver and helps increase bile flow and it also helps lower cholesterol levels. Licorice helps the body to built up resistance to stress by acting on the adrenal glands. It has a soothing and healing effect on the respiratory system and helps to ease irritation and inflammation. Because of its expectorant properties it is used in treating colds, coughs, asthma and chest infections. Like aspirin, licorice is useful in relieving headaches and fevers. The herb is handy for people coming off orthodox steroid medications as it has the effect of revitalizing or energizing the body. Anti-allergenic effect of licorice is very useful for hay fever, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and bronchial asthma. Licorice is quite useful in bringing back the liveliness when one is feeling tired or fatigue especially after surgery or during convalescence. It is a good stress reliever- both physical and emotional.

Joan Fassler wrote:

Ephedra genus. It was used in diet concoctions. Raise heart rates and blood pressure. Herbal ta speed.

I remember this one......we were given a tin of it a long time ago and I seem to remember a bit of a rush after drinking some. Morman tea, I think it was called?
Thanks, I'll check into it. I think I am remembering some health scare to do with it, but probably like any herb it can be misused.

Ephedra sinica

Ephedra nevadensis

Well, since some are advised to not eat salt because it raises their blood pressure, doesn't it make sense to eat salt if you want to raise your blood pressure? I would put sea salt or better in food, rather than eating it by itself. It can affect kidney stones, etc. and have other negative effects.
JOhn S
PDX OR

John Saltveit wrote:Well, since some are advised to not eat salt because it raises their blood pressure, doesn't it make sense to eat salt if you want to raise your blood pressure? I would put sea salt or better in food, rather than eating it by itself. It can affect kidney stones, etc. and have other negative effects.
JOhn S
PDX OR

My thinking is that more salt could cause other issues, like retaining fluids. I am using sea salt and really salting plenty to my taste. Somehow the thinking seemed backwards to me, though, like they are so unused to someone having low blood pressure the only thing they can think of is to suggest the opposite of what they would advise for high blood pressure. I'm a little cynical about 'professional' medical advice in general right now and their thoughts on 'food as medicine'.

If you don't want to have caffeine in your diet, I'm not sure that ephedra would be a good choice; it can make you seriously wired. I would also wonder about long-term side effects particularly on the heart. I consider ephedra a pretty serious herb - it has it's applications, but it has the potential for causing harm.

Also, I have heard not to take licorice long-term, but I can't off the top of my head remember why....

Here's an article listing some herbs that might raise blood pressure (written as a warning towards those who are already hypertensive, but I don't see why you couldn't put them to your use).

Try a B-Vitamin complex. Have you had your thyroid or heart checked?

Thanks everyone........After reading a bunch about it, I'm going to try an occasional small dose of licorice tincture. I'm already taking a sub lingual multi B vitamin supplement and I began drinking our honey and organic apple cider vinegar drink (with a bit of sea salt added) daily. Someone (not a doctor, but my brother who is a neurotoxicologist) did convince me, after a long explanation, that saline and glucose in water would help raise my BP....a homemade 'gator' aide...that sometimes just water, which I drink a lot of, isn't absorbed the same way.......not sure I really understand nor have explained it here very well, but I trust him
I was told my heart was fine and it might be I need to get my thyroid checked out, but I don't seem to have many of those symptoms.
BP holding at 100/50ish.........Maybe I need to start watching the news again

The human body needs sodium, (found in lots of vegetables) to balance the potassium (think bananas, strawberries, melon, carrots, etc). You probably have adrenal fatigue, in which case you are feeling tired a lot, especially in the morning when you awake and may be craving salt at that time. It can cause the low blood pressure. Your sodium/potassium balance may be off. There is a world of difference between refined, kiln dried salt (which is indigestible) and real sea salt, the unrefined kind or that found in the vegetables. The licorice is a good choice for adrenal support. So is American Ginseng.

Melba Corbett wrote:The human body needs sodium, (found in lots of vegetables) to balance the potassium (think bananas, strawberries, melon, carrots, etc). You probably have adrenal fatigue, in which case you are feeling tired a lot, especially in the morning when you awake and may be craving salt at that time. It can cause the low blood pressure. Your sodium/potassium balance may be off. There is a world of difference between refined, kiln dried salt (which is indigestible) and real sea salt, the unrefined kind or that found in the vegetables. The licorice is a good choice for adrenal support. So is American Ginseng.

thank you, Melba.......I think I am finding if I start the day with a glass of water with our wild flower honey, some apple cider vinegar and a sprinkle of sea salt I am feeling better. I have been a big water drinker for years...it was one of the things I did when I quit smoking more than thirty years ago. I have wondered and others think that maybe I have been drinking too much just plain water, so I'm having a variation on the honey/vinegar/salt drink more often than plain water for awhile and see if it makes some difference.
I need to get some unrefined sea salt again.......I'm using sea salt but it is refined.

and I'm trying a small amount of licorice tincture daily.....

Keep in mind that fluid retention is actually part of the goal when trying to increase blood pressure. If you are dehydrated then you will decrease blood volume and thus pressure. The body is in a constant state of active balancing. One of those balances is water to salt. If you have too high water or too low salt, you will dump water to balance. If you are too high salt or too low water, you will get very concentrated urine and possible constipation as the body holds as much water as it can.

Herbs listed in my reference book for low blood pressure include Prickly Ash, Licorice, Korean Ginseng, and Ginkgo. Also recommended are some B vitamins and adrenal support products.

If you need something to raise your blood pressure, I could lend you my two oldest boys for a couple years...

Or watch the news...

Hawthorne is supposed to increase circulation. But use carefully.

Elisha Monger wrote:Keep in mind that fluid retention is actually part of the goal when trying to increase blood pressure. If you are dehydrated then you will decrease blood volume and thus pressure. The body is in a constant state of active balancing. One of those balances is water to salt. If you have too high water or too low salt, you will dump water to balance. If you are too high salt or too low water, you will get very concentrated urine and possible constipation as the body holds as much water as it can.

Herbs listed in my reference book for low blood pressure include Prickly Ash, Licorice, Korean Ginseng, and Ginkgo. Also recommended are some B vitamins and adrenal support products.

I think you hit on something that I have been wondering about.......for years I have been a big water drinker and not used much salt and now I think that may have set me up for some things that are going on with me now.
I think I have been at the "If you have too high water or too low salt, you will dump water to balance. " level for awhile and it is going to take sometime to get back in balance. I assume along with 'dumping water to balance' I would be flushing out nutrients a bit also?

John Master wrote:If you need something to raise your blood pressure, I could lend you my two oldest boys for a couple years...

hahaha.......been there, done that, and, yes, that would work.........pretty relaxed now that they are grown men with families of their own

...and r.scott.......the news would do it also...I can't avoid catching some bit occasionally but I am on a fast for awhile now...I start becoming a 'news addict' if I let myself.

Judith Browning wrote:
I think you hit on something that I have been wondering about.......for years I have been a big water drinker and not used much salt and now I think that may have set me up for some things that are going on with me now.
I think I have been at the "If you have too high water or too low salt, you will dump water to balance. " level for awhile and it is going to take sometime to get back in balance. I assume along with 'dumping water to balance' I would be flushing out nutrients a bit also?

Yes, there would be some loss of other nutrients, especially water soluble ones. The kidney functions with a filter and reclaim method. Big elements like blood cells are filtered to not leave the bloodstream, the rest pass into a reclaimation system where the body chooses what it needs to hold on to and what can be let go. Anything that makes it past these stages goes to the bladder.

Also be aware that disruptions to other parts of the body can effect the kidney. The pituitary gland, for instance, releases a hormone that signals the kidney on how much water to retain based on sensory feedback from elsewhere in the body. So low blood pressure could be indirectly tied to a pituitary disfunction. Every person is unique and trying to find the root cause in the web of interconnections keeps my job interesting.

this is coming from the book called foods that heal by dr.bernard jensen( Its an amazing book)
for raising blood pressure he recommends eating parsley juice aswell as capsicum and garlic.
if you dont have a juicer eating it raw would also work. Id assume adding this to your daily diet will help tremendously

I'm sorry I can't read everybody's post at the moment, but girlfriend had low blood pressure after knee surgery and was prescribed salt... Yep, it's that simple... go enjoy a bag of chips, then increase your salt intake to get blood pressure right back up there. Cheers.

Glad you're feeling better.

I have chronically low blood pressure myself, if I stand up too fast from a squatting position I see stars and sometimes begin to lose consciousness! When I go to the doctor the nurse who takes my blood pressure sometimes asks me if I feel ok

It may be a thyroid thing, I don't know. I have been urged to have it tested. I'd love to just claim to be well rested and relaxed! but I think it's genetic.

One thing that has helped me is taking magnesium. I take a bioavailable liquid which tastes fairly unpleasant but helps with a number of issues I have had including low blood pressure. (I still can't jump up from a squat but I don't pass out either. This magnesium is in the form of a salt, just not a sodium salt, so it should help like salt without overloading you with sodium.
Food grown in magnesium depleted soils does not have as much to offer us in the magnesium department. This seems obvious! And yet. If you don't want to take it orally, there's always the good ol epsom salt bath.

Best wishes

my mom deals with this. yikes. she lost half her thyroid in a surgery when she was younger.