high blood pressure and herbs

I have a question about dosage for Dr Tilgner.

I currently have high blood pressure (probably due to being old and fat).  When I was diagnosed, I did some reading and decided to experiment with a hawthorne (for blood pressure), mint(for flavor and a general tonic), and nettle (also a general tonic as well as an allergy suppressant) tea.  (Going completely by the color and flavor I came to 1/3 cup of hawthorne, 1/3 cup of nettle, 1/3 cup of spearmint, 1/3 cup of sugar in a gallon of hot water.  (I realized without the mint and sugar I wouldn't consistently drink the tea).  I generally drink about 1/2 gallon a day.  It takes about 3 days of drinking it for my blood pressure to drop from 150ish/100 to about 120/85.  It drops all of a sudden, then stays there.  When I run out or get lazy and forget to make tea for a while, my blood pressure slowly climbs over a period of a few weeks back to 150ish/ 100.  

My question is, does this seem like a reasonable dosage to you?

Thank you Mick for posting this.  I too have a similar blood pressure level without drugs....but I hate having to take them.  I just bought two hawthorn trees to help, but in while waiting for them to grow I am looking for suggestions for a good hawthorn product that I can buy.  Any suggestions Mick or others?  I can't wait for my trees to get big and beautiful (and tasty)!

Greg Martin wrote:Thank you Mick for posting this.  I too have a similar blood pressure level without drugs....but I hate having to take them.  I just bought two hawthorn trees to help, but in while waiting for them to grow I am looking for suggestions for a good hawthorn product that I can buy.  Any suggestions Mick or others?  I can't wait for my trees to get big and beautiful (and tasty)!

there is a old farm not far from me that has dozens of mature hawthorn trees Greg. it won't help you right now but come late summer i can get you all you want. i heard rose hips are good for blood pressure too.

Much appreciated Steve!  I do have lots of beach roses.  I may take you up this fall :)  Thank you.

I'd like to add Hibiscus as a great hypotensive.  My husband has drank it for years and manages his former high blood pressure that way.  Dr. Tilgner has a great description of it in her book, along with listing many references, but she can talk about that...  Here's a quick article about it from the People's Pharmacy:  https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/09/05/how-to-lower-blood-pressure-with-hibiscus-tea/

Anyways, my husband started on this years ago, and it's quite effective.

The herbs you are using are generally safe or at least they are not considered harmful, so it is unlikely you are taking excessive doses, although I do not know your condition to advise for sure. For the average healthy person none of these herbs would be harmful in the amounts you mention and they would be helpful to lower the BP over time. Clearly it is lowering your BP to a normal level. By the way, you mention Nettle being used as a general tonic and allergy suppressant. It is also a strong diuretic. Diuretics also lower BP. Peppermint has also been known to lower the BP. So, it is not just the hawthorne that is active regarding the lowered BP you are enjoying. Hawthorne by the way is generally considered slow acting, although I have seen some individuals react to it quickly. It is supportive of overall heart health.

Yes, I agree with kim. Hibiscus is a great choice for many individuals wanting to lower their BP. Most people love the flavor and they get quick results from it. It is also available in capsules but the tea tastes so nice, you might as well drink the tea unless fluids are ill advised such as in chronic kidney failure. It will generally work faster than Hawthorne will. As with anything that you use to lower blood pressure, Hibiscus needs to be used daily. Generally it works best to use it two-three times per day. Hibiscus acts to lower the blood pressure by multiple methods. It is a diuretic, so it removes excess fluid, it also has been shown to reduce blood pressure through angiotensin inhibiting enzyme activity as well as a calcium channel blocker activity and as a vasodilator through increased nitric acid production. It does not remove potassium as some of the diuretic drugs are known to do.

Dosage: Infusion: 1 tablespoon per cup of water. One cup of tea twice per day is used to lower blood pressure.

I generally buy my dried nettle, spearmint and hawthorne on Amazon in 16 oz bags.  The hawthorne is about twice the price of the other two.

I planted a couple of hawthornes but they died.  I'm figuring on moving within the year, so I'll try again in my new location, wherever it turns out to be.

I'm excited to hear hibiscus lowers blood pressure.  I really like hibiscus tea.

I've developed a taste for my hawthorne blend, but I would be a liar if I claimed it was my first choice for recreational sipping.
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Mick Fisch wrote:I'm excited to hear hibiscus lowers blood pressure.  I really like hibiscus tea.

I've developed a taste for my hawthorne blend, but I would be a liar if I claimed it was my first choice for recreational sipping.
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mick i have hawthorn growing wild around old farmland around here. keep a eye out in fall. i bet you have some nearby to you.

Sounds like some good things to try for high blood pressure!

Mick Fisch wrote:I generally buy my dried nettle, spearmint and hawthorne on Amazon in 16 oz bags.  The hawthorne is about twice the price of the other two.

I planted a couple of hawthornes but they died.  I'm figuring on moving within the year, so I'll try again in my new location, wherever it turns out to be.

i almost ordered a hawthorn bush to add to my food forest but they have wicked thorns 2in. long and can tear you up!

I have what I believe to be a perennial Hibiscus (white flowers with pink centers) in zone 7B.  It is the second year, so I think I can begin to harvest.  What parts of the plant are beneficial for high blood pressure?  

It's the flowers and sepals, like if you picked off the whole flowerbud.  I usually get it online, too.  In Mexican culture it makes a popular drink called "jamaica".    Ha-MAI-cuh

Here's one from Frontier herbs sold on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Frontier-Organic-Hibiscus-Flowers-Sifted/dp/B0012BSDNW

I think the red-budded are the ones traditionally used for medicine. Hibiscus sabdariffa specifically.  It's known as Roselle in Africa.  Here is an article from the Purdue University horticulture site on growing roselle hibiscus, also including a table of nutritional value, as well as growing and harvesting instructions:
Purdue University write-up on Hibiscus (Roselle, Jamaica)


Here's a picture from wikipedia showing the unopened bud:


Love this plant!

I recently posted this about Immortality Herb (Gynostemma pentaphyllum), or Jiaogulan.  The plant is growing slowly and not large enough to pull any leaves off yet.  Some of the published data show that it was tested and found to be about 85% as effective as the top-selling BP med.  As soon as I can pull some leaves off it I'm going to try it.  Sedentary lifestyle brought on by temporary career choice, some fairly serious medical issues unrelated to BP but aggravating it nonetheless, have caused mine to go up a lot more than I like.  Has anyone else had any experience with this plant?  

Eric Thomas wrote:I recently posted this about Immortality Herb (Gynostemma pentaphyllum), or Jiaogulan.  The plant is growing slowly and not large enough to pull any leaves off yet.  Some of the published data show that it was tested and found to be about 85% as effective as the top-selling BP med... Has anyone else had any experience with this plant?  

Hi Eric...  My husband also tried that herb, but it made him feel "weird".  He didn't have a better description than that!  He kept reading up, and hibiscus came up so high in his findings, with many studies now also comparing it to common blood pressure medications, that he went with hibiscus.  He also likes that hibiscus is a food, as well.  Meaning a gentle-acting herb with nutritive value of its own.  But of course, try everything for yourself!  Herbs work individually, based on one's constitution.

Good luck, and please keep everyone posted with your results.  That is very cool you have the plant growing, and I think it's great to use what is local and at hand, especially "in garden".

Sounds like a great opportunity to experiment with both Kim.  The whole medicinal herb thing is a rabbit hole I only recently jumped down, after a bout with cancer (I won) and hypertension on top of it.  Can you zero in on "weird"?  As in psychotropic weird?  

Eric Thomas wrote: Can you zero in on "weird"?  As in psychotropic weird?  

Turns out he can narrow down the feeling - "slightly amped and angsty, like when drinking bad coffee".  So that makes us now think of two things.  My husband is very sensitive to molds in foods and this is one of his reactions - but we didn't know that at the time.  One possibility; the gynostemmna could have been moldy?  But another possibility; that herb may not have been a good constitutional match for him, which is what he ended up deciding.  

And then he found hibiscus worked well for him.  He sometimes makes the hibiscus with hawthorne in it, too, and both are very nice.

Hope that helps!  Wow, Eric. Very glad you won.  I understand and relate about rabbit holes... :-) There is a world of healing found in nature, I bet you'll find deep connections as you explore Wonderland!

I have some certified extract Hibiscus on the way, should have it tomorrow.  I'll keep you posted.  

I have high blood pressure.

It is diagnosed as a hormone called Angiotensin 2 was getting released too much into the blood stream resulting to carry too much water which increases the pressure on blood vessels walls.

Later on one of my friend gave me a root of Pineapple Sage and as I always do, I've started reading about it on the Wikipedia.

To my surprise Pineapple Sage did have a natural blocker for the Angiotensin 2 hormone. One of my medicine which I had to replace because of a side affect which makes me persistently cough as soon as I go to bed and Pineapple Sage tea I prepared was doing the same. So I am using dried leaves as an ingredient in a herbal tea mixture to reduce the side affects. I have no recipe, I mix whatever I have like platanus orientalis leaves, chamomile, mint and Echinacea.

I have just seen this thread.

I have high blood pressure and am interested in what is mentioned re. hisbiscus.  

To those that were about to try it (when they last posted on here), what has been your experience?