Boost Heart Health with 5 Powerful Herbal Teas for Clean Arteries & Lower Blood Pressure
Introduction
Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death globally, responsible for over 17 million deaths per year according to the World Health Organization. Luckily, adopting healthy lifestyle habits including diet changes can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease.
Consuming certain healing herbs and spices is one powerful yet underutilized way to promote heart health from the inside out. Drinking herbal tea infused with heart-healthy herbs daily provides an easy, delicious, and aromatic route for harnessing the medicinal power of plants.
In this article, we’ll explore five research-backed herbal teas that have been shown to benefit heart health in various ways – from cleaning arteries, lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, balancing cholesterol levels, to improving circulation. Sipping these healing elixirs regularly can provide a boost to your cardiovascular wellbeing over time as part of a comprehensive approach focused on diet, exercise, stress management and other lifestyle factors.
Overviews of 5 Best Herbal Teas for Heart Health
- Green Tea
Renowned for its myriad of health benefits, it’s no surprise green tea tops the list of herbal elixirs beneficial for heart health. Abundant research has revealed regular green tea consumption can protect against atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in arteries), high blood pressure, high cholesterol, blood clots, and inflammation – major risk factors for heart attacks and strokes.
How does it work its magic? Green tea contains high concentrations of polyphenol antioxidants including the potent catechin EGCG that counteracts damaging free radicals and also widens blood vessels, increasing vasodilation. This allows improved blood circulation, oxygen transport, lowered pressure on arterial walls, and reduced strain on the heart.
A meta-analysis of over a dozen studies with over 1,300 participants concluded those who regularly drank green tea had significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure than non-tea drinkers or those who drank less tea. Furthermore, a 10-year study tracking over 40,000 participants found those drinking 5+ cups of green tea daily were at 26% lower risk for heart disease than those who drank less than one cup per day.
To brew: Steep 1 tsp (2 g) loose leaf or 1 green tea bag in 1 cup hot (not boiling) water for 3 minutes. Enjoy plain or with lemon, ginger or mint. Drink 2-3 cups daily. High-quality matcha green tea powder is another convenient way to gain the heart-healthy benefits of green tea.
- Hibiscus Tea
With its tart, cranberry-like flavor profile and vibrant red-purple hue, hibiscus tea is as tasty as it is good for you. The medicinal herb acts as a natural diuretic to lower blood pressure, along with possessing anti-inflammatory effects and antioxidant properties to protect cells against damage.
Multiple studies confirm hibiscus tea’s ability to lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. A 6-week study of 65 prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults found consuming hibiscus tea 3 times daily reduced systolic blood pressure compared to the placebo group. Meanwhile, a systematic review evaluating 4 high-quality studies concluded drinking hibiscus tea for just 4-6 weeks significantly lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure on average.
Research also indicates hibiscus tea may boost ‘good’ HDL cholesterol, improve insulin resistance, and reduce absorption of dietary fats – added bonuses for maintaining a healthy heart and ideal weight!
To brew: Steep ~2 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers or a hibiscus tea bag in 2 cups hot water for 5+ minutes. Strain and sweeten with a touch of honey if desired. Sip 1-2 cups daily, hot or iced. For a flavor twist, combine with aromatic cinnamon, ginger or lemon verbena.
- Chamomile Tea
With its sweet, apple-like taste and calming aroma, delicate chamomile tea has graced medicine cabinets for eons thanks to its medicinal properties and soothing effects. Beyond its well-known ability to relax the nerves and lull one into tranquil sleep, chamomile tea boasts a trove of bioactive phytochemicals that benefit heart health by reducing arterial plaque, cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure – major precursors of stroke and heart attack.
A study involving 64 diabetic patients given chamomile tea for 8 weeks saw significant decreases in their total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol while HDL (“good”) cholesterol increased compared to the control group. Researchers attributed these positive changes in blood lipid levels to the antioxidant and cholesterol-lowering activities of chamomile’s key phytochemicals chrysin, quercetin, luteolin and patuletin.
Another study found daily chamomile tea consumption with meals significantly lowered participant’s systolic and diastolic blood pressure after just six weeks. Chamomile’s anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and blood vessel-relaxing effects are likely responsible for its ability to gently reduce blood pressure, improving circulation and lowering heart attack risk.
To brew: Steep 2-3 tsp fresh or 1-2 tsp dried chamomile flowers or 1 chamomile tea bag in 1 cup freshly boiled water for 5-7 minutes. Enjoy plain or with lemon balm, cinnamon, raw honey or vanilla for added flavor and sweetness.
- Rooibos Tea
Indigenous to South Africa’s Cederberg region and affectionately called ‘redbush’ tea for its rich amber color, antioxidant-packed rooibos tea has recently vaulted into global popularity as a deliciously nutritious beverage. Rooibos boasts an impressive nutritional and phytochemical profile featuring rare plant-based nutrients like Aspalathin and Nothofagin that bolster heart health in numerous ways.
In addition to rooibos’ potent anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antimutagenic activity to curb inflammation and protect against diseases, it’s also been shown in studies to reduce blood pressure, inhibit platelet aggregation that can lead to heart attacks/strokes, and improve cholesterol levels – key markers of cardiovascular wellness.
Researchers speculate rooibos tea’s ability to lower blood pressure may stem from the flavonoid chrysoeriol which causes blood vessels to dilate and relaxation of small arteries while preventing cholesterol uptake in the gut. Another study discovered rooibos suppressed angiotensin-converting enzyme called ACE – similar to how blood pressure lowering drugs work.
Regarding cholesterol, a study tracking 40 adults who drank six cups of rooibos tea daily for six weeks saw increased HDL cholesterol and lowered LDL cholesterol, heart disease risk markers. The researchers linked rooibos’ cholesterol-regulating effect to two unique antioxidants, Aspalathin and Nothofagin.
To brew: Bring 8 oz water just short of a boil. Add 2 tsp rooibos leaves or tea bag and let steep 5+ minutes to bring out rooibos’ sweet, rich flavor. Drink up to 3 cups daily.
- Ginger Tea
The gnarly, aromatic ginger root that adds its sharp zing to Asian and Indian cuisine also moonlights as an effective herbal remedy for high blood pressure and poor circulation. For over 4,700 years, Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine have utilized ginger as a natural circulatory stimulant due to its proven ability to improve blood flow, prevent clot formation, and reduce LDL while elevating HDL cholesterol.
Modern scientific research affirms ginger tea’s prowess for supporting cardiovascular health thanks to its bioactive compound gingerol which boasts anti-inflammatory, anti-nausea, glucose-regulating and vasodilating (blood vessel widening) effects.
In a comprehensive review of 10 high-quality clinical trials with nearly 550 cardiovascular patients, researchers found daily supplemental ginger significantly lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels – reducing key risk factors for atherosclerosis, heart attacks and stroke.
Another double-blind, randomized study involving 85 obese individuals with high blood pressure found taking just 2 grams of supplemental ginger daily for 12 weeks notably decreased systolic blood pressure, glucose, insulin, total cholesterols, and increased HDL ‘good’ cholesterol.
To brew: Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add 3 slices fresh ginger root (or 1-2 tsp grated ginger) and 2-3 tsp raw honey. Reduce heat, cover and let steep for 5-10 minutes to extract ginger’s aromatic, pungent essence. Drink 1-2 cups daily. Can be enjoyed chilled, warmed, or at room temperature. Add lemon for a citrusy twist.
Tips for Making Herbal Teas Part of Your Routine
To fully leverage the heart-nourishing power of herbs, aim to drink 1-3 cups of your favorite herbal tea daily. Herbal tea makes a far healthier alternative to coffee, black tea or soda.
Always choose high quality, organic or ethically wild-harvested herbal teas when possible. And unless you’re using fresh herbs, opt for loose leaf tea over tea bags to avoid low-grade, stale tea dust.
Getting into an herbal tea habit is easiest when you truly enjoy the flavors and make it an intentional, soothing part of your self-care routine. Sip slowly, mindfully, without distraction to relax and let the medicinal benefits permeate.
Whichever herbal allies call to you most, incorporate them as part of a comprehensive approach focused on nutrition, exercise, stress relief and other lifestyle factors critical for maintaining wellness and preventing heart disease.
In Summary
A daily cuppa powerful herbal tea containing medicinal herbs and spices like green tea, hibiscus, chamomile, rooibos and ginger can provide a nourishing infusion of plant-powered phytochemicals, antioxidants and nutrients that clean arteries, improve circulation, balance blood pressure and cholesterol for optimal heart health when combined with healthy lifestyle habits.
So put the kettle on, pull out your favorite mug, and drink to your health with one of nature’s most delightful heart remedies – healing herbal tea!
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