Both black and green tea have been shown to help lower blood pressure levels in people with high blood pressure.
Yes, you need to eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise. You’ve heard the same mantra over and over, and sometimes it can feel as though the message is so ubiquitous that you must be listening to a stuck record sitting someplace in the walls, spinning around endlessly on its lonely turntable. It can feel so obvious what we all need to do to stay healthy and enjoy a long life.
But sometimes the ingredients to well being and longevity may be a bit more subdued. One of those, apparently, is drinking tea in order to promote a lower blood pressure. How does it work? Here’s what we know.
The antihypertensive properties of tea
A study done at the University of California, Irvine focused on the discovery. A team working in the laboratory of Geoffrey Abbott, PhD, and led by the study’s first author, Kaitlyn Redford, found that compounds found in both green tea and black tea can help reduce your blood pressure. Two catechin-type flavonoid compounds found in tea work by activating a certain ion channel protein called KCNQ5. This channel allows potassium ions to diffuse out of cells, which thereby reduces the cells “excitability”. The result is a reduction in blood pressure.
What’s the best temperature at which to drink your tea? The team found that 35 degrees Celsius, or 95 degrees Fahrenheit, is the sweet spot. It’s at this temperature that the most KCNQ5 proteins are activated. But it doesn’t really matter if you have the time to heat your tea up or not, in the end.
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“Regardless of whether tea is consumed iced or hot, this temperature is achieved after tea is drunk, as human body temperature is about 37 degrees Celsius,” explains Abbott. “Thus, simply by drinking tea we activate its beneficial, antihypertensive properties.”
Researchers say they’re hoping the results of their study can lead to the creation of new blood pressure lowering medications based on the beneficial properties of tea. It’s estimated that about one third of the entire world’s population suffers from hypertension and so there’s a huge opportunity to improve the lives of many.
Other food and drink that lowers blood pressure
What if tea isn’t really your thing? According to the Mayo Clinic, there isn’t a specific magic bullet that holds the answer but by changing your eating patterns you can see your blood pressure go down. Research has shown that eating a diet rich in low-fat dairy products, whole grains, and fruits and veggies, and avoiding too much saturated fat and cholesterol can result in your blood pressure dipping up to 11 mmHg, if your pressure is too high.
It can also help to reduce the amount of salt you take in. Eating less salt has been shown to reduce your blood pressure from 5 to 6 mm Hg if you live with high blood pressure. Gradually reduce your salt intake to allow your taste buds to adjust.
Afraid of losing out on great taste? Check out this list of 5 spices that can help replace your salt. Enjoy your favourite foods and dig in!
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