Blood Pressure

In the Blood Pressure collection we bring together food supplements with potassium, hawthorn, garlic, olive leaf and other plants and nutrients related to the cardiovascular system, from brands such as NOW Foods, Thorne, Solaray, Kyolic, Be-Life, Alphagem and Gaia Herbs. You will find capsules, tablets, liquid extracts and gemmotherapy macerates.

Food supplements do not treat high blood pressure and do not replace medication or medical follow-up.

Blood pressure

What the numbers mean

Blood pressure is the pressure that blood exerts on the walls of the arteries and is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg). The first number (systolic) is the pressure when the heart contracts; the second (diastolic), when it relaxes. Measuring your blood pressure regularly, at home or at the pharmacy, is the simplest way to know it.

Habits that matter

Cutting down on salt (the WHO recommends less than 5 g a day), eating more vegetables, fruit and pulses, which are rich in potassium, being physically active, drinking less alcohol and keeping a healthy weight are the measures with the greatest impact on blood pressure.

Types of products

Potassium

Potassium citrate alone or with magnesium or taurine. Check the label for the amount of elemental potassium per serving, which is different from the weight of the citrate.

Hawthorn

Hawthorn (Crataegus) is a European shrub whose leaves, flowers and berries are traditionally used in herbalism. It comes in capsules, as a bud macerate and combined with coenzyme Q10.

Garlic

Aged garlic extract (Kyolic), garlic powder and garlic oil, odourless or not.

Olive leaf

Olive leaf extract standardised to oleuropein, in capsules or as a liquid extract, and olive bud macerate.

Other formulas

Combined plant formulas, L-arginine, an amino acid the body uses to make nitric oxide, and celery seed extract.

Precautions

• Do not stop or change your blood pressure medication without talking to your doctor.
• Potassium supplements are not suitable for people with kidney disease or who take certain blood pressure medicines or potassium-sparing diuretics, because blood potassium can rise too high. Talk to your doctor before taking them.
• Hawthorn, olive leaf and L-arginine may add to the effect of blood pressure and heart medicines. Garlic may interfere with anticoagulants.
• Liquorice that is not deglycyrrhizinated can raise blood pressure.
• During pregnancy and breastfeeding, ask a health professional for advice.

If you have a sudden severe headache, chest pain, shortness of breath, or changes in vision or speech, seek medical help immediately.

See also the Cardiovascular Health and Cholesterol collections.