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High blood pressure is common, largely silent, and managed with a doctor. Here is what it actually is, what the evidence-based advice around it looks like, and where a nutrient-dense leafy green like moringa does and does not fit.
What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a health condition where the blood's long-term push against your artery walls is so severe that it may eventually result in health issues, including heart disease. It is a very common condition; according to the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), about 45% of adults in the country have high blood pressure.
What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
People with high blood pressure often don’t experience any symptoms, which is why hypertension is called the “silent killer.” However, if your blood pressure reaches about 180/120 mm Hg, you may experience these symptoms:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Blurred or double vision
- Nosebleeds
- Heart palpitations
- Breathlessness
If you experience any of these symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.
What are the causes of high blood pressure?
For the majority of adults, high blood pressure has no known cause. It often develops gradually over several years. However, people with the following conditions are more susceptible to high blood pressure:
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Lupus
- Scleroderma
- Underactive or overactive thyroid
- Congenital conditions, such as Cushing’s syndrome, acromegaly or pheochromocytoma
How to lower high blood pressure?
One cause of high blood pressure is a diet deficient in nutrient-dense meals. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) designed a diet specifically to lower blood pressure, called the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. The diet includes lots of fruits, veggies and low-fat dairy products. Whole grains, fish, poultry, legumes, seeds, nuts and vegetable oils are also included. Moringa is another nutrient-dense leafy green that fits comfortably into an eating pattern like that one.
What is the relationship between high blood pressure and moringa?
So where does moringa fit into all of this? More modestly than the internet usually suggests, and that is worth saying plainly: moringa is a food, not a medicine, and adding it to your diet is not a substitute for anything your doctor has prescribed or advised. What it does offer is nutrition. Moringa leaves have been eaten as an everyday green for centuries, and they are rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium and a long list of vitamins. One cup of moringa leaves contains roughly three times as much potassium as a banana. Concentrations like that are what put moringa in the same conversation as other well-known greens such as kale.
Calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and vitamin E are the nutrients that come up most often in dietary advice around heart health, and moringa leaf contains all of them — it has also been examined in a 2019 rat study of moringa leaf extract. Calcium, for instance, is needed for the normal contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle, including the muscle in the walls of your blood vessels. Dietitians will generally point you towards food rather than a pill for it, simply because food brings the rest of the nutrient package along with it. Moringa leaf powder can sit alongside dairy, leafy greens, beans and fortified foods as one of several everyday calcium sources rather than as a replacement for any of them.
What should you know about high blood pressure and moringa consumption?
If you are already living with high blood pressure, this is the part of the page that matters most: talk to your doctor or pharmacist before adding moringa, or any other herbal product, to your routine. That goes double if you take blood pressure medication, where a new daily addition to your diet is a conversation worth having rather than an experiment worth running on your own, and it is never a reason to stop or change a prescription. With that settled, moringa is a nutritious food and an easy one to work into a normal week. You can eat fresh moringa leaves or use moringa powder. Made from dried and ground moringa leaves, the powder has a mild flavor with a slightly earthy taste. You can add it to your smoothies or salads or enjoy a cup of freshly brewed moringa tea.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. While there is promising research currently evaluating moringa and other similar products, we rather focus on their nutritional qualities.
