Researchers have found that Moringa contains thiocarbamates, which can help decrease arterial blood pressure. It also contains a great deal of potassium, which has also been linked to a reduction in high blood pressure. In other words, adding Moringa to your diet can absolutely have a positive effect on managing and decreasing blood pressure in those with hypertension.
That’s a brief summary. It’s absolutely not the be all end all. Moringa can fight hypertension in a number of different ways, even outside of its thiocarbamate qualities. Let’s talk about blood pressure, how Moringa can lower blood pressure, and how much you should take to get the most of its nutritive benefits.
Want to know about the best ranked Moringa powders in 2024? Check out our article below:
A Quick Overview Of High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is probably one of the health markers that gets checked most often within the United States. Your doctor checks it. Your dentist checks it. Even your local pharmacy probably has a machine so you can check it. This is for good reason: one-third of the United States population suffers from high blood pressure, and millions of them don’t even know it.
High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of heart disease. It can damage and narrow your arteries, increasing the risk of stroke. It forces your heart to work faster, which can increase the risk of heart disease. High blood pressure can even damage your kidneys, bones, memory, and eyes.
In 2014, high blood pressure was either the primary cause or a contributing cause in the deaths of more than 400,000 Americans. High blood pressure is absolutely capable of killing a person.
Managing your blood pressure often requires a number of lifestyle and diet changes, and while it’s tempting to focus on one single cure, lowering your BP should be a holistic effort. Science has shown, though, that adding Moringa to your diet can absolutely help lower your blood pressure more.
How Can Moringa Decrease High Blood Pressure?
We know that Moringa can help manage blood pressure, and can absolutely reduce it drastically. How does it do that?
The answer is: In many ways.
Moringa contains something called thiocarbamates. Thiocarbamates are fungicides: they’re used to inhibit and kill fungus, which is why Moringa is so great as an anti-fungal. Fun fact: as far as we know, Moringa is currently the only naturally-occurring source of thiocarbamates. One of the other functions of thiocarbamates, though, is that it can lower blood pressure.
Moringa is also a treasure trove of antioxidants. One of those antioxidants is called quercetin, which is a powerful blood pressure-lowering agent. Studies have shown that quercetin can decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure.
Moringa is also extremely high in potassium. Potassium decreases the effects of sodium and reduces tension in the walls of blood vessels, which in turn helps to regulate and lower blood pressure. Gram-for-gram, Moringa has three times more potassium than bananas do.
All of that potassium works to reduce your BP, but it’s not the only mineral in Moringa that helps. Calcium and magnesium, two other minerals found in Moringa, also work to help blood vessels relax, thereby lowering blood pressure.
A 2-teaspoon serving of Moringa powder will give you 132 mg of potassium, 200 mg of calcium, and 37 mg of magnesium. In other words, as soon you sprinkle Moringa on lunch or in a smoothie, not only have you eaten a substantial percent of your recommended daily value for those minerals, you’re also working to lower your blood pressure.
And then there are the other elements in Moringa, like methylparaben (also used as an anti-fungal) or beta-sitosterol (which can reduce cholesterol). The same study that found that thiocarbamates in Moringa likely lowered blood pressure also discovered that methylparaben and beta-sitosterol also worked to reduce BP, too.
The antioxidants in Moringa help reduce blood pressure. So do the thiocarbamates, the calcium, potassium, magnesium. All of these properties work together to ensure that you’re better able to manage your blood pressure and avoid hypertension.
How Much Moringa Should I Consume Daily If I have High Blood Pressure?
If you’re new to Moringa and would like to use it to help lower your blood pressure, we always recommend talking to your doctor first, especially if you’re currently taking blood pressure medication. After that, we’d suggest starting with half a teaspoon a day. After 3-4 days, you can increase the amount to 1 teaspoon. As your body adjusts to a new type of food, you can then start gradually increasing the amount of Moringa you take over the course of a month or two until you’ve reached 10-15 grams.
For a detailed summary about how much Moringa should you consume daily, please feel free to check out our article on this exact topic (but is not focused on people who have high blood pressure): How Much Moringa Should I Take Each Day?
Should I Take Moringa With Blood Pressure Medication?
Moringa lowers your blood pressure. It can lower it significantly, which is why millions around the world take it. But when you combine Moringa with blood pressure medication, there’s a chance your BP may lower too much, and that can be dangerous as well.
We’re not saying don’t take it at all if you’re already on blood pressure meds. But first, consult with your doctor before consuming Moringa while you are on medication.
Conclusion
A holistic approach to health is always the best approach. There’s no magic bullet. Diet, exercise, and mental health all have a huge effect on a person’s physical health. But there’s very little doubt that adding Moringa to your diet can help improve your health. It can absolutely help lower your blood pressure. Try it. Even a few teaspoons can start you on the path towards changing your life. If you are however, on blood pressure or any other type of medication, we advise you consult with your doctor first before incorporating it in your diet.
If you have questions or comments, please leave them in the comments below!
For years now, Moringa has been a daily consumption in my life, incorporated in various forms such as capsules, food recipes, and soothing teas. Initially, my daughter and I embarked on this journey as an experiment, but as time went on, I delved deeper into its remarkable potential and unearthed the unlimited benefits it offers for our well-being and health. I got motivated by how much it positively impacted me and decided to share my insights about Moringa’s profound impact on health and overall living through my blog posts.
