High blood pressure is a common condition in which the persistent force of the blood against your artery walls is elevated such that it can at some point result in health problems, including heart attack or stroke.

The World Health Organization states that about 650 million people with high blood pressure are currently at risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiac failure. A number of the main root causes of high blood pressure are unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyles and stress.

Treatments for hypertension include medications such as calcium channel blockers and renin inhibitors. These kinds of pharmaceutical remedies are oftentimes effective, but are also frequently associated with by adverse side effects. This has's caused some people to opt for more natural, non-prescription, treatements — including nutritional supplements made from brahmi.

What Is Brahmi?

Brahmi is a plant in the family Scrophulariaceae. Brahmi is a small-sized, succulent (stems adapted to retain water ), glabrous (sleek), prostrate (branches growing above the ground), perennial (regrows on a yearly basis) herb. Brahmi is also known as Bacopa or Herpestis monniera, and in India — the place the plant is native to — it is regionally named brahmi or Jalanimba. The word brahmi is derived from the word Brahma, which pertains to the mythical God of creation in Hindu mythology.

As part of Ayurveda, the historic medical methodology of India, brahmi was a primary medicinal plant for close to 2500 years. Ayurvedic practitioners have made use of brahmi frequently because of its many medicinal characteristics to treat many health disorders such as rheumatism, high blood sugar, and seizures. While brahmi may be most well known for its nootropic (brain-enhancing) attributes, this herb additionally has the ability to lower blood pressure.

blood pressure checkup

How Brahmi Functions to Reduce Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is established both by the amount of blood one's heart pumps and the amount of impedance to the blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower the arteries, the higher a person's blood pressure. One's blood pressure reading has two numbers.

One's systolic pressure assesses the pressure in the body's arteries when the heart beats. Your diastolic pressure gauges the pressure in the body's arteries between beats of the heart. Brahmi has been shown to have the potential to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressures.

Brahmi Manages Stress and Anxiety

A body delivers a flood of hormones when youfind yourself in a nerve-racking situation. These kinds of hormones temporarily increase your blood pressure by triggering your heart to beat quicker and your blood vessels to narrow. Responding to stress in undesirable ways can easily boost your likelihood of high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.

Bacopa may be of use in managing anxiety due to its anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) characteristic. It is able to decrease the signs and symptoms of stress and anxiety and mental burnout and at the same time boosting memory span. Bacopa monnieri may prevent neuroinflammation (swelling of the nervous tissue) which causes anxiety.

In Ayurveda psychological science, there are found three varied factors of one's mind: One characteristic is inertia, another is agitation and the final attribute is balance, clarity and calmness. Bacopa is considered in Ayurvedic medicine to cause the third quality of balance and calmness in your mind. Two four month-long studies support this thousands of years old knowledge by affirming that supplementing with 225 milligrams of brahmi every day significantly dropped anxiety levels.

Bacopa monnieri is regarded as an adaptogenic herb, meaning it raises your body's ability to withstand stress and tension on your both your mind and body. In the practice of herbal medicine an adaptogen is a natural product known to help your body adapt and cope to stress and to exert a normalizing reaction on the systems of the body. Present day research suggests that Bacaopa can elevate your mood by bring down your cortisol levels. Cortisol is the hormone responsible for creating stress, so lowering your cortisol can then lower the amount of stress you deal with.

brahmi dilates arteries

Brahmi Strengthens and Dilates Blood Vessels

In Ayurvedic medicine Brahmi is deemed to possess many blood-health properties, including:

  • Encourages heart wellness by helping invigorate the heart muscles and sustaining healthy and balanced blood flow
  • Ensures relaxation of the blood vessels and arteries for uniform circulation of blood
  • Provides the easy motion of blood through the blood vessels for proper blood circulation, which then promotes a strong heart, lungs, and kidneys
  • Promotes the natural toxic substance removal from blood vessels for their regular function

In one animal study, Bacopa monnieri reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure values. Bacopa accomplished this by releasing nitric oxide, which helps in the dilation of blood vessels, leading to better blood flow and lower blood pressure. Bacopa causes the release of nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and decreases blood pressure. Bacopa supplements eliminated blood clots in a study, which may help decrease excessive blood clotting that can clog the arteries.

Bacopa also acts on the circulatory system, helping to cleanse the blood, strengthen blood vessels bringing about better blood flow throughout the body reducing blood pressure.

Taking Bacopa Supplements

Bacopa can be bought online or from health food stores. This herb's available in a number of varieties, including capsules, tablets, and powders.

Bacopa Dosages

As per Ayurvedic doctors, it is healthy to take up to 6 grams of Bacopa powder daily together with meals. A conventional commercially available regimen is two oral capsules of 250 mg each of Bacopa powder. Doses are commonly taken with water after meals, however it is suitable to take Brahmi in between meals. Bacopa powders have been given in medical trials at doses from 150 mg to 3000 mg every day, with several studies lasting as long as 4 months.

Side Effects of Brahmi Side Effects

Bacopa is generally well-tolerated by the vast majority of individuals. However, because as you've read here brahmi can bring down blood pressure, those having low blood pressure and a decreased rate of heartbeat may tend to feel some dizziness or headache after consuming Bacopa. Therefore it is recommended that such individuals avoid using Bacopa. The most commonly mentioned side effects of brahmi involve nausea or indigestion.

There isn't sufficient data regarding Bacopa's safe consumption during pregancy and breastfeeding, so it's best practice to skip taking this herb or to consult your doctor if you want to take brahmi while pregnant or while breastfeeding.