5 Worst Herbs for High Blood Pressure (avoid these if your BP is high)

Herbs are good for you, sure.

But if you have high blood pressure, certain herbs can make medications ineffective and push your blood pressure even higher.

Not good at all. Thankfully, these herbs are pretty easy to avoid.

Here is a list of spices that can actually cause blood pressure to increase and are best avoided:

St. John’s wort: This herb is commonly used to treat depression. It speeds up metabolic functions, causing your blood pressure medication to get metabolized quickly, which reduces their effectiveness—leading to a rise in blood pressure.

Echinacea: This herb is used to treat cold and flu symptoms. It can actually change the way medications are metabolized and should be avoided.

Ginseng: This herb is gaining popularity because it has been known to lower blood sugar, boost immunity, and reduce fatigue. But when it comes to blood pressure, it has mixed effects. It has been known to both lower and increase blood pressure, so you can test how it affects you. Or just avoid it.

Ephedra: This herb contains certain chemical compounds called ephedrine, which is a type of alkaloid. This herb is known to stimulate both the nervous system and the endocrine system causing, blood pressure to rise.

Licorice: In high doses, licorice has been shown to cause both an increase in blood pressure as well as a decrease in the level of the vital mineral potassium.

Other spices known to spike high blood pressure include Aniseed, Capsicum, Parsley, Bayberry, and Coltsfoot.

Note that many of these herbs are only a problem if you’re taking blood pressure medications. So, your goal should be to lower your blood pressure naturally, and get off these medications.

Fortunately, there are 3 easy exercises (found here) that drop blood pressure below 120/80—starting today…