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How Is Hypertension Caused by St Johns Wort?
If like many people today you are using St Johns Wort in order to help treat a condition such as mild depression it is important that you are aware the effect this particular herb can have on blood pressure levels. Hypertension is a growing concern for many people, so is hypertension caused by St Johns Wort?
St Johns Wort supplement is extracted from a bright yellow hedgerow flower, and is well known for being used as a dietary supplement in order to treat mild cases of depression.
What has been found is that a compound known as Hypericin in St John’s Wort has an affect on chemicals in the brain (neurotransmitters) in much the same way as many anti-depressant medications prescribed by doctors and health professionals do.
However hypericin reacts adversely when it mixes with Tyramine (an amino acid found naturally in the human body), which can lead to elevated blood pressure levels.
Often a person will find if they have excess amount of Tyramine, which is found in various foods, and drinks, it can cause various reactions to occur. Below we list the symptoms a person may notice:
A fast rise in their blood pressure levels (hypertension)
Severe headaches
Their heartbeat becomes irregular
However, it should be noted that although these reactions may occur in some people they do not always occur in everybody.
It is important that if you are taking St Johns Wort you are well aware of what the actual signs and symptoms of hypertension are as well. And this is where the difficulty arises. Although some people may exhibit symptoms of elevated blood pressure like headaches and nausea, most symptoms do not surface until the condition is severe.
So, if you are at risk of elevated blood pressure it is important to have blood pressure levels checked on a regular basis when taking St John’s Wort.
One way of reducing the risk of elevating blood pressure levels with St John’s Wort is to reduce the consumption of certain foods and drinks which are high in Tyramine. Included within this are aged, dried, smoked, processed as well as pickled meats and fishes (especially herring, pepperoni and salami). Also reduce or restrict consumption of chicken liver, cheese that has been aged, soy sauce and yeast or protein extracts (Vegemite and Marmite).
It is also important you decrease the amount of legumes, figs and raisins as well as the amount of alcoholic drinks that you have in your diet.
The majority of the research into St John’s Wort has been carried out in Germany, and the researchers that have been involved confirmed that there should be no impact on blood pressure levels if a person stays within the normal dosage of St John’s Wort. However, this should be discussed with your doctor to ensure this is applicable for your circumstances.
Some people may feel that the elevated blood pressure they are suffering with is hypertension caused by St Johns Wort, and although this is unlikely, they are better to stop taking St John’s Wort until it can be excluded as a cause and the high blood pressure treated successfully.
Plus, if you haven’t already done so, sign up for the free Relieve Blood Pressure Newsletter and discover new and natural methods to manage high blood pressure. In the newsletter you’ll also find other ways to lower blood pressure along with more information on how to manage potential hypertension complications like the link between hypertension caused by St Johns Wort.
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