Dr. Nicole Sundene
Naturopathic Cardiology and Female Hormones
Cardiology is one of my favorite subjects! Especially because hormones and the heart go hand in hand. What don't hormones impact? Check out my blog on Hormones and High Blood Pressure if you are curious about the potential connections. As a women's health Doctor, I take my patient's cardiology symptoms very seriously, and I am not posting this as a substitute recipe for your heart so you can skip seeing an actual Cardiologist! That is horrifying. No. No. No.
All of my patients with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, palpitations, chest pain, heartburn and even anxiety related chest pain are ALL sent to a board certified MD Cardiologist, and oftentimes prescribed medication.
Sometimes there is a "Grey zone" in blood pressure, my patient is tracking their blood pressure, they are hovering around 140/90 and occasionally go above the number, which is when I instead send them for baseline Cardiology testing that most women should have conducted anyways around fifty (also the age I see the heart go haywire thanks to menopause.) But we need to rule out any big bad nasty diagnostic issues before I prescribe my patients "flowers" for their high blood pressure, otherwise I would be super incompetent, and I share this if you are looking for a good someone with experience in Holistic Cardiology and Women's Health they should not be making any false promises.
I have used this tea recipe in hundreds of high blood pressure patients over the years, have found it to be efficacious, delicious, and easy for my patients to add to their routine. The most important thing with with using Natural Medicine in place of or in conjunction with Cardiology drugs (do not do this without a seasoned Naturopathic Doctor such as myself that knows how to combine these safely, my experience is most MD's do not know the proper safety measures and will tell you simply to "avoid all herbs and supplements" which is quite a grave disservice to my poor heart patients!
Enter stage left we have Hibiscus to help bring blood pressure down, and it also works as a mild anti-anxiety herb. I recommend starting with a low dose and monitoring blood pressure with an Omron BP machine twice daily to confirm the dose is correct as perfect blood pressure is 120/70. Too much higher or lower than that can have consequences. Some of my anxiety patients in my "Holistic Psychiatry" practice have had stop using Hibiscus because it made them feel dizzy from too low of blood pressure. So we know it certainly works. Now what?
Hibiscus High Blood Pressure tea or "Hibiscus BP Tea" as my patients call it is simple, delicious, and effective. The funny thing to me as a Women's Health Doctor, is that of all the things I blog about this tea recipe constantly gets some of the most random traffic to my blog! Only second to Pomegranates and PCOS.
This also makes me happy because this recipe for blood pressure tea is easy, delicious, AND beautiful! Women deserve something indulgent at the end of the day and this rosy tea can be the perfect treat!
My Scottsdale Naturopathic patients are always shocked they have a blood pressure and anxiety remedy growing naturally in their yard! Hibiscus grows very well in Arizona and can totally take over an entire fence as it loves to climb! I pick the flowers one at a time and dry them for tea. Once my newest hibiscus flower does not open and bloom that makes her perfect for harvest and an excellent Cardiology herb for the heart!
Hibiscus has been found just as beneficial as the common blood pressure medications, Captopril and hydrochlorthiazide. Hibiscus also did not disrupt electrolyte levels while lowering BP as HCTZ did, and is effective and safe for blood pressure, and even aids weight loss per the research studies listed below.
Hibiscus was combined with olive leaf to provide benefits similar to the medication Captopril.
Hibiscus is not curative for BP though as the blood pressure lowering benefits quickly wear off when patients stopped using it in the research study.
Many patients have high blood pressure because they are overweight, so a BP treatment that addresses both at the same time is something doctors should consider using on their patients. Especially since many high blood pressure patients have anxiety driving their blood pressure up and Hibiscus is also a nervine or calming herb.
The polyphenols or red pigments found in the hibiscus flower are what have been studied by research so I am not sure whether or not white, yellow, or pink varieties of hibiscus will be as powerful. These same polyphenols are in pomegranate juice which is why I recommend adding a splash for added color and flavor.
This easy high blood pressure tea recipe generally resolves blood pressure in a mild to moderate range over time. Keep in mind that herbs work more slowly than medications, so if you need something to quickly stop your blood pressure you should use medication or work with a Naturopathic Doctor with stronger blood pressure herbs and a holistic approach that investigates the "Root Cause" of the high blood pressure.
In my Holistic Women's Health practice the root cause of high blood pressure is often Insulin Resistance, Estrogen Dominance, Diabetes, Anxiety, Insomnia, Hashimotos, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid Disease, Graves, Hyperthyroidism, Weight Gain, and/or lack of daily exercise in the cardio zone as I discuss in my blogs on High Blood Pressure and Seasonal Depression.
Patients with severe or malignant hypertension should be on medications and should be working with a skilled Naturopathic Doctor, such as myself, that knows how to safely combine blood pressure herbs and cardiac medications.
My patients with mild high blood pressure report improvement in their numbers when in a mild state of high blood pressure ie numbers running around~ 140/90.
Women should never ignore high blood pressure simply because they refuse to take blood pressure medications. I have seen this too many times in my twenty three year career in Women's Health, and this can result in kidney failure, eye damage, and really damage to every organ as the pressure the organs are receiving is very important and too high of blood pressure is like watering your garden with a hose spraying on HIGH.
So I do recommend that women check their BP twice daily at 6am and 6pm, and also whenever they feel stressed. Oftentimes we ignore "White Coat Hypertension" thinking that its just happening at the doctor's office. But recent research is demonstrating that patients are having this severe high blood pressure at other times of the day when they are stressed and that we should no longer assume it just happens 1-2 times per year as it may be happening several times a day with chronic anxiety and stress.
Those with higher blood pressure numbers, or on blood pressure lowering medications should always work with a skilled Naturopathic Doctor when combining herbs with cardiac medications.
If not working with me as your Naturopathic Doctor, I recommend calling the new Naturopathic Doctor's office first to confirm they are comfortable working with you on your blood pressure, as I know many Docs that constantly are texting me what to do about blood pressure medications. Many Naturopathic Doctors are not comfortable on this subject and prefer to defer to Cardiology or Primary Care.
Many ND's I know simply do not have the Integrated Medicine background I have from the eight years I worked in prescription Family Medicine and blood pressure matters are not something they are comfortable managing.
Whatever you do with your blood pressure don't do it alone. Please get expert help and never ever self-treat your own blood pressure!
Since I commonly prescribe this Hibiscus Blood Pressure recipe, I wanted to share it today as it is delicious, easy, and efficacious. Especially for women that love to drink tea! You can drink this hot or iced.
First, go to your local herb shop or an organic herb retailer such as Mountainroseherbs.com or Starwest Botanicals. Be sure to only purchase organic herbs from a reputable source when treating something as serious as blood pressure. I would not trust random herb companies on Amazon, you need to purchase from a local herb shop or the above trusted sites or just don't even bother making this recipe as poor quality herbs may be dangerous or not work.
Hibiscus Blood Pressure Tea
#1 Combine equal parts of Hibiscus Flowers, Hawthorne Berries, and Cinnamon pieces
#2 Add about 1 Tbl of heaping herbal tea blend per 8 oz H2O
#3 Bring to a low simmer and then turn off the heat and cover
#4 Let steep 45 minutes.
#5 Add ⅛-¼ cup of pomegranate juice per 8 oz cup of tea for Polyphenols
#6 Add stevia for sweetener (optional) not honey or agave syrup
#7 Drink 2-3 times daily hot or iced.
#8 Monitor BP twice daily to watch for any changes
To make a big batch at once use 1/4 cup of herb mix with 4 cups of hot water. This will make 2 cups per day. Discard herbal infusions after 48 hours in the refrigerator. To learn more about natural remedies for high blood pressure check out my blog on 21 natural remedies, foods, and treatments for High Blood Pressure.
Please do not self-treat your blood pressure, especially if you are already taking prescription medications as this is the #1 most dangerous Naturopathic scenario that can occur between prescription drugs and natural medicines I have observed after twenty-eight years as an herbalist!
While Hibiscus Tea is generally safe, and helps work as a nervine or calming herb for those with anxiety, and cinnamon is basically just a food.... I still don't recommend doing this alone. Hawthorne berries can be pretty powerful and you need to be working with a Naturopathic Doctor and/or a Cardiologist that knows how to taper the blood pressure medications down as the Hibiscus Tea gradually takes effect.
If you need my help treating your blood pressure with natural remedies simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic Cardiology visit. I would be happy to help!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
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