Does Corn Silk Help Lower Blood Pressure?
Corn silk cannot lower blood pressure. Many people believe that drinking corn silk tea can help lower blood pressure because it contains flavonoids and other substances. However, according to relevant research, the effectiveness of corn silk has only been tested on animals, and the number of experiments is limited. Moreover, there are significant differences between the metabolic systems of humans and animals. In addition, when people use corn silk to make tea, the amount consumed each time is limited. The nutritional elements that the human body can absorb from corn silk tea are also limited, so the effect of lowering blood pressure is not obvious. Therefore, the claim that drinking corn silk tea can lower blood pressure lacks scientific evidence.
Foods That Can Help Lower Blood Pressure
1. Onions
Onions are the preferred vegetable for hypertension patients. The best way to eat them for lowering blood pressure is to eat them raw or soak them in wine. Cold-dressed onions are simple to make, just slice them into shreds and mix with salt and sesame oil. Soaking onions in wine is also easy, just cut the onions into thin shreds and soak them in wine. Drinking a small cup of it in the morning and evening can not only lower blood pressure but also promote sleep. Although other ways of eating onions can also help lower blood pressure, the effect is not as significant as eating them raw.
2. Garlic
Garlic is also effective in lowering blood pressure. It is rich in sulfides that can maintain the stability of certain enzymes in the body, thus preventing hypertension. The simplest way to eat garlic to lower blood pressure is to eat 2 to 3 cloves of it raw every day, such as adding crushed garlic to cold dishes.
3. Shepherd's Purse
The best part of shepherd's purse for lowering blood pressure is its flowers. Take 15 grams of shepherd's purse flowers and 12 grams of dried herba lyratae, boil them in water and drink the soup three times a day for 15 days as a course of treatment. If the blood pressure has not decreased after one course, you can continue with another course. If the blood pressure has decreased significantly, you can reduce the dosage and frequency accordingly.
4. Bitter Melon
Bitter melon contains saponins that have a similar effect to insulin and can stimulate the release of insulin, thereby reducing insulin resistance, triglyceride levels, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. This can help reduce atherosclerosis and thus decrease the occurrence of hypertension. The best way to eat bitter melon to lower blood pressure is to eat it raw or make it into a salad, as this can maximize the retention of its saponins.
5. Lotus Seed Core
The lotus seed core contains lotusine, which has a strong and lasting hypotensive effect after transformation and can help improve myocardial contractility and slow heart rate. The simple way to take lotus seed core is to make tea with an appropriate amount of it every day.
6. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are also a potassium-rich food that can help lower blood pressure. A medium-sized sweet potato can provide about 542 milligrams of potassium. The best way to eat sweet potatoes to lower blood pressure is to bake them, make them into sweet potato porridge, or cook them directly after boiling or steaming.
7. Cucumbers
Cucumbers can help lower both blood pressure and blood lipids. Especially for obese hypertension patients, eating more cucumbers can help reduce weight while lowering blood pressure. The best way to eat cucumbers to lower blood pressure is to eat them raw, such as squeezing cucumber juice or making cucumber salad.