Raharjo (48 years old), who was in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, felt dizzy. His neck also ached. Concerned that his condition might worsen, Raharjo went to see a doctor. It turned out that the cause of the dizziness and ached symptoms was high blood pressure. His blood pressure was 200/130 mmHg when it was measured.
Dizziness and headaches, particularly in the back of the head, are signs of hypertension, often known as high blood pressure. In the medical, a patient is considered to have hypertension if their systolic and diastolic blood pressures are both over 140 mmHg.
High blood pressure is caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, including stress and eating too many fatty and salty foods. Doctors usually prescribe drugs that reduce blood volume and dilate blood vessels, such as captopril.
After a week of drinking the boiled water made from belimbing wuluh leaves, Raharjo reported feeling better. His blood pressure is back to normal at 110/80 mmHg. He boiled seven belimbing wuluh leaves in 5 cups of water, leaving 2 cups. The boiled water was drunk twice a day.
Dicarboxylic acid compounds found in belimbing wuluh leaves are believed to act as antihypertensives, which are thought to be able to reduce blood volume by increasing urinary activity (diuretic effect). According to Neal L. Benowitz, a researcher in the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, USA, diuretic drugs are crucial in the treatment of hypertension.
The Efficacy of Black Pepper
A doctor in Palembang, South Sumatra, diagnosed Iman Hadiyar (39 years old) with hypertension. His blood pressure was 160/100 mmHg. Iman knows that hypertension is a silent killer because people often do not know they have it and can suddenly have a stroke and then die. The effects of hypertension are dangerous. About 7% of people with hypertension have a stroke, 1.5% heart disease, 0.13% heart failure, and 0.2% kidney failure.
Since the doctor’s diagnosis, Iman has been taking the hypertension drug captopril and maintaining his diet. Iman is virtually dependent on the doctor’s medication. Iman is essentially dependent on the medication prescribed by the doctor. But he often feels dizzy after taking the medication. Imam was looking for an alternative treatment.
A friend told him about the routine use of black pepper. To do this, Iman grinds a teaspoon of black pepper and puts it in a glass of hot water. After standing for 10 minutes until warm, the water is drunk. The dregs are used again for drinking at night.
After about 3.5 weeks of regular use, Iman felt a change, such as not getting tired and her blood pressure dropping to 140/90 mmHg. At that time, he was still taking medication. But after a month of consuming black pepper, Iman reduced the consumption of doctor’s drugs, only every 3 days or when he felt complaints of hypertension.
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) has long been recognized for its ability to lower blood pressure. The piperine compound that causes the spicy flavor in black pepper is thought to play a role. Using experimental cats, Dian Ermawati’s research from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang demonstrated that black pepper has hypotensive activity.
The Benefits of Cucumber
Consider the following information: By 2025, Asia will have 67.4 million people with hypertension, up from 38.4 million today. The increase in the number of people with hypertension, including cardiovascular disease, is due in part to lifestyle (smoking, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, obesity, and stress) and the high cost of treatment.
Copstead and Jacgyelyn showed in their book Pathophysiology that hypertension is directly proportional to age. Patients with hypertension increase in the 50-60 age group because the arteries have lost elasticity (flexibility). However, hypertension can occur at any age but is most common in people over the age of 35. It is caused by natural changes in the heart, hormones, and blood vessels.
Cucumber, which is easy to find and cheap, can be part of the non-pharmacological treatment of people with hypertension. Cucumber has a hypotensive or blood pressure-lowering effect and diuretic properties make it easier to urinate and reduce the amount of fluid in the bloodstream, which is useful for easing the work of the heart. The latter is the same as diuretic antihypertensive chemical drugs in lowering blood pressure.
Cucumber juice is the best consumed, are known to be rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. The combination of these elements, based on research, has been shown to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients by 5.5 mmHg and 3 mmHg respectively.
The Power of Ginger
In Jayapura, Papua, Wahyu (50 years old) suffers from hypertension. His blood pressure frequently spikes to 175/130 mmHg. For the past eight years, the father of three sons has relied on prescription drugs to treat his high blood pressure.
Wahyu tries drinking ginger to reduce his high blood pressure. Research conducted in 2008 by Willy Anthony, from the Faculty of Medicine at Maranatha University in Bandung, showed that consuming ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract was effective in lowering blood pressure.
The study was conducted on 30 men aged 18-25 years with an average normal blood pressure of 111.0/69.7 mmHg. The men then drank ginger water at a dose of 4 grams of ginger powder per 200 cc of water. This is roughly equivalent to 1/4 tablespoon dissolved in a glass of mineral water. After drinking ginger water, the men’s blood pressure dropped by an average of 94.6/64 mmHg.
Avocado Leaf Benefits
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a common disease. In Indonesia, 30% of the population has high blood pressure. The majority are unaware of it and only find out when they have serious illnesses. High blood pressure is not always dominant. Many women now suffer from hypertension, which can cause problems with the brain, eyes, and kidneys.
According to hypertension expert Prof dr Rully Roesli SpPD-KGH in Bandung, West Java, the trigger for hypertension is the consumption of foods high in salt, up to 15% per day. The World Health Organisation (WHO) standard is 5% per day. Other triggers include lifestyle, stress, and alcohol.
The Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) in 2007 showed that the prevalence of hypertension in the adult population in Indonesia is very high, reaching 31.7%. The island of Java had the highest number of hypertensive patients (41.9%). Interestingly, the highest number of hypertensive patients was found in rural areas (44.1%) compared to urban areas (39.9%). Some neighboring countries have a low prevalence of hypertension, such as Singapore (27.3%), Thailand (22.7%), and Malaysia (20%).
Avocado leaves are herbs with antihypertensive properties. Dra Azizahwati MS Apt from the University of Indonesia conducted research in 2010 on the effectiveness of avocado leaves in treating high blood pressure. According to the study, flavonoid compounds found in avocado leaves can lower blood pressure. Azizahwati states that the recommended dosage of avocado leaf extract in a solvent containing 70 percent ethanol is 10 mg/kg body weight for safe treatment of hypertension and cholesterol.
Another study by Runy Hermawan of Maranatha Christian University in Bandung, West Java, found that avocado leaves can significantly lower blood pressure in men. The same university’s Monica Ariestha’s 2010 study also showed a decline in women’s high blood pressure.
Effectiveness of Pandan Leaves
Saptadi (35 years old) suffered from high blood pressure. At first, Saptadi often felt dizzy and had pain in his shoulders. At first, Saptadi thought it was due to fatigue. But after two weeks of no improvement, he went to the doctor. The doctor found that Saptadi’s blood pressure was 190/100 mmHg; normal is 120/80 mmHg. It is important to note that for every 20 mmHg/10 mmHg increase, the risk of heart attack and stroke doubles.
There are many triggers for high blood pressure, including obesity, lack of exercise, stress, and excessive alcohol and salt intake. Saptadi’s condition began to improve after he consumed pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius) in combination with celery (Apium graviolens) for a week. Saptadi boiled 10 pandan leaves and 4 celery stalks in 2 liters of water. This is enough for 2 days. He drinks 2 glasses a day. The rest is kept in the fridge.
Three days later, Saptadi felt a change: his dizziness disappeared and his body felt fresher. After a week of consumption, Saptadi checked his blood pressure at the clinic and found it to be 120/90 mmHg. Saptadi told other relatives with a history of hypertension to use pandan leaves.
Pandan leaves can improve blood circulation, dissolve uric acid and saturated fats, and have antioxidant properties that reduce hypertension. Celery? Most herbalists use it to treat high blood pressure. Saptadi tested the combination of the two plants.
