In India, approximately 33% of urban and 25% of rural people deal with hypertension. Doctors usually prescribe beta blockers to treat cardiovascular conditions such as high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and hypertension.

On World Hypertension Day, you can learn about some natural sources of beta blockers to include in your diet.

What You Should Know:

What are natural beta blockers?
How do beta blockers work?
Benefits of natural beta blockers
How to incorporate natural beta blockers into your diet?
Disadvantages of natural beta blockers

What are natural beta blockers?

Beta blockers are medicines or drugs that decrease stress in our bodies and reduce the risk of high blood pressure or other heart conditions.

Whenever drugs are prescribed to any patient, the chances of their potential side effect on your body over regular consumption is bound to happen. One such medication is metoprolol which is used to relieve high blood pressure. This is where natural beta blockers act as alternatives to artificial beta blockers for high blood pressure and heart diseases. Certain food items are naturally procured, hence the name natural beta blockers, and they have no side effects on one’s body. Food items that fall under the list of natural beta blockers are replete with vitamins, antioxidants and minerals that decrease the chances of high blood pressure or heart attack by slowing the effect of the stress hormones in the body.

Types of natural beta blockers

There are majorly two types of natural beta blockers – selective and nonselective. The selective type focuses on affecting the heart directly, specifically the tissues. The nonselective type focuses more on the stress hormones – adrenaline and noradrenaline.

How do beta blockers work?

Adrenaline and related compounds activate beta-adrenergic receptors in the body, causing an increase in heart rate, contractility, and blood pressure, which can increase the demand for oxygen and in turn, worsen the symptoms of certain cardiovascular conditions.

Beta blockers essentially block the release of adrenaline and noradrenaline and their related compounds on these receptors. This reduces the force of the blood pumping in the body. It also reduces the production of angiotensin II, the hormone which increases your blood pressure.

However, beta blockers can also have side effects for individuals with chronic conditions like low blood pressure, asthma and other pulmonary diseases. Therefore, you should consult a doctor before including natural beta blockers in your diet.

Benefits of natural beta blockers

If your family has a history of heart or blood pressure problems, incorporating these natural beta blockers in your diet could be a way of avoiding these chronic ailments. And because these beta blockers have been derived naturally, they will only add to the nutritional value of your food and provide you with immunity against other ailments too.

Apart from these benefits, natural beta blockers also increase focus and concentration drastically while making you feel calm. This way, conducting high-energy tasks doesn’t lead to a lot of stress and anxiety. A very good example of this would be garlic. It helps relax the blood vessels and reduces performance pressure and anxiety.

Potassium is also a naturally occurring beta blocker that helps you stay calm. A lot of legumes and green leafy vegetables help decrease the risk of hypertension and arrhythmia. Beta blockers are also said to prevent migraines by reducing the frequency and severity of attacks.

How to incorporate natural beta blockers into your diet?

Several foods that might already be part of your diet act as natural beta blockers. Here are some examples of natural beta blockers you can include in your diet to control hypertension.

1. Antioxidant fruits and vegetables

Antioxidants help prevent inflammatory conditions and lower blood pressure. Foods rich in antioxidants include berries like strawberries and raspberries or vegetables like kale and beetroot.

2. Pulses

Pulses can help you reduce blood pressure even if you don’t have hypertension. This is because pulses like beans, lentils and chickpeas contain fiber, potassium and plant protein, which lowers blood pressure.

3. Leafy green vegetables

Green vegetables like spinach are a rich source of L-arginine, an amino acid that relaxes your muscle cells by producing nitric oxide. This can reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

4. Garlic

Garlic contains manganese, vitamins B6 and C, and selenium which can help lower blood pressure and keep cholesterol levels in check.

5. Saffron

Saffron or kesar is a spice that contains compounds that relaxes the blood vessels and lowers the heart rate. This, in turn, lowers blood pressure.

6. Low-fat dairy products

Low-fat yogurt, milk, and other dairy products are rich sources of potassium, which is helpful in keeping blood pressure low.

7. Bananas

Bananas are another rich source of potassium that helps block hormones that raise blood pressure and widens blood vessels.

8. Fish

Fish is a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin B6. While Omega-3 reduces the risk of heart disease, Vitamin B6 widens blood vessels and acts as a hypertension medication.

Disadvantages of natural beta blockers

There are not too many disadvantages of these naturally derived beta blockers other than the fact that anything consumed in excess can be harmful to your health. Consuming fruits that are very sugary can be detrimental for you over the long run. The same goes for food items that have high calories or fat content. Consuming these food items in moderation is key.

It is also important to note that because they have been extracted naturally, you will have to be patient for the results. They are not as potent as medication and will not show an immediate effect on your body.

So include these naturally occurring beta blockers in your diet and save yourself from chronic ailments like high blood pressure, heart attack and irregular heartbeat syndrome.

This World Hypertension Day, remember to consult your doctor to know if you should include these foods in your diet to control hypertension, #ABHIKaro. Hypertension is also one of the chronic conditions covered by the Aditya Birla Health Insurance Plan. Under the Chronic Care Management Program you can avail Day 1 cover free of cost of medical consultation, diagnostic tests, and pharmacy expenses among other benefits.

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