Rosemary – A New Treatment For Low Blood Pressure?
By Rebecca Prescott
Rudolf Weiss, the German herbalist, has some interesting ideas on low blood pressure. He describes it as being simply an aspect of a more deep seated problem. He also believes that when people have low blood pressure but no symptoms, that it does not require treatment. I do not suggest that this should replace your doctor’s advice though! But I find it interesting, as a possible complementary treatment option, to consider his view that low blood pressure is the product of a weak circulation. As such, gentle herbs that support circulation may be a useful adjunct to whatever other therapy is suggested.
He stresses the underlying factor of a regulatory imbalance. And he suggests herbs like rosemary, that have a tonic effect, would be a useful support. Particularly in times of mental or physical stress, or after surgery, or some other illness that may have weakened the body, like the flu. He does say that treatment should only be for a limited time. He makes the point that life insurance statistics indicate that people with hypotension on average live longer than people with blood pressure in the normal range. (Weiss, p185)
Rosemary is quite a diverse herb. It is used effectively for headaches, particularly migraine. The herbalist Michael Tierra writes that many headaches are caused by stomach problems, and that the volatile oils in rosemary have a very beneficial and calming effect on the stomach. Rosemary also contains salicylic acid, which is the precursor of aspirin. Though being in plant form it doesn’t have the long term side effects.
Rosemary is excellent for the circulation, and is often prescribed by herbalists for circulatory weakness (Fisher & Painter). The active constituents known as the flavanoids are heart and blood vessel tonics. So, as well as hypotension, rosemary is suggested for poor circulation, hypertensive headaches, and arrhythmias.
Externally, rosemary spirit is used for rheumatic problems (Weiss). It can also be massaged into the heart area.
Another active constituent of rosemary is rosemarinic acid, which is a phenolic acid. Rosemarinic acid has an anti-inflammatory effect. A study found that a rosemarinic preparation was effective in treating allergic asthma. It has also been found to suppress synovitis in mice. Synovitis is an inflammation of the lining of the joints, with swelling, which is quite painful. It is involved in rheumatoid arthritis. Rosemarinic acid can also prevent the activation of prostacyclin and complement, which leads to hypotension (Fisher & Painter).
Overall, this suggests that scientific research supports the herbalist’s uses of rosemary for hypotension, poor circulation, and rheumatic problems such as rheumatoid arthritis. One problem has been that products which contained rosemary had quite low concentrations, although some supplement manufacturers have begun to make a very concentrated rosemary product. Concentrations of rosemarinic acid in these range from 5% to 70%. And given that rosemarinic acid is an incredibly powerful antioxidant as well, this would make it a good choice for preventing heart disease.
References: 1. http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=64356
2. C Fisher & G Painter, Materia Medica Of Western Herbs For The Southern Hemisphere
3. R Weiss, Herbal Medicine
4. M Tierra, Planetary Herbology
Are there any new treatments for Rheumatoid arthritis – thanks
?
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Thanks for posting x
New 2nd line treatments, anti inflammatory, or pain medicine – or alternative meds
(((t-bone))) (((Angus)))) thanks guys
Angus, you are the 2nd person to mention Ibuprophen? spelling lol…I will look up seagrams 7, TY
@ Angus ROFL….very funny! no thanks, It’d make me puke
(((Cami))) thank you, will look into it and let you know xx
@Depth..thank you, I’m using Homeopathic meds for something else, I know it works..thanks for posting, will read into it more..can get this easy here in the UK.
(((Nathan))) Thank you for a great answer. I know about certain foods. I have tried a Naturapath yrs ago, it’s very expensive..I so apreciate you taking time to answer..Thank you so much for yout prayers, very much appreciated..God bless you richly
(((LadyEagle))) TY…stem cell reseach I disagree with tho – I’m not going to take juat anything that I don’t feel right about…I’d rather suffer and trust the Lord.
(((Uncle Wayne))) TY…I’ve been veggie over 25 yrs, and I only drink bottled water, although the water where I live is very good…Scottish water lol
@ Meital..thank you for the link, looks interesting..many thanks
Much will depend on what medication she is on and if she needs to change it. The new biological treatments can come in at 20k per year!
How much is the cost of rheumatoid arthritis treatment in USA?
Hi Guys
Hi Guys
I am new in USA. my wife has Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and is taking medication prescribed when we were in our home country.
1. my first question is How much is the cost of RA treatment in USA? i mean an estimated monthly cost..
2. and what specific coverages i will have to look for in her case if i go for buying an insurance (considering that RA is a chronic disease and requires taking medicines continuously for several years)
kindly help us out !
Should I get a second opinion, Rheumatoid Arthritis?
I know this is long, but I really need some help. I really appreciate it!
I’m 20 years old, and have been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. My left shin, left wrist, and left TMJ joint in my jaw had been hurting for a couple of months. I thought that they were easily explainable: Jaw-I have a very bad overbite, Shin-isn’t even a joint, but I walk a lot over my college campus and could be shin splints, and wrist-I use the computer a lot, and started heavily playing video games after not playing in a very long time (only a week after that my wrist started hurting) I was gripping the controller pretty hard.
Well, I went into my doctor, and my Mom convinced me to get a full blood panel done. I came back with a RF factor of 52. So I was referred to my Aunt’s Rheumatologist. He said that RA usually attacks all joints at once, and it is odd that it only is attacking three (only those specific ones, not moving around). He ran some more tests to make sure that my RF factor wasn’t caused by diseases like Lupus and such, and also the other tests to confirm if you have RA (I think ACPAs). My blood tests came back clean.
Despite the clean blood tests, he knows my 50yr old Aunt has RA, so he says I probably have it. He said that RA takes time to show up, and wants to stop mine immediately from spreading. So, he put me on Methotrexate. A couple of days after going on the medicine, my jaw and shin started feeling better (which may mean it is working, but if this medicine takes time to build up in your system that may just be a coincidence too). This medicine has some very serious side effects. And, it’s starting to get intolerable for me, I feel nauseous all the time.
Since starting it, I haven’t felt any pain (and I’m on what he called a low dose, 50 units on an insulin syringe- I can’t swallow pills, so I take it by injection). I thought RA attacked all joints, those joints were painful and stiff in the mornings, and such? I haven’t had any of that. My Mom was recently found to have a high RF factor too, but she doesn’t have any symptoms. This was both of our first time asking to be tested for a RF factor, so I don’t know if we have always had a high one, or if it is new.
So my question is: Is it possible it was just a coincidence that I had those three joints hurt and a high RF factor? Or does it sound like I might really have Rheumatoid Arthritis? Should I get a second opinion?
I should mention, I have been on Methotrexate for about two months now, and haven’t felt any joint pain or stiffness since those first two days of going on it.
I have been interested in the work of Peter D’Adamo. He is a naturopathic physician. He and his dad have done over 60 years of research concerning the relationship of certain protein substances in the blood (lectins) and their pro and antigenic reaction to food. He has three books concerning this -”Eat Right for Your Type” is the first. Get this book, I have done years of nutritional consulting with many people and have had much success. Arthritis, in some cases is an extreme allergenic reaction to certain foods. For now, avoid anything that has potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, or green pepper and gluten found in wheat and oats. There is much more. I pray you will feel better.
I have had severe RA for 7 years now and yes I fully understand about not being able to get out of the bed and it got so bad that I ended up in a wheel chair cause I could no longer walk, but rather than go into a long message about RA and the effects and the things that I have tried and so on just email me at poohinmissouri@yahoo.com and I will be glad to talk to you about it, I even have a chat room where we deal with all kinds of diseases and problems and we can talk there as well, just send me an email and I will get back to you right away.
I am 19 years old and have Rheumatoid Arthritis.?
After having pains in my left hip since I was about 12 years old, I was just diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis about 4 months ago. I am 19 now and the pain in my hip is so severe that I cannot walk much of the time. I take medicine (minocycline) to help with the inflammation of my hip joint but this does not always work. Today the pain is so bad that i could not go to work and I am laying here in my bed. If anyone could offer any information on some other things that could help me, or know of any new treatments or cures being developed, or even if you have the same condition as me, I would greatly appreciate your input. Thanks.
This is what Montel Williams is affiliated with:
I need help find a company to hlp me pay my co-pay for medicine I can’t afford but the doctor say I need it.?
I have Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) The new medication is Humira injectable
I can’t afford the co-pay. I know the economy is hard but I want to live a little longer.
I would get a second opinion on it because you are young for it. It typically begins between 25-55 years of age. Women are affected three times more often than men are though.