According to the World Health Organization (WHO), high blood pressure affects around 1.4 billion adults worldwide.
The condition increases the risk of several serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage.
High blood pressure is typically treated through a combination of a healthy diet, regular exercise, weight loss, and, in some cases, medication.
Experts continue to emphasize lifestyle changes as the most important way to prevent and manage the condition, according to Medical News Today.
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Peppermint oil
The new study was published in the scientific journal PLOS One. It involved 40 participants with high blood pressure or early-stage hypertension.
Participants were given either a daily dose of peppermint oil or a placebo product flavored with peppermint. Researchers monitored their progress over a period of 20 days.
According to the researchers, menthol, a naturally occurring compound found in peppermint oil, may help blood vessels relax.
This could make it easier for blood to flow through the body.
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Drop in blood pressure
The participants who received peppermint oil experienced an average reduction of 8.5 mmHg in systolic blood pressure compared with those in the placebo group.
Researchers also found that the participants’ resting heart rate was lower after the 20-day period.
Although the findings are promising, both the researchers and independent experts stress that the study was small.
As a result, larger studies are needed before it can be determined whether peppermint oil could become a regular tool in the treatment of high blood pressure.
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Sources: Medical News Today, WHO, and PLOS One.
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