My dad has had high blood pressure for years and instead of taking the pills his doctor prescribed, he prefers to drink this tea that my grandmother recommended to him. He says he feels better, but I don't know if it's actually working or if it's just a placebo effect. Does anyone know if it actually works or should I try to convince him to stick with the medication?
Ginger and cinnamon do have some studies suggesting minor effects on blood pressure, but nothing comparable to prescription medications, and your dad is running a real risk by ignoring his medication. The feeling of "feeling better" could be placebo, stress relief from taking something, or simply days when blood pressure naturally fluctuates, but that doesn't mean it's controlled. If he keeps this up without his medications, he's increasing his risk of heart attack or stroke, so yeah, you should push him to go back to his doctor and at least tell them he's drinking the tea so they can adjust his treatment if needed, not replace it.
Don't let him stop taking his pills for the tea, that's the first thing. Ginger and cinnamon might have some effects on inflammation and maybe help a little bit with circulation, but high blood pressure is serious and there's no evidence that these teas lower pressure enough to replace a prescribed medication. What's probably happening is that your dad feels better because he's taking something, because he expects to feel better, or because the stress of doing something about it relaxes him a bit, but that's not the same as controlling blood pressure. The best thing is for him to talk to his doctor about whether the tea can complement his treatment (some doctors allow it along with medication), but under no circumstances should he stop taking what was prescribed without the doctor's approval.
Log into answer.
