Can Breast Enhancement Herbs Cause High Blood Pressure?
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Sharon
Posted on: September 05, 2005

Have you ever heard of breast enhancement herbs being linked to high blood pressure? I had read at one website that the reason the herbs do not work is because, for one thing, the dosage is too low. I used their herbs within the guidelines (saw palmetto, wild yam, fenugreek) and also added some other herbs they mentioned including fennel and blessed thistle.

My breasts indeed began to grow (to my surprise really as I was pretty skeptical). I noticed I was having headaches and discovered my blood pressure had gotten higher. I have had some history of blood pressure that I have been able to manage with diet and exercise, but this was quite a bit higher. I stopped the herbs, but I still had some problem with blood pressure and just started medication for it. I do believe in coincidence and this may well be what is going on here as I am 57 years old.

By the way, I stopped taking the herbs a month ago and still have not lost most of the growth. I would like to take the herbs again once my blood pressure is normalized and stable, but am really wondering if there is any possibility these herbs taken at the higher dosages could somehow cause some kind of permanent damage to the circulatory system.

I went online and used a search engine to see if I could find any such correlation and have not. I found your site and thought you might have heard this question before.

I have not heard of these herbs causing high blood pressure. The herbs do have an estrogenic effect. High estrogen intake can cause changes in the blood circulation system. With a very high dose of estrogenic herbs, you are taking something closer to a drug than herbs.

There are many factors involved in high blood pressure, including genetics, age and stress. There is also a possibility that there is some contamination in the herbs you are purchasing. The contamination can be from other plant material or from drugs. Without laboratory investigation, it is not possible to know. I advise purchasing herbs and herbal combinations from established herbalists, or from the sources that established herbalists use. To contact a herbalist in your area, please see our website at www.richters.com. Choose "Q&A" from the main menu, then enter "herbalist" for the search. The item "How to Find a Herbalist" lists associations of qualified natural practitioners.

I advise against taking any herbs for long periods of time. Herbalists use herbs to support and balance the body. Taking herbs long term without the advice of a qualified natural health practitioner can cause an imbalance that will then require other treatment to correct.

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