Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure (Evidence Based)

High blood pressure or hypertension is a silent killer in most of cases because many people do not know initially that they have this problem. It leads to many serious health consequences including heart attack, kidney dysfunction and brain strokes.

Understanding blood pressure readings

Causes & Predisposing factors

The exact cause of hypertension is unknown, but the following factors can contribute in the development of high blood pressure.

1. Sedentary Lifestyle
2. Being overweight or obesity
3. Regular excess consumption of salt in the diet
4. Smoking
5. Excess alcohol consumption
6. Mental stress
7. Kidney disease
8. Hormonal disorders especially adrenal or thyroid gland disorders
9. Family history of hypertension

High Blood Pressure Remedies

Here are some authentic home remedies for high blood pressure that really work.

Garlic

Nowadays, scientists consider garlic as a safe alternative to antihypertensive drugs. Generally, garlic extract is used for hypertension in alternative medicine. It is well tolerable and effective in reducing blood pressure. (1, 2)

Garlic reduces elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP). However, it does not reduce blood pressure in individual with normal blood pressure. It is a unique action of garlic, which makes it different from antihypertensive drugs. (3, 4)

Garlic further helps in patients with elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. It helps reducing systolic blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the blood. (5, 6, 7)

How to use garlic for high blood pressure

1. Take garlic cloves and crush them to extract juice from them.
2. Take 6 to 10 drops of garlic juice in a cup of warm water, stir and drink this water twice a day.

Raw garlic is also beneficial for lowering the blood pressure. You can eat it with meal or after meal. Juice of leaves of garlic plant (10 drops in water) is also useful for lowering the blood pressure.

Note:

Garlic is normally good for people with mild hypertension and might not suitable for severely elevated high blood pressure. (8)

Lemon

Lemon juice is a great home remedy for hypertension. It lowers the elevated blood pressure and reduces the rigidity of blood vessels. It is also heart friendly food, which reduces fatty deposits in the coronary artery. Forty percent hypertensive people in Turkey use lemon juice as an alternative therapy for high blood pressure. (9, 10, 11)

Lemon is also a great source of vitamin C, which works as a potent antioxidant and neutralizes the free radicals in the body. It further prevents inflammation and injuries to blood vessels. Inflammation of blood vessels is a main cause of atherosclerosis.

How to use lemon for hypertension

1. Take a cup of warm water.
2. Add 2 tsp. of lemon juice and 1 tsp. of honey.
3. Mix well and drink this water twice a day.

If you are also diabetic, then avoid using honey. It is good if you can take it in early morning and in evening. This remedy also prevents heart attack and cleanses the blood vessels. The poly-phenol hesperidin is present in lemon and other citrus fruit juice, which helps inhibiting atherosclerosis and heart diseases. (12)

Triphala Powder

However, triphala powder is mild laxative and used for relieving constipation, but it is traditionally also used for cardiovascular diseases including high blood pressure. (13)

Triphala powder consists of three following ingredients. Each ingredient is taken in equal proportion by weight.

Triphala is also known as three myrobalans.

How to use triphala powder to reduce blood pressure

1. Take above ingredients in 250 ml water.
2. Heat the water with above ingredients and leave it overnight.
3. Strain the liquid and discard the residues.
4. Drink this water on empty stomach every day.

Conditions in which it is effective

If you have a problem of atherosclerosis characterized by hardening of blood vessels, fatty deposits on the walls of blood vessels or high cholesterol levels or elevated triglycerides, then this remedy is effective in lowering the blood pressure.

It does not work if mental stress is associated with hypertension.

Fresh juice of Neem leaves

Neem leaves are known for their benefits in skin diseases, but it also lowers the blood pressure. (14, 15, 16, 17)

1. Take 25 grams of neem leaves.
2. Crush them to extract juice.
3. Take a cup of warm water and mix neem juice in it.
4. Drink this juice in early morning.

It is bitter in taste and adding sugar is not worthwhile.

Honey supplementation

Honey reduces the elevated blood pressure. It has much more effects on elevated systolic blood pressure. It lowers the oxidative stress in the kidneys, which helps lowering the elevated systolic blood pressure. (18)

How to take honey for high blood pressure

Take a cup of warm water and add 2 tsp. of honey, 1/2 tsp. ginger juice and 2 tsp. of lemon juice. Mix them and drink in the morning on empty stomach daily.

If you are overweight or obese, it is also effective for you. However, we observe it only works in reducing belly fat.

In high blood pressure, this remedy works when you have elevated cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the blood. It also works well in overweight people. Its action is on fatty deposits in the blood, which narrow the space of blood vessels and causes increase in blood pressure. It works well in this condition.

Buttermilk

Buttermilk is healthier for heart than milk because it contains more good phospholipids than milk.  It is also a source of beneficial bioactive molecules (Peptides and polar lipids), which exhibit modulating effects on immunity, lipid transport, metabolism and cell signaling. It also lowers cholesterol level and triglycerides. (19, 20)

Buttermilk can help you to manage blood pressure naturally.

How to use buttermilk for reducing blood pressure

Drink a glass of buttermilk once a day and we suggest using it after lunch.

Note

Buttermilk can be a good choice of foods in high blood pressure and it works well in pre-hypertensive people. It might not work in severely elevated blood pressure. It helps in pre-hypertensive and stage one of hypertension.

Banana

Low potassium diet can play a vital role in development of high blood pressure. Increased intake of potassium rich foods can help preventing hypertension.  (21)

Banana is rich in potassium content, so regular intake of bananas help lowering blood pressure and preventing heart diseases due to hypertension. It also helps to reduce the impacts of sodium in the body.

Apple

An apple a day can help you to manage blood pressure. Apples are a good source of pectin and polyphemols. These phyto nutrients give potential to apples for lowering cholesterol. Apples are also rich in Quercetin, which helps to reduce blood pressure. (22, 23, 24)

Apple Peel

Apple peel has abundant amount of flavonoids such as quercetin, which exhibit the property of ACE inhibition. ACE is an enzyme associated with high blood pressure. (25)

Therefore, eating apple with its peel helps preventing hypertension and lowering blood pressure.

Beet Juice

Beet juice is an excellent remedy for hypertension. It has immediate effect on high blood pressure. It reduces blood pressure significantly and drinking a glass of beet juice daily can help in mild hypertension. (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)

Beet juice can be highly beneficial for pre-hypertensive people and it can further prevent the development of heart diseases. (31)

Amaranth

Amaranth is beneficial for people with high blood pressure. It reduces blood pressure significantly and lowers the risks of heart diseases. (32)

Amaranth leaf juice is also helpful for reducing blood pressure. You can drink a half cup of juice of amaranth leaves once a day.

Watermelon seeds

Watermelon seeds are a good source of cucurbocitrin, which prevents narrowing of blood vessels, helps dilating the blood vessels, and improves the blood flow to various parts in the body. (33)

The second action of watermelon seeds is due to its diuretic property. It increases the urine output and improves kidney functions. Due to diuretic action, watermelon seeds reduce blood pressure.

How to use watermelon seeds for hypertension

1. Take a half teaspoon of watermelon seeds and crush them to make powder.
2. Eat watermelon seed powder twice a day.

It helps reducing blood pressure and provides strength to the heart.

Ayurvedic Home remedies for high blood pressure

Rudraksha (Elaeocarpus ganitrus) & Copper vessel

Rudraksha is a traditional natural remedy for high blood pressure or hypertension. Recent studies have also suggested its effectiveness in high blood pressure. (34, 35)

Ayurvedic science also acknowledges for antihypertensive action of rudraksha. Some people also wear it externally for reducing blood pressure and some drinking milk boiling with rudraksa in copper vessel.

How to use rudraksha for high blood pressure

1. Take one rudraksha (seed of Elaeocarpus ganitrus).
2. Soak it in warm water in copper vessel overnight.
3. Separate the water and rudraksha and drink the water on empty stomach.

Note

We found it is effective when powdered seeds are used instead of rudraksha itself. Its effects appear after 15 days of continue use. It is highly useful in pre-hypersensitive people. It is not a so potent in reducing blood pressure, so you may also require other remedies.

Vinegar home remedy

Vinegar has antihypertensive action, so it can help reducing blood pressure. Its action might be due to renin (enzyme secreted from kidneys) activity and effects on angiotensin II. It might catalyze angiotensin and thus help in reducing blood pressure. (36)

Mix 2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp. of honey in a cup of warm water and drink this remedy before breakfast. Vinegar remedy can reduce blood pressure and you should take a good and healthy diet, which should be low in cholesterol and rich in fiber. Avoid eating animal foods, dairy products (especially cheese, milk cream, butter etc.) and increase taking green vegetables and fruits.

Home remedies lack evidences, but used in high blood pressure

Banana stem

Drinking juice extracted from tender inner banana stem helps lowering blood pressure. It is highly used in traditional medicines in India for high blood pressure.

Note

Do not take hard outer stem of banana plant. Its inner tender stem helps in heart diseases and it has medical value according to folk medicine in India. It is a great source of potassium as well as Vitamin B6.

Eating tender inner stem of banana plant once a week prevents the high blood pressure in normal people, according to authentic texts of traditional medicines.

Pure Natural Henna

However, we did not find any evidence for its effectiveness, but paste of henna leaves is applied on the hands and feet. It is believed it lowers mental stress and reduces blood pressure.

Poppy seeds tea (KHUS KHUS)

Poppy seeds are used in ayurvedic medicine for reducing blood pressure, but it lacks scientific evidences. The antihypertensive action might be due to its depressant characteristic. Side effects might occur with poppy seed tea, so it should be used under medical supervision.

1. Take 2 grams poppy seeds in a glass of water.
2. Boil water and simmer until it remains half.
3. Drink this tea once a day, especially at night.

Juice therapy for high blood pressure

The following juices of fruits and vegetables are beneficial in hypertension.

1. Bottle gourd
2. Squash melon
3. Pumpkin
4. Apple
5. Banana stem
6. Beet root
7. Cucumber
8. Carrot
9. Parsley
10. Spinach
11. Celery (celery seed extract is also helpful in reducing blood pressure)
12. Pears
13. Pineapple

You can include these juices in your regular diet for the management of high blood pressure.