Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure / Hypertension

What is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure (hypertension), often called a silent killer is the pressure of the blood in the arteries. Blood pressure is typically recorded as the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (time between two beats). A consistent blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg or higher is considered high blood pressure. Untreated, high blood pressure will cause heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, injury to the brain and eyes.

Common Causes of High Blood Pressure

• Obesity
• Lifestyle
• Genetic factors
• Excessive alcohol
• Birth control pills
• Pain relievers

Other underlying causes may include:

• Kidney diseases
• Adrenal diseases
• Abnormal blood vessels
• Eclampsia / Pre-eclampsia in pregnant women
• Thyroid diseases

Disclaimer: The home remedies suggested here are not a substitute for treatment by doctors. It is highly advisable to seek an expert’s opinion. All the remedies listed here may not be suitable for everyone. It is recommended to check for allergies or do a patch test before using the remedy.

Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure

Food or herbal supplements may help control mild to moderate blood pressure. The supplements can be considered along with medication for blood pressure control. While herbs are not a substitute to tablets but can help reduce the dose of the blood pressure tablets.

Following food or herbal supplements have some evidence of their effect on blood pressure. However we do suggest that you consult your doctor before combining them with your tablets (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Anti-hypertensive Herbs and their Mechanisms of Action

Go to source).

Celery Leaves to Lower High Blood Pressure

Celery contains high levels of 3-N-butylphthalide, a kind of photochemical that may help in controlling high blood pressure (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
A pilot study to evaluate the antihypertensive effect of a celery extract in mild to moderate hypertensive patients

Go to source). You can eat a few stalks of celery as a simple snack daily.

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Carrots, Spinach and Parsley to Keep Blood Pressure Under Control

Vegetables such as carrots, spinach and parsley play a role in lowering blood pressure. Both spinach and parsley are high in nitrates. Studies have shown that dietary nitrate reduces arterial stiffness and controls central blood pressure (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Effect of Spinach, a High Dietary Nitrate Source, on Arterial Stiffness and Related Hemodynamic Measures: A Randomized, Controlled Trial in Healthy Adults

Go to source). Another study reported that carrot juice contributes to a 5% reduction in systolic blood pressure (4^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Drinking carrot juice increases total antioxidant status and decreases lipid peroxidation in adults

Go to source). Drink a glass of juice made of these vegetables twice a day to help reduce your blood pressure.

Indian Gooseberry or Amla May help Reduce Blood Pressure

Emblica officinalis Gaertn (EO) or amla (family Euphorbiaceae) is a medium-sized tree, native to India, and is cultivated in Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, China, and Malaysia. Its other names are Phyllanthus emblica Linn, Emblica pectinata Ridl, emblic myrobalan, and Indian gooseberry (5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
A Randomized, Triple-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Add-On Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Emblica officinalis in Uncontrolled Hypertension. Evid Based Complement

Go to source).

Indian gooseberry (Amla) in trials that included placebo was shown to be helpful in reducing and maintaining blood pressure (6^✔ ✔Trusted Source
A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, multicenter clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of Emblica officinalis extract in patients with dyslipidemia

Go to source). Mix 1 tablespoon of fresh amla juice with an equal amount of honey. Take this mixture daily in the morning before your breakfast.

Grapefruit Helps Tone the Blood Vessels

Grapefruit is another home remedy for preventing rise in blood pressure (7^✔ ✔Trusted Source
The effects of daily consumption of grapefruit on body weight, lipids, and blood pressure in healthy, overweight adults

Go to source). The vitamin, minerals and plant compounds in the grapefruit may help to keep your heart healthy by reducing high blood pressure and reducing the tone of the blood vessels (8^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Medicinal importance of grapefruit juice and its interaction with various drugs

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Potato Diet Helps Lower Blood Pressure

Boiled potatoes can help lower the blood pressure (9^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Intake of Boiled Potato in Relation to Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in a Large Norwegian Cohort: The HUNT Study

Go to source). Potatoes are rich in both glycemic carbohydrates and potassium and hence have been recommended for lowering the blood pressure (10^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Potato intake and incidence of hypertension: results from three prospective US cohort studies

Go to source).

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Garlic to Control High Blood Pressure

A clove of garlic has shown effectiveness in reducing high blood pressure (11^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Garlic as a natural agent for treatment of hypertension: a preliminary report

Go to source). Garlic improves cardiovascular health by reducing arterial stiffness, controlling cholesterol level and blood clotting or stickiness (12^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Garlic lowers blood pressure in hypertensive subjects, improves arterial stiffness and gut microbiota: A review and meta-analysis

Go to source). Consuming one to two cloves of garlic daily with your meals is hence recommended for blood pressure control.

Ginger Juice with Honey and Cumin Powder for High Blood Pressure

Ginger supplementation may help to keep blood pressure in control (13^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Does ginger supplementation lower blood pressure? A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials

Go to source). Ginger reduces blood pressure by dilating the blood vessels and acting as a calcium channel blocker (14^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Ginger lowers blood pressure through blockade of voltage-dependent calcium channels

Go to source). Make a mixture of 1 teaspoon each of honey and ginger juice with 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, stir well and consume this mixture twice a day for treating high blood pressure.

Watermelon Seeds: Natural Remedy for High Blood Pressure

Watermelon seeds are also a good remedy for blood pressure.The potassium content in the watermelon helps in lowering blood pressure (15^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Watermelon extract reduces blood pressure but does not change sympathovagal balance in prehypertensive and hypertensive subjects

Go to source).

Take some dry roasted seeds and grind them up. Add the powder to 2 cups of water and boil for about 15 minutes. Strain the liquid and consume daily in the morning and evening.