What foods should you eat to lower your blood pressure

High blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking.

Table of Contents Show

Healthy diet
Limit your alcohol intake
Lose weight
Cut down on caffeine
Stop smoking
Types of food that can help lower blood pressure
Other foods that may help lower your blood pressure
Do supplements work?
What is the best drink for high blood pressure?
How can I get my blood pressure lower quickly?
Can drinking water lower blood pressure?
Do bananas lower BP?

Healthy diet

Cut down on the amount of salt in your food and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

The Eatwell Guide highlights the different types of food that make up our diet, and shows the proportions we should eat them in to have a well-balanced and healthy diet.

Salt raises your blood pressure. The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure. Aim to eat less than 6g (0.2oz) of salt a day, which is about a teaspoonful.

Find out how to cut down on salt

Eating a low-fat diet that includes lots of fibre, such as wholegrain rice, bread and pasta, and plenty of fruit and vegetables also helps lower blood pressure.

Aim to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day.

Find out how to get your 5 A Day

Limit your alcohol intake

Regularly drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure over time.

Staying within the recommended levels is the best way to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure:

men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week
spread your drinking over 3 days or more if you drink as much as 14 units a week

Find out how many units are in your favourite drink and get tips on cutting down.

Alcohol is also high in calories, which will make you gain weight and can further increase your blood pressure.

Lose weight

Being overweight forces your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body, which can raise your blood pressure.

Find out if you need to lose weight with the BMI healthy weight calculator

If you do need to lose some weight, it's worth remembering that just losing a few pounds will make a big difference to your blood pressure and overall health.

Get advice on losing weight safely

Get active

Being active and taking regular exercise lowers blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition.

Regular exercise can also help you lose weight, which will also help lower your blood pressure.

Adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week.

Physical activity can include anything from sport to walking and gardening.

Cut down on caffeine

Drinking more than 4 cups of coffee a day may increase your blood pressure.

If you're a big fan of coffee, tea or other caffeine-rich drinks, such as cola and some energy drinks, consider cutting down.

It's fine to drink tea and coffee as part of a balanced diet, but it's important that these drinks are not your main or only source of fluid.

Stop smoking

Smoking does not directly cause high blood pressure, but it puts you at much higher risk of a heart attack and stroke.

Smoking, like high blood pressure, will cause your arteries to narrow.

If you smoke and have high blood pressure, your arteries will narrow much more quickly, and your risk of heart or lung disease in the future is dramatically increased.

Get help to stop smoking

Page last reviewed: 23 October 2019
Next review due: 23 October 2022

Keeping your blood pressure in check is important for your health.

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If it’s too high, your blood pressure can lead to serious conditions like stroke or heart disease.

While medications like beta-blockers can help lower your blood pressure, did you know that certain foods and nutrients can help as well?

Registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, shares how certain foods can help lower your blood pressure.

Types of food that can help lower blood pressure

Antioxidant-rich foods may have a small impact on blood pressure levels. Foods high in vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, selenium or L-arginine are good options if you’re looking to lower your blood pressure. Antioxidants protect your cells from damage and can reduce inflammation, which, in turn, can keep blood pressure in control.

1. Foods high in vitamin C

Foods high in vitamin C can protect against oxidative stress, which causes inflammation. Good options include:

Peppers.
Kiwis.
Broccoli.
Brussels sprouts.
Strawberries.
Sweet potatoes.
Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes.

2. Foods high in vitamin E

The fat-soluble nutrient acts as an antioxidant to help protect cells from free radical damage. Try the following foods:

Almonds.
Avocados.
Sunflower seeds.
Peanut butter.
Salmon.

3. Foods high in potassium

Potassium aids in blood pressure reduction by relaxing your blood vessels’ walls and helping your body remove excessive sodium. Foods include:

Bananas.
Potatoes.
Spinach.
Tomatoes.
Carrots.
Grapefruits.
Nuts/seeds like pistachios, almonds and flax seeds.
Avocados.

“Bananas are high in potassium, which helps your body get rid of sodium,” says Zumpano. “Eating foods high in sodium can increase your blood pressure.”

4. Foods high in selenium

Selenium is an antioxidant that helps protect your body from oxidative stress. Choose these foods for selenium:

Seafood like tuna, halibut and shrimp.
Brazil nuts.
Chicken.
Turkey.

5. Foods high in L-arginine

L-arginine helps make nitric oxide, a chemical that aids in relaxing muscle cells. Some research shows these foods can help lower blood pressure:

Meat.
Poultry.
Nuts/seeds like pumpkin seeds, walnuts and peanuts.
Beans like chickpeas and soybeans.
Dairy like milk, yogurt and cheese.

6. Foods high in calcium

Studies have shown that meeting the recommended dietary allowance for calcium of 1,000 milligrams and getting up to 1,500 milligrams per day can improve blood pressure. Foods rich in calcium include:

Dairy products like milk, yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese.
Almonds.
Dark green leafy vegetables and broccoli.
Dried beans and peas.
Fortified tofu.
Fortified orange juice.
Fortified nondairy milks like almond, soy, coconut and oat.

Other foods that may help lower your blood pressure

Garlic may also help lower your blood pressure. Garlic has been shown to help reduce inflammation. Using garlic to add flavor to your food also helps you reduce salt, which can also help lower blood pressure.

Moderate amounts of alcohol have also been shown to help lower blood pressure. Women shouldn’t exceed one drink per day, while men shouldn’t have more than two drinks per day. Keep in mind, consuming greater quantities of alcohol can cause blood pressure to rise.

Some people should drink less than this amount, or not at all, though. Drinking even moderate amounts of alcohol can interfere with certain medications and can increase your risk of other chronic conditions, including certain cancers and osteoporosis. Ask your health care provider if drinking alcohol is safe for you.

Do supplements work?

Certain supplements can help. But Zumpano warns that you should talk to your doctor before adding a supplement. Getting nutrients from whole foods is best.

Supplements can be risky, based on the type of supplement and the concentration taken, and may also interfere with certain medications.

The following supplements have shown promise:

Omega-3 fatty acids.
CoQ10.
Magnesium.

“You can find omega-3 fatty acids naturally in fatty fish like salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel,” advises Zumpano. “Certain plants are also good sources like chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, walnuts and soy.”

When it comes to CoQ10, the antioxidant may help your body’s total peripheral resistance, which can affect your blood pressure.

And you can also get a dose of magnesium without supplements by having a diet rich in nuts, seeds, whole grains, greens and dairy.

Adding these nutrients to your diet is a win-win situation. If you’re currently on a beta-blocker medication, you should talk to your doctor first.

“Getting the benefits naturally from foods is the best option,” says Zumpano. “Eating foods rich in antioxidants and nutrient-dense foods can improve your overall heart health.”

While including certain foods in your diet can aid in blood pressure reduction, your lifestyle choices can help, too.

“It’s very important to note exercise, stress reduction, a low-salt diet and maintaining a normal body weight can also positively influence blood pressure,” says Zumpano.

What is the best drink for high blood pressure?

Some drinks can help lower your blood pressure, including:.

Skimmed milk. Low-fat dairy products like yogurt and skimmed milk can help lower high blood pressure. ... .

Tomato juice. ... .

Beet juice. ... .

Hibiscus tea. ... .

Pomegranate juice..

How can I get my blood pressure lower quickly?

Relax!.

Losing excess weight..

Quitting smoking..

Reducing alcohol and caffeine intake..

Prioritizing sleep..

Avoiding stressful situations, if possible..

Eating less sodium, sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed foods..

Regularly engaging in low-impact exercise (about 30 minutes every day).

Can drinking water lower blood pressure?

Something as simple as keeping yourself hydrated by drinking six to eight glasses of water every day improves blood pressure. Water makes up 73% of the human heart,¹ so no other liquid is better at controlling blood pressure.

Do bananas lower BP?

But you might not know that a banana a day keeps high blood pressure at bay. This fruit is packed full of potassium -- an important blood pressure-lowering mineral. Potassium helps balance sodium in the body. The more potassium you eat, the more sodium your body gets rid of.