Below are items which have been demonstrated through scientific or clinical studies to have significant positive effects on hypertension. These are provided for educational and research purposes only. As always, be mindful of any allergies you may have and consult with your physician before starting any regimen in addition to your prescribed therapy.
- Peppers (jalapeño, cayenne) for capsaicin
- Garlic
- Olive leaf extract (stage 1 hypertension)
- Baicalin (in hypertension associated with diabetes)
- Roselle hibiscus (mild-to-moderate hypertension)
References
Ashraf R, Khan RA, Ashraf I, Qureshi AA. Effects of Allium sativum (garlic) on systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences. 2013 Sep 1;26(5).
El-Bassossy HM, Hassan NA, Mahmoud MF, Fahmy A. Baicalein protects against hypertension associated with diabetes: Effect on vascular reactivity and stiffness. Phytomedicine. 2014 Oct 15;21(12):1742-5.
Herrera-Arellano A, Flores-Romero S, Chavez-Soto MA, Tortoriello J. Effectiveness and tolerability of a standardized extract from Hibiscus sabdariffa in patients with mild to moderate hypertension: a controlled and randomized clinical trial. Phytomedicine. 2004 Jul 20;11(5):375-82.
Jia XY, Jiang DL, Jia XT, Fu LY, Tian H, Liu KL, Qi J, Kang YM, Yu XJ. Capsaicin improves hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy via SIRT1/NF-κB/MAPKs pathway in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. Phytomedicine. 2023 Sep 1;118:154951.
Susalit E, Agus N, Effendi I, Tjandrawinata RR, Nofiarny D, Perrinjaquet-Moccetti T, Verbruggen M. Olive (Olea europaea) leaf extract effective in patients with stage-1 hypertension: comparison with Captopril. Phytomedicine. 2011 Feb 15;18(4):251-8.
Xiong XJ, Wang PQ, Li SJ, Li XK, Zhang YQ, Wang J. Garlic for hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytomedicine. 2015 Mar 15;22(3):352-61.