High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the world’s number one killer. It’s a major cause of heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes. Many people rely on medications, but did you know that there are lifestyle changes and natural supplements that can make a significant difference? Let’s dive into the most effective ones, including some surprising study results from the most rigorous studies (randomized controlled trials). You’re also welcome to watch my accompanying video:

Comparing Medications vs. Natural Options

Tens of millions of people with high blood pressure or pre-hypertension could benefit from the slide I made below, comparing popular blood pressure medications with natural remedies. Please share this with others! You can use the share links at top.

As you can see, some common medicines include:

• Calcium Channel Blockers (e.g., Norvasc): Lowers systolic blood pressure by about 8 points.
• ACE Inhibitors (e.g., Lisinopril): Lowers systolic blood pressure by around 5 points.

While these medications are effective, and save millions of lives worldwide, did you know that certain natural remedies can do even better? I’m talking about proof, using the best studies which are called randomized controlled trials (RCTs). And from these, there is strong data for a handful of natural therapies:

• Ground Flaxseed: A randomized, placebo-controlled study showed it decreases systolic blood pressure by an impressive 15 points!
• Hibiscus Tea: Another RCT found that it lowers systolic blood pressure by 7 points.
• Beet Juice: In a 2017 clinical trial, beet juice reduced systolic blood pressure by 8 points.
• Switching to Potassium Salt: This simple swap from regular salt lowered systolic blood pressure by 9 points.

Let’s dig into the details.

Ground Flaxseed: The Game-Changer

One of the most impressive studies was on ground flaxseed. The impressive data came from a 2013 randomized, placebo-controlled trial showing a massive 15-point decrease in systolic blood pressure over six months in patients with high blood pressure. Their systolic went from 157 to 142. That’s better than most medications! Here’s the graph:

If there’s one takeaway from this post, it’s this: two tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily can make a huge difference in lowering blood pressure, and also has 4 grams of fiber. You can find organic flaxseed on Amazon for about $12, and it will last for months. Just add 30 grams (around 2 tablespoons) a day to your meals.

Hibiscus Tea: Simple and Effective

Hibiscus tea is another easy and effective way to lower blood pressure. We have strong clinical data with a 2022 meta-analysis showing that regular drinking of hibiscus tea per day lowered systolic blood pressure by 7 points in a clinical trial — not as impressive as the ground flaxseed, but still very impressive, and such a simple addition to your daily routine. It also has the added benefit of lowering LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, similar to a statin in one study. That would be a great 1-2 punch against heart disease.

You can put tea bags in your water bottle and sip it throughout the day. There’s a good assortment of organic hibiscus tea on Amazon. (I highly recommend using organic with leafy greens like tea and spices).

Beet Juice

Beet juice is known for a long time to help with the heart (and is also a trendy performance enhancer). In 2017, a meta-analysis of 22 randomized controlled trials showed that regular use of beet juice lowered systolic blood pressure by 11 points in patients with high blood pressure already, and 3.55 mmHg in healthier patients. So, it still helps with everyone.

Results got better with longer treatment (5 mmHg benefit after 14 days). Higher amounts also helped better (the highest amounts were 500 ml a day, compared to 70-140 ml on the lower end). Here’s the data:

Impressive, no? Another study from 2017 compared cooked beets to raw beet juice. It found no major blood pressure difference, but the raw beet juice had a clear advantage when lowering inflammation markers such as CRP. It’s certainly easier to just buy premade beet juice, and you can find many high-quality makers of beet juice for sale, but cooking and blending your own would be even better.

Salt Substitute

Lowering salt intake is crucial for many people to help lower their blood pressure. One relatively simple say is to replace your table salt (sodium chloride) with potassium chloride. In a 2020 meta-analysis of multiple randomized controlled studies, this simple switch lowered systolic blood pressure by 8.8 points in patients with high blood pressure. That’s another impressive data point! There are a few brands available, here’s a list on Amazon.

Diet and Lifestyle: The Foundation of Good Health

Of course, the number one way to control high blood pressure is through your diet. It’s essential to reduce processed foods and salty, processed meats. The data is clear: a plant-based diet, especially one rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, is one of the best things you can do for your heart health.

More Reading

You can check out my articles including Which Lifestyle Choice in China Will Kill You First? which was reprinted in my New York Times health column in China. I also recommend A 7 Minute Workout That Really Works and also What Really Works To Lose Weight?

Also, a video about GLP-1 medicines for weight loss: