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Foods that lower blood pressure: 13 foods, ranked by the evidence

Lists of blood pressure foods are everywhere, but few tell you how much each one did in a trial, or whether it was tested at all. Here are the numbers, the honest ratings and where to start.

By the Nourish & Strong teamBuilt from 16 sources8 min read
A plate of baked salmon with broccoli and lentils, beside bowls of mixed berries, walnuts and a chickpea and leaf salad, half an avocado, a lemon, olive oil and a glass of water on a wooden table

The short answer: the foods that lower blood pressure best are vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts and low-fat dairy eaten together, with less salt. In the DASH trial, that way of eating lowered blood pressure by 11.4/5.5 mm Hg in people with high blood pressure in eight weeks. Single foods such as beet juice, garlic and dark chocolate did far less, around 2 to 4 points in the top number.

No single food works like a medicine. What the research shows is that a pattern of eating, kept up every day, moves the numbers. The foods below are the building blocks of that pattern, and the table shows how much each one has been tested. If you haven’t read it yet, our guide on how to lower blood pressure covers exercise, alcohol and sleep too.

What foods lower blood pressure?

Foods that lower blood pressure include leafy greens, potatoes, bananas, beans, nuts, low-fat yogurt and oily fish. Here’s what the trials found for each, from the studies listed at the end. Numbers are the average drop in the top (systolic) and bottom (diastolic) readings, in mm Hg. The strength ratings are our own summary.

Food or food groupWhat the research foundEvidence strength
Vegetables and fruit, in larger amountsDown 2.8/1.1 in the DASH trial, with all food providedStrong: controlled feeding trial, 459 adults
Low-fat milk and yogurt, added to more vegetables and fruitAdding them, with less fat, took the drop to 5.5/3.0. Low-fat dairy was linked with a 16% lower risk of developing high blood pressureStrong as part of DASH; moderate on its own (5 cohort studies)
Potassium-rich foods: potatoes with skin, leafy greens, bananas, oranges, yogurtMore potassium lowered blood pressure by 3.49/1.96, in people with high blood pressure onlyStrong: 22 trials
Beans, lentils and chickpeasDown 2.25 in the top number, swapped in for other foodsModerate: 8 feeding trials, and the authors want bigger ones
Ground flaxseedDown 3.19/2.61, with bigger drops after 20 weeks or moreModerate: 33 trials, but results varied a lot
Beets and beet juice (nitrate)Down 4.1/2.0 at the clinic, but no change on home or 24-hour monitorsMixed: 13 small trials
Leafy greens such as spinach and arugulaRich in both potassium and nitrate, the two nutrients aboveIndirect: not tested alone in the trials we read
Oily fish such as salmon and sardinesOmega-3 fats from fish (EPA and DHA) lowered the top number by about 2.6 at the best intakeModerate: 71 trials of omega-3; fish meals not tested separately
Nuts, especially pistachiosDown 1.29 in the top number in people without type 2 diabetes; pistachios 1.82Weak to moderate: 21 trials, small effects
GarlicDown 3.75/3.39, from garlic supplements against placeboModerate for supplements; untested for garlic in cooking
Cocoa and dark chocolateDown about 1.8/1.8 over 2 to 18 weeks, using flavanol-rich cocoaModerate: Cochrane review of 35 trials, mostly healthy people
Whole grains such as oats and brown riceThe main grain in DASH, which lowered blood pressure as a wholePart of the pattern; not tested alone in the trials we read

Two things stand out. The biggest effects come from the whole pattern, not from any one row. And foods sold as quick fixes, like beet juice and cocoa, have the weakest real-world results. For a full ranking of potassium sources, see our foods high in potassium comparison.

How much can diet lower blood pressure?

Diet can lower blood pressure by about 5 to 11 points in the top number, based on two large feeding trials. Here’s what they found:

Trial and dietWhoAverage drop (mm Hg)
DASH, 8 weeks: fruits and vegetables dietAll 459 adults2.8 / 1.1
DASH, 8 weeks: full DASH dietAll 459 adults5.5 / 3.0
DASH, 8 weeks: full DASH diet133 people with high blood pressure11.4 / 5.5
DASH-Sodium: DASH with low sodium, against a typical US diet with high sodiumPeople without high blood pressure7.1 (top number)
DASH-Sodium: same comparisonPeople with high blood pressure11.5 (top number)

In both trials, people were given all their food. In DASH, their weight and sodium were held steady, so the drop came from the mix of foods. In DASH-Sodium, the people who started with the highest readings gained the most, the NHLBI says. Our DASH diet meal plan turns this way of eating into seven days of simple meals.

What foods lower blood pressure quickly?

No food lowers blood pressure quickly in a way trials have shown at home. The studies above ran for weeks: 8 weeks for DASH, 30 days per sodium level in DASH-Sodium, 1 to 6 weeks for beet juice and 2 to 18 weeks for cocoa. A banana or a glass of juice won’t bring down a high reading within the hour.

If your reading is very high, food is the wrong tool. Our guide to what blood pressure is too high explains when to call your doctor and when to call 911. To make sure the number is real in the first place, follow the steps in how to take blood pressure at home.

Do bananas lower blood pressure?

Bananas can help lower blood pressure as one part of a potassium-rich diet, but not on their own. A medium banana has about 422 mg of potassium, according to USDA FoodData Central. A baked potato with its skin has about 926 mg. In the potassium review, the benefit showed up in people with high blood pressure and came from total intake across the day. Our look at eating a banana every day covers what one a day can and can’t do. Curious about cocoa? Read is dark chocolate good for you.

Does beet juice lower blood pressure?

Beet juice lowered blood pressure by about 4 points in the top number when it was measured at a clinic, in a review of 13 trials. But the drop disappeared when people wore 24-hour monitors or checked at home, which the authors called the more accurate methods. Cooked beets are a fine vegetable to eat. Just don’t count on the juice to do the work of a whole diet.

What foods should you avoid with high blood pressure?

With high blood pressure, eat less salt, fatty meat, full-fat dairy, sweets and sugary drinks, according to the NHLBI and MedlinePlus. MedlinePlus says you can still eat foods from every food group. Here’s what to cut back on:

  • Salty foods. In DASH-Sodium, every step down in sodium lowered the top number further, on both the typical diet and DASH. Our guide to how much sodium per day shows the limits and where salt hides.
  • Fatty meat and full-fat dairy. DASH swaps them for fish, poultry, beans and low-fat dairy.
  • Sweets and sugary drinks. The NHLBI plan allows 5 or fewer servings of sweets a week on 2,000 calories.
  • Alcohol. MedlinePlus suggests no more than 1 to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 for women, and not starting if you don’t drink. See how much alcohol is safe.

Who should be careful with potassium-rich foods?

People with kidney disease, and people who take certain heart or blood pressure medicines, should ask their doctor before eating much more potassium. MedlinePlus says damaged kidneys may not clear extra potassium. It lists ACE inhibitors, ARBs and potassium-sparing diuretics such as spironolactone among the causes of potassium building up too high. Ask about potassium-based salt substitutes too. Never stop or change a blood pressure medicine because you’ve changed how you eat. Tell your doctor, and let them adjust anything that needs it.

Your next step

Pick one meal this week and build it from the table: a potato with its skin, a cup of greens and a scoop of beans. Next week, add a cup of yogurt or a piece of fruit to your day. Keep checking your blood pressure the same way so you can see what changes. If you want everything on one page, the 7-day DASH meal plan does the planning for you, and our foods that lower cholesterol list overlaps with much of it. A banana a day is an easy start, and the book below makes it a habit.

The Banana Book cover

Make the fruit part easy

The Banana Book

A 7-day banana habit plan plus 60 simple recipes, sorted by what you need. It’s a cookbook, not a treatment, so keep following your doctor’s advice. Only $4.99.

Get the book · $4.99See what’s inside

Quick questions

What drink lowers blood pressure?

Low-fat milk and beet juice are the drinks with trial evidence, but neither works fast. Low-fat dairy was part of the DASH diet that lowered blood pressure 5.5/3.0 mm Hg. Beet juice lowered clinic readings by about 4 points in the top number, with no change on home monitors. Drinking less alcohol also helps.

Is dark chocolate good for blood pressure?

Dark chocolate and cocoa can lower blood pressure a little. A Cochrane review of 35 trials found flavanol-rich cocoa products lowered it by about 1.8/1.8 mm Hg over 2 to 18 weeks, mostly in healthy people. That’s a small effect, and chocolate brings sugar and calories, so treat it as a treat, not a treatment.

Does garlic lower blood pressure?

Garlic supplements lowered blood pressure by 3.75/3.39 mm Hg in a review of 17 trials, mostly against placebo, with the clearest effect in people with high blood pressure. Those trials tested supplements, not garlic in cooking. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before taking any supplement alongside blood pressure medicine.

What foods lower blood pressure and cholesterol?

Beans, lentils, nuts, oats and other whole grains help both blood pressure and cholesterol. The NHLBI says follow-up reports from the DASH trial showed the diet also lowered LDL cholesterol. Beans and lentils lowered the top blood pressure number by about 2 points in feeding trials, and they help LDL cholesterol too.

Can you lower blood pressure without medication?

Some people can lower their blood pressure with food and lifestyle changes. In the DASH trial, people with high blood pressure saw an average drop of 11.4/5.5 mm Hg from diet alone. Many people still need medicine, though. If you take it, never stop or change it on your own. Talk to your doctor first.

Do nuts lower blood pressure?

Nuts lower blood pressure only slightly. A review of 21 trials found nuts lowered the top number by about 1.3 mm Hg in people without type 2 diabetes, and pistachios by about 1.8. Choose unsalted nuts, since salted ones add sodium. DASH counts a third of a cup of nuts as one serving, with 4 to 5 servings of nuts, seeds and beans a week.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Diet can help blood pressure, but it doesn’t replace care from your doctor. If you have kidney disease or take blood pressure medicine, ask your doctor before eating much more potassium or using salt substitutes. Never stop or change any medicine without talking to your doctor.

Sources