Natural Remedies & Herbs for High Blood Pressure

In a double-blind trial, people with mild hypertension took a tincture of Achillea wilhelmsii, an herb used in traditional Persian medicine. Participants in the trial used 15–20 drops of the tincture twice daily for six months. At the end of the trial, participants experienced significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to those who took placebo. No adverse effects were reported.

Garlic has a mild blood pressure-lowering effect, according to an analysis of ten double-blind trials. All of these trials administered garlic for at least four weeks, typically using 600–900 mg of garlic extract per day. Onion—closely related to garlic—may also have a mild blood pressure-lowering effect, according to preliminary research.

Two controlled clinical trials have shown that hibiscus can lower blood pressure. In one, people with high blood pressure who went off their medications were given either 2 teaspoons (5 to 6 grams) Hibiscus sabdariffa infused in 1 cup (250 ml) water or black tea three times per day. After 12 days the hibiscus group had significantly lower blood pressure than the black tea group. In another trial 10 grams of Hibiscus sabdariffa tea was compared to the drug captopril for four weeks in people with high blood pressure. Blood pressures fell an equal amount in both groups, suggesting this herbal tea may be as potent as some blood pressure medications...