Lower high blood pressure naturally

High blood pressure doesn't cause pain. But that doesn't mean it leaves no trace. High blood pressure damages the blood vessels and the heart and increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke. It can also harm the eyes and kidneys. High blood pressure should never be ignored. After consulting your doctor, you may not have to start taking pills right away to normalize your blood pressure. There are also natural measures that can help you lower high blood pressure gently and permanently.

Dietary changes

Changing your diet can lower blood pressure partly by helping you lose weight and partly because some foods directly improve blood pressure. Buckwheat, watermelon, potatoes and pears, for example, are known for their blood-pressure-lowering effect. A diet that is high in alkalizing foods is recommended. This type of diet is also particularly rich in potassium. Potassium is a mineral that also has a positive effect on blood pressure. Good potassium sources are especially legumes (soy, peas, lentils), vegetables (celery, fennel, parsley), fruits (dates, bananas, papayas), dried fruit (dates, raisins, figs), chestnuts and nuts (walnuts). If you have kidney disease, you should discuss increasing your potassium intake with your doctor.

Freshly pressed juices

Beetroot contains a very high level of nitrates. Spinach, fennel and white cabbage are also known to have high nitrate levels and thus a blood-pressure-lowering effect. Choosing freshly pressed vegetable juices, or focusing on beetroot juice, can help lower your blood pressure. Another tip: pomegranate juice. It can also help reduce high blood pressure.

Cutting down on salt

People consume 8 to 12 grams of table salt per day. However, the recommended daily amount is no more than 5 grams. Ready meals in particular contain vast amounts of salt. Fast food, canned foods, snacks and smoked foods are also known for their high salt content. An alternative? Herbs. Fresh herbs help create a delicious and interesting flavour, so in the end you do not even notice that no salt has been used. Anyone who has difficulty reducing their salt intake can use what are known as alternative salts. Table salt - known to raise blood pressure - can, for example, be replaced with Pansalt, which is rich in magnesium sulphate and potassium chloride and contains less sodium. Special blood pressure salt is also available as an alternative.

Limit alcohol consumption

Alcohol raises blood pressure. Ideally you would drink no alcohol. Since that's difficult for many people, there are limits: men are advised not to drink more than 30 grams of alcohol per day. Women should not consume more than 20 g daily.

Overweight contributes to high blood pressure

Weight also plays a role. High blood pressure and excess weight are a combination that occurs almost invariably. However, doctors do not recommend radical diets, but rather changing your eating habits. This is necessary anyway if you want to lower your blood pressure naturally.

Avoid stress!

Stress also plays an important role. Stress can cause blood pressure to rise quickly and stay high over time. It is therefore advisable to have a lifestyle with regular rest periods. If stress levels are high, targeted relaxation exercises can help reduce them.

Sources:

This article is from Tensana – the leading app since 2011, helping hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day. Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 12/2025).

Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.