Hypertension Treatment: Herbs

A number of herbs and botanicals may help prevent and treat hypertension.

The following herbs and botanicals are sometimes recommended for hypertension and have been studied for this purpose:

• Stevia
• Achillea wilhelmsi
• Terminalia arjuna (arjun)
• Green coffee bean extract
• Garlic
• Cinnamon
• Glucomannan

Other herbs and botanicals that are sometimes recommended for hypertension, but which haven't been studied much for this purpose, include:

• Astragalus
• Barberry
• Coleus forskohlii
• Chinese skullcap
• Hibiscus
• Maitake
• Maca
• Olive leaf
• Eclipta alba (an Ayurvedic herb, also known as Bhringraja or Keshraja)¹⁰⁹
• Black tea (theanine)¹²²
• Hawthorn^32,55,89-90
• Salvia hispanica (also known as salba, or chia)¹¹⁴
• Cordyceps

Although homeopathic remedies are not herbs per se, they are another category of gentle alternatives that might be effective for treating hypertension.

• Hypertension and Stevia
• Hypertension and Glucomannan
• Hypertension and Achillea wilhelmsii
• Hypertension and Arjun
• Hypertension and Green Coffee Bean Extract
• Hypertension and Garlic
• Hypertension and Cinnamon
• Hypertension and Homeopathy

It appears that stevia lowers blood pressure by mechanisms similar to those of calcium channel blockers such as verapamil (Calan SR).⁹

Read more about Hypertension and Stevia.

There are a number of ways that fiber such as glucomannan may help lower blood pressure, and the exact actions are not yet clear.

Read more about Hypertension and Glucomannan.

Achillea wilhelmsii is known to be a rich source of flavonoids and sesquiterpene lactones, which may explain its therapeutic effects on blood pressure and serum lipids (cholesterol and...

Read more about Hypertension and Achillea wilhelmsii.

Arjun probably helps reduce blood pressure by relaxing (dilating) blood vessels.

Abana, the Ayurvedic formula that contains arjun, is believed to help the heart work more effectively (reduced...

Read more about Hypertension and Arjun.

Recent studies suggest that Green Coffee Bean Extract may have a multitude of health benefits, mainly in dealing with health challenges that stem from oxidative stress (such as heart disease or...

Read more about Hypertension and Green Coffee Bean Extract.

Garlic may help treat high blood pressure by, among other things, acting as a blood thinner.

Read more about Hypertension and Garlic.

Cinnamon has shown some potential to lower blood pressure and high cholesterol, and help control glucose levels in the blood. How it does this is not yet fully understood.

Read more about Hypertension and Cinnamon.

Homeopathic remedies do not work in a direct or obvious way. Homeopathic theory has some relationship to ancient healing traditions, but in many ways stands uniquely on its own ground, unrelated to...

Read more about Hypertension and Homeopathy.

32. Schulz V, Hansel R, Tyler VE. Rational Phytotherapy: A Physicians' Guide to Herbal Medicine 3rd ed. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag; 1998:97.
55. Ammon HPT, Handel M. Crataegus, toxicology and pharmacology. Parts I, II and III [translated from German]. Planta Med. 1981;43:105-120,209-239,313-322.
89. Walker AF, Marakis G, Simpson E, et al. Hypotensive effects of hawthorn for patients with diabetes taking prescription drugs: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Gen Pract. 2006;56:437-443.
90. Asgary S, Naderi GH, Sadeghi M, et al. Antihypertensive effect of Iranian Crataegus curvisepala Lind.: a randomized, double-blind study. Drugs Exp Clin Res. 2005;30:221-225.
109. Rangineni V, Sharada D, Saxena S. Diuretic, hypotensive, and hypocholesterolemic effects of Eclipta alba in mild hypertensive subjects: a pilot study. J Med Food. 2007;10:143-148.
114. Vuksan V, Whitham D, Sievenpiper JL, et al. Supplementation of conventional therapy with the novel grain salba ( Salvia hispanica L.) improves major and emerging cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: results of a randomized controlled trial. Diabetes Care. 2007 Aug 8. [Epub ahead of print]
122. Rogers PJ, Smith JE, Heatherley SV, et al. Time for tea: mood, blood pressure and cognitive performance effects of caffeine and theanine administered alone and together. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2007 Sep 23. [Epub ahead of print]