Best Tea for High Blood Pressure: Hibiscus, Green, Black and 4 More Ranked by Evidence
The best tea for high blood pressure is hibiscus, by a clear margin, with green tea and black tea a long way behind. Three cups of hibiscus tea a day for six weeks lowered systolic blood pressure by 7.2 mmHg (versus 1.3 mmHg on placebo) in a Tufts University trial of 65 adults with prehypertension or mild hypertension, and by 13.2 mmHg in those who started above 129. A 2015 meta-analysis of five randomised trials put the average effect at about 7.6 mmHg systolic and 3.5 mmHg diastolic. For context, that is roughly what cutting salt hard achieves and about half of what a single standard blood pressure tablet does.
Green and black tea are the other teas with real trial data, and the honest number is small: meta-analyses of two dozen randomised trials find reductions of 1 to 3 mmHg, larger with longer use, which is worth having as part of a pattern but will not take anyone off medication. Olive leaf and hawthorn have a few trials of extracts that translate reasonably to a strong tea. Everything else sold as 'blood pressure tea' is tradition. One tea actively raises blood pressure, and it is in a lot of herbal blends: licorice.
Tea is an add-on, not a treatment. If your home readings average 140/90 or above, or 130/80 with diabetes, kidney disease or previous heart disease, you need a clinician and probably medication, which reduces strokes and heart attacks in a way no tea has ever been shown to. Go to an emergency department for a reading above 180/120 with headache, chest pain, breathlessness or vision change, and if you are pregnant, any new high reading is urgent.
Quick answer
- Hibiscus tea — 3 cups a day lowered systolic pressure by about 7 mmHg in a 6-week RCT and 7.6 mmHg across a meta-analysis; the one that matters
- Green tea — about 1 to 3 mmHg lower systolic and diastolic in meta-analyses of 20-plus trials; modest but real
- Black tea — 3 cups a day for 6 months lowered 24-hour pressure by 2 to 3 mmHg in a 95-person RCT
- Olive leaf tea — a standardised extract matched captopril in an 8-week trial of stage-1 hypertension
- Hawthorn tea — 2.6 mmHg off diastolic pressure in a 16-week trial in people with diabetes already on medication
- Licorice tea — raises blood pressure and lowers potassium; avoid it entirely
The 7 best teas for blood pressure
Ranked by the strength of human evidence. Strong = multiple trials or a meta-analysis. Moderate = a few small trials. Preliminary = early, traditional or animal data.
In a six-week randomised trial of 65 adults aged 30 to 70 with systolic pressure of 120 to 150, three 240 ml cups of hibiscus tea a day lowered systolic pressure by 7.2 mmHg against 1.3 mmHg on a placebo drink, and by 13.2 mmHg in those starting at 129 or higher. A 2015 meta-analysis of five randomised trials (390 people) found average reductions of 7.6 mmHg systolic and 3.5 mmHg diastolic, and two Mexican trials found a standardised hibiscus extract matched captopril 50 mg a day and came close to lisinopril 10 mg. Hibiscus anthocyanins act as mild ACE inhibitors and diuretics and relax blood vessels.
- Key evidence
- McKay 2010 RCT, 65 adults (J Nutr); Serban 2015 meta-analysis of 5 RCTs (J Hypertens)
- How to brew it
- 1 heaped tablespoon (3 g) dried hibiscus calyces per 240 ml boiling water, 5 to 10 minutes; 3 cups a day, hot or iced, unsweetened, for at least 6 weeks
- Best for
- Prehypertension and mild hypertension, and as the daily drink for anyone on medication whose numbers are nearly there
- Cautions
- Hibiscus adds to antihypertensives and can cause dizziness or readings that are too low; check home readings in the first two weeks and tell your prescriber. It reduces absorption of chloroquine and may interact with hydrochlorothiazide and acetaminophen clearance. Avoid large amounts in pregnancy. Very acidic, so rinse your mouth after iced hibiscus.
A 2020 meta-analysis of 24 randomised trials in 1,697 people found green tea lowered systolic pressure by 1.2 mmHg and diastolic by 1.2 mmHg, and an earlier pooled analysis of tea trials lasting at least 12 weeks found 2.6 and 2.2 mmHg. The effect is small, consistent and probably from catechins improving endothelial function, which offsets the short-lived pressure rise from caffeine. Small numbers matter at population level (2 mmHg systolic is linked to about 7% fewer coronary deaths), but for an individual it is a background habit, not a treatment.
- Key evidence
- Xu 2020 meta-analysis of 24 RCTs (Medicine); Liu 2014 meta-analysis (Br J Nutr)
- How to brew it
- 1 heaped teaspoon (2 g) per 250 ml at 75 to 80°C, 3 minutes; 2 to 3 cups a day, morning and early afternoon
- Best for
- People who already drink coffee and want to switch to something that does not spike pressure as much
- Cautions
- Caffeine raises blood pressure for 1 to 3 hours after a cup, more so in people who do not drink it regularly; take a home reading before the tea, not after. Green tea lowers blood levels of nadolol and reduces iron absorption with meals. Skip extract capsules because of rare liver injury.
In a six-month randomised trial of 95 adults with normal-to-high pressure, three cups of black tea a day lowered 24-hour ambulatory systolic and diastolic pressure by 2 to 3 mmHg compared with a caffeine-matched placebo drink, and the effect held at night. Pooled tea trials of 12 weeks or longer show similar numbers. Theaflavins improve the way arteries relax, and regular drinkers develop tolerance to caffeine's pressure effect within a couple of weeks.
- Key evidence
- Hodgson 2012 RCT, 95 adults, 6 months (Arch Intern Med)
- How to brew it
- 1 teaspoon (2 to 3 g) per 250 ml at 95 to 100°C, 3 to 4 minutes; 3 cups a day, ideally without milk, which may blunt the vascular effect
- Best for
- Habitual tea drinkers who want to keep their cup and know it is on the right side of the ledger
- Cautions
- Same caffeine rules as green tea: a cup raises pressure briefly, especially in non-habitual drinkers, so avoid it before a reading. Strong tannins block non-haem iron. Caffeine interacts with some antibiotics and can worsen palpitations or anxiety.
In an eight-week randomised trial of adults with stage-1 hypertension, 500 mg of olive leaf extract twice a day lowered systolic pressure by about 11.5 mmHg, comparable to captopril 12.5 to 25 mg twice a day, and an earlier trial in 40 twins found 1,000 mg a day lowered systolic pressure by around 11 mmHg over 8 weeks. A six-week British trial in prehypertensive adults found a smaller 3 to 4 mmHg daytime reduction. Oleuropein relaxes vessels and has a mild ACE-inhibiting action. The evidence is for standardised extracts; a tea from dried leaf is a reasonable but less certain way to get oleuropein.
- Key evidence
- Susalit 2011 RCT vs captopril (Phytomedicine); Perrinjaquet-Moccetti 2008 twin trial
- How to brew it
- 1 tablespoon (3 g) dried olive leaf per 250 ml water just off the boil, covered, 10 to 15 minutes; 2 cups a day
- Best for
- Mild hypertension in people who want a Mediterranean-pattern approach and cannot drink hibiscus (reflux, enamel, drug interactions)
- Cautions
- Adds to antihypertensives and to glucose-lowering drugs, so monitor if you take either. Can cause stomach upset. Not enough safety data in pregnancy or breastfeeding to recommend it.
In a 16-week randomised trial of 79 people with type 2 diabetes already on blood pressure medication, 1,200 mg a day of hawthorn extract lowered diastolic pressure by 2.6 mmHg more than placebo, with no change in systolic; an earlier 10-week pilot in 36 mildly hypertensive adults found a trend in the same direction. Hawthorn's main evidence base is in mild heart failure, where it improves exercise tolerance. Its flavonoids and procyanidins dilate vessels; the effect on pressure alone is small.
- Key evidence
- Walker 2006 RCT, 79 adults with diabetes (Br J Gen Pract)
- How to brew it
- 1 tablespoon (3 g) dried hawthorn berries, or 2 teaspoons leaf and flower, simmered or steeped covered in 250 ml water for 10 to 15 minutes; 2 cups a day
- Best for
- People with mildly raised pressure alongside early heart failure or palpitations, under a cardiologist's eye
- Cautions
- Hawthorn interacts with digoxin, nitrates, beta-blockers and calcium-channel blockers, so it is not a casual add-on for anyone on cardiac drugs. Can cause dizziness and nausea. Avoid in pregnancy.
Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free and its flavonoid aspalathin inhibits ACE in the lab, but the one human trial that mattered did not find a pressure effect: in 40 adults at cardiovascular risk, six cups a day for six weeks improved LDL, HDL and markers of oxidative stress without a significant change in blood pressure. It earns a place as the evening cup that does no harm and may help lipids, not as a treatment.
- Key evidence
- Marnewick 2011 trial, 40 adults, 6 weeks (J Ethnopharmacol)
- How to brew it
- 1 heaped teaspoon (2 to 3 g) per 250 ml boiling water, 5 to 7 minutes (it does not go bitter); up to 4 cups a day
- Best for
- An evening and all-day alternative to black tea for people cutting caffeine
- Cautions
- Very few interactions reported; a handful of case reports of liver enzyme rises with very heavy intake. Safe in pregnancy in normal amounts. Do not expect it to move your readings.
Chamomile has no blood pressure trial. It is here because poor sleep and anxiety both raise daytime and night-time pressure, and chamomile has randomised trials showing better sleep quality in older adults and reduced symptoms of generalised anxiety over eight weeks. A cup before bed is a low-risk way to address a driver of hypertension that medication does not touch. Honest tier: Preliminary, for an indirect effect.
- Key evidence
- Chamomile sleep and anxiety RCTs (no blood pressure trial)
- How to brew it
- 1 tablespoon (2 g) dried flowers per 250 ml just-boiled water, covered, 10 minutes; 1 cup an hour before bed
- Best for
- People whose pressure runs high at night or in the morning after a bad night
- Cautions
- Avoid with ragweed or daisy allergy. Adds to sedatives and may enhance warfarin. No direct interaction with blood pressure medication.
How to choose
- If you want one tea that actually moves the number, drink three cups of hibiscus a day for six weeks and measure at home before and after.
- If you are already on medication, add hibiscus or olive leaf with your prescriber's knowledge and take readings in the first fortnight; the combination can overshoot.
- If you have reflux or acid-sensitive teeth, olive leaf is the gentler alternative to hibiscus.
- If you drink coffee, swapping it for green or black tea trims the caffeine pressure spike and adds a small long-term benefit.
- If you take digoxin, nitrates or a beta-blocker, skip hawthorn and check with a pharmacist before anything beyond hibiscus and green tea.
- Never measure your blood pressure within an hour of a caffeinated cup; the reading will be misleading.
What to skip
Licorice root tea and licorice-containing blends
Glycyrrhizin blocks the enzyme that protects your kidneys from cortisol, so regular intake raises blood pressure and drops potassium; a 2017 meta-analysis found an average rise of about 6 mmHg systolic, with case reports of hypertensive crises. Read the ingredients of 'throat', 'digestive' and 'detox' blends.
Yerba mate, guarana and energy teas
They deliver coffee-level caffeine and sometimes added stimulants, which raise pressure acutely and can trigger palpitations. Regular tea drinkers develop tolerance to ordinary tea; these products outrun it.
Dandelion and 'water pill' teas
A mild diuretic effect in one small human study is not a blood pressure treatment; pharmaceutical diuretics work at doses and with monitoring that a tea cannot replicate, and dandelion interacts with lithium and some antibiotics.
Ginseng teas
Trials go both ways, with some showing small rises in pressure, and ginseng interacts with warfarin and diabetes drugs. Not a reliable choice for someone whose pressure is already high.
Safety and when to see a clinician
- Hibiscus and olive leaf can push pressure too low alongside medication; dizziness on standing, blurred vision or unusual tiredness means take a reading and call your prescriber.
- Avoid licorice completely, including the sweet, the tea and the ingredient buried in blends; two weeks of regular use is enough to raise pressure.
- Caffeinated tea raises pressure for one to three hours; keep it to the morning and never before a measurement, and stay under 400 mg caffeine a day.
- Hawthorn, hibiscus and green tea each interact with at least one cardiac drug (digoxin, hydrochlorothiazide, nadolol); run your list past a pharmacist.
- In pregnancy, new high blood pressure can be pre-eclampsia and is a medical emergency; do not treat it with tea, and avoid hibiscus, licorice and hawthorn in medicinal amounts.
- See a clinician if home readings average above 135/85, and go to an emergency department for 180/120 or higher with headache, chest pain, breathlessness, confusion or vision change.
What matters as much as the tea
- Sodium under 2 g a day (about 5 g of salt): a dose-response meta-analysis found each gram of sodium cut lowers systolic pressure by around 2 to 3 mmHg in people with hypertension.
- The DASH eating pattern lowered systolic pressure by about 11 mmHg in people with hypertension, the single largest dietary effect ever measured, and it is mostly vegetables, fruit, beans and low-fat dairy.
- Losing 1 kg lowers systolic pressure by roughly 1 mmHg; 5 kg is a tablet's worth.
- 150 minutes a week of brisk walking or equivalent takes 4 to 8 mmHg off systolic pressure within a few months.
- Alcohol: cutting from three drinks a day to one lowers systolic pressure by about 5 mmHg, and sleep under six hours a night raises it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does hibiscus tea lower blood pressure?
About 7 mmHg systolic and 3 to 4 mmHg diastolic on average, based on a 2015 meta-analysis of five randomised trials, with larger drops in people who start higher. In the Tufts trial, three cups a day for six weeks did that in adults with prehypertension and mild hypertension. It is the largest effect of any tea.
How many cups of hibiscus tea a day for blood pressure?
Three cups of about 240 ml, each brewed from roughly 3 g of dried calyces, which is what the main trial used. Spread them across the day, skip the sugar, and give it six weeks before judging. More than three cups has not been shown to add benefit.
Can I drink hibiscus tea with blood pressure medication?
Usually yes, but tell your prescriber and check home readings for the first two weeks, because the effects add together and some people get dizzy. Avoid it with chloroquine, and ask a pharmacist if you take hydrochlorothiazide. Never stop a prescribed tablet because your readings improved on tea.
Does green tea raise or lower blood pressure?
Both, on different timescales. Caffeine raises pressure for an hour or three after a cup, especially in people who do not drink it regularly. Drunk daily, the catechins produce a small net reduction of about 1 to 3 mmHg over months in meta-analyses. It is a reasonable habit, not a treatment.
Which tea should I avoid with high blood pressure?
Licorice, in any form; it reliably raises pressure and lowers potassium with regular use. Also go easy on yerba mate, guarana and other high-caffeine or stimulant teas, and be wary of ginseng. Ordinary green and black tea are fine in moderation.
Is chamomile tea good for high blood pressure?
Indirectly. There is no trial of chamomile on blood pressure, but it improves sleep and anxiety in randomised trials, and both drive pressure up. It is a safe bedtime cup for someone with hypertension, and it will not interfere with medication, but hibiscus is the tea that changes the number.
How long does it take for tea to lower blood pressure?
Hibiscus trials showed a difference within two to six weeks, so measure at home after six weeks of three cups a day. Green and black tea effects appear over 12 weeks or more and are small. If nothing has changed after two months, the tea is not your answer and a clinician should look at the rest of the picture.
References
- McKay DL, Chen CY, Saltzman E, Blumberg JB. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. tea (tisane) lowers blood pressure in prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults. Journal of Nutrition (2010)
- Serban C, Sahebkar A, Ursoniu S, Andrica F, Banach M. Effect of sour tea (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) on arterial hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Hypertension (2015)
- Herrera-Arellano A, Flores-Romero S, Chávez-Soto MA, Tortoriello J. Effectiveness and tolerability of a standardized extract from Hibiscus sabdariffa in patients with mild to moderate hypertension: a controlled and randomized clinical trial. Phytomedicine (2004)
- Xu R, Yang K, Ding J, Chen G. Effect of green tea supplementation on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine (Baltimore) (2020)
- Liu G, Mi XN, Zheng XX, Xu YL, Lu J, Huang XH. Effects of tea intake on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Nutrition (2014)
- Hodgson JM, Puddey IB, Woodman RJ, et al.. Effects of black tea on blood pressure: a randomized controlled trial. Archives of Internal Medicine (2012)
- Susalit E, Agus N, Effendi I, et al.. Olive (Olea europaea) leaf extract effective in patients with stage-1 hypertension: comparison with Captopril. Phytomedicine (2011)
- Walker AF, Marakis G, Simpson E, et al.. Hypotensive effects of hawthorn for patients with diabetes taking prescription drugs: a randomised controlled trial. British Journal of General Practice (2006)
- Marnewick JL, Rautenbach F, Venter I, et al.. Effects of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) on oxidative stress and biochemical parameters in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease. Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2011)
- Penninkilampi R, Eslick EM, Eslick GD. The association between consistent licorice ingestion, hypertension and hypokalaemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Human Hypertension (2017)
- Filippini T, Malavolti M, Whelton PK, Naska A, Orsini N, Vinceti M. Blood Pressure Effects of Sodium Reduction: Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Experimental Studies. Circulation (2021)
- Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.. 2017 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults. Hypertension (2018)
- High Blood Pressure. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine (2024)View source
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Ask about tea for blood pressureThis guide is educational and is not medical advice. Herbal teas can interact with prescription medicines. Talk with a clinician or pharmacist before relying on any of them, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a chronic condition, or take medication.