Several drinks have measurable effects on blood pressure, with beetroot juice, hibiscus tea, and pomegranate juice showing the strongest evidence. The reductions aren’t dramatic enough to replace medication for most people with hypertension, but they can meaningfully complement other lifestyle changes. What you choose to stop drinking matters too.
Beetroot Juice
Beetroot juice is the most studied drink for blood pressure, and the results are consistent. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that it lowers systolic blood pressure (the top number) by an average of 5.3 mmHg in people with hypertension. The effect peaks about three hours after drinking it, with some studies recording drops as large as 10 points systolic and 8 points diastolic at peak.
The mechanism is straightforward: beetroot juice is rich in naturally occurring nitrates, which your body converts into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes and widens blood vessels, making it easier for blood to flow. The effective range in studies was 200 to 800 mg of dietary nitrate per day, which translates to roughly 250 to 500 mL (about 1 to 2 cups) of beetroot juice. Importantly, researchers found no signs of tolerance developing over time, meaning the effect doesn’t fade with regular use.
The taste is earthy and strong. Many people mix it with apple or carrot juice. Concentrated beetroot “shots” sold in health food stores deliver the same nitrates in a smaller, more palatable volume.
Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus tea, made from dried petals of the hibiscus flower, produced a 7.2-point drop in systolic blood pressure over six weeks in a USDA-funded clinical trial, compared to just 1.3 points for the placebo group. Participants drank three cups daily.
The effect was even more pronounced in people who started with higher readings. Among those with a systolic reading of 129 or above, hibiscus tea lowered systolic pressure by 13.2 points, diastolic by 6.4 points, and mean arterial pressure by 8.7 points. That’s a clinically meaningful reduction, comparable to some first-line blood pressure medications.
Hibiscus tea is naturally tart and caffeine-free, so it works well as an iced tea or a hot evening drink. Look for pure hibiscus (sometimes labeled “flor de Jamaica”) rather than blends where hibiscus is a minor ingredient.
Pomegranate Juice
A meta-analysis from the University of Western Australia found that drinking up to 300 mL (about 1.25 cups) of pomegranate juice daily reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 6.1 mmHg. There’s a catch, though: drinking more than 300 mL per day actually showed no significant effect. Researchers confirmed through meta-regression that the dose mattered, and more was not better.
Pomegranate juice is calorie-dense and high in natural sugars, so sticking to that one-cup-per-day range is practical for your waistline as well as your blood pressure. Choose 100% pomegranate juice with no added sugar.
Unsalted Tomato Juice
A year-long study of Japanese residents with untreated prehypertension or hypertension found that regular unsalted tomato juice intake lowered systolic pressure by about 4 points and diastolic by about 2.4 points. Those are modest reductions, but they came from a common, inexpensive drink with no side effects.
The key word is “unsalted.” Most commercial tomato juice is loaded with sodium, which directly raises blood pressure. The 2025 AHA/ACC guidelines recommend keeping sodium under 2,300 mg per day, with an ideal limit of 1,500 mg for most adults. A single 8-ounce serving of regular tomato juice can contain 600 to 800 mg of sodium, so it would work against you. Read labels carefully or make your own.
Water
Plain water doesn’t actively lower blood pressure the way beetroot juice or hibiscus tea do, but staying well hydrated prevents your blood pressure from rising unnecessarily. When you’re dehydrated, your blood volume drops. Your body compensates by releasing a hormone called vasopressin, which causes blood vessels to constrict and drives blood pressure up. Chronic mild dehydration, common in people who simply don’t drink enough throughout the day, can keep this system activated.
There’s no magic amount. Drinking enough that your urine stays a pale yellow is a reliable gauge.
Drinks That Raise Blood Pressure
What you stop drinking can matter as much as what you start. Sugary drinks are a significant and underappreciated contributor to hypertension. A meta-analysis of prospective studies found that people who drank one or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day had a 12% higher risk of developing high blood pressure compared to non-drinkers. The relationship was dose-dependent: each additional sugary drink per day increased hypertension risk by about 8%.
Alcohol is another clear culprit. The latest AHA/ACC guidelines recommend reducing or eliminating alcohol intake as a core lifestyle strategy for managing blood pressure.
Caffeine
Coffee and other caffeinated drinks occupy a gray area. Caffeine can cause a brief spike of 5 to 10 points in people who don’t drink it regularly. This effect is mostly transient and tends to diminish in habitual coffee drinkers. If you’re concerned, check your blood pressure before your morning coffee and again 30 to 120 minutes later. If the jump is significant and consistent, you may be sensitive to caffeine’s effects.
Grapefruit Juice
Grapefruit juice doesn’t raise blood pressure on its own, but it can be dangerous if you take certain blood pressure medications. Grapefruit blocks an enzyme in the small intestine that normally breaks down drugs before they enter your bloodstream. The result is that too much medication enters your blood, which can cause excessive drops in blood pressure or other side effects. The FDA specifically flags certain calcium channel blockers as affected. If you’re on blood pressure medication, check whether grapefruit is on the list of interactions.
Putting It All Together
The most effective single-drink option based on current evidence is hibiscus tea, particularly if your systolic pressure is already elevated. Three cups a day for six weeks produced reductions that rival some medications. Beetroot juice has the most consistent research behind it and works through a different mechanism (nitric oxide), so there’s a reasonable case for rotating between the two or combining them.
None of these drinks work in isolation. The AHA’s current guidelines emphasize a cluster of lifestyle changes: following a heart-healthy eating pattern like DASH, getting 3,500 to 5,000 mg of dietary potassium per day, exercising regularly, managing stress, and cutting sodium. These drinks fit naturally into that broader pattern. They’re not a substitute for it.