5 Kinds of Drinks That Can Help You Reduce High Blood Pressure

More people visit doctors for high blood pressure than for any other condition, aside from the common cold. And while blood pressure medications are usually effective, science has shown that many foods and drinks can help lower blood pressure, too.

These 5 drinks can contribute to a drop in blood pressure, especially in combination with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

1.   Black tea
An article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition claims drinking black tea can substantially reduce the rate of blood pressure variation. Scientists are confident that there is an ingredient in black tea — and not caffeine — can positively affect rapid changes in blood pressure.

2.   Low-fat milk
How it works: Calcium deficiencies have long been linked to high blood pressure, and the inverse is also true: High calcium intake helps lower high blood pressure. It's important to choose the right type of milk for the best results, though. Low-fat milk is richer in calcium than full-fat milk, and the modest amount of fat actually helps you absorb the calcium more easily.

3.   Pomegranate juice
ACE is an enzyme that raises blood pressure by creating a protein called angiotensin II, which causes your blood vessels to constrict. Pomegranate juice acts as a natural ACE inhibitor, similar to the class of medications prescribed to treat hypertension and heart failure. In one case, pomegranate juice reduced ACE by 36 percent and lowered systolic blood pressure, too. It's also been linked in a handful of recent studies to significantly reduced (up to 30 percent) arterial plaque and increased blood flow to the heart.

4.   Drink Water
How does not drinking enough water raise your blood pressure? Water intake affects blood pressure in two ways. First, when you don’t drink enough water your body attempts to secure its fluid supply by retaining sodium. Sodium is your body’s “water-insurance mechanism.”

At the same time, dehydration forces your body to gradually and systematically close some of its capillary beds. When some capillary beds shut down, it puts more pressure in the “pipes”—your capillaries and arteries—elevating your blood pressure.

5.   Cranberry juice
Cranberries and cranberry juice have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help prevent and reduce damage inside the blood vessels, thereby preventing an undesirable increase in blood pressure. In addition, cranberry juice may help reduce blood pressure by dilating blood vessels and increasing blood flow. Finally, cranberries are an excellent source of blood-pressure-lowering vitamin C.