High blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), heart failure, heart enlargement, aortic aneurysm, and stroke. This is why keeping your blood pressure in check is paramount—and your hydration status can play a significant role. 

But staying hydrated is not always easy, and according to research, approximately 75% of people are chronically dehydrated. If you have high blood pressure, it is important to hydrate yourself properly without overdoing it.

If you’ve ever wondered, “What can I drink with high blood pressure?” the answer lies in selecting drinks that support heart health while avoiding those that could make things worse. Making the right drink choices can be a simple yet powerful way to support your heart, so I’ve rounded up 5 to enjoy and 5 to avoid.

1. Water

Water is one of the best drinks to stay hydrated and can help regulate blood pressure, can dehydration cause high blood pressure​? While it’s not usually a primary cause, dehydration can contribute.

Having adequate water intake improves blood flow and keeps your entire body hydrated. This helps prevent a hormone in the kidney called vasopressin from turning on. Vasopressin’s role is to preserve body water, and thus it can raise blood pressure when activated.

Water also makes up approximately 73% of the human heart, and therefore water is the ultimate beverage to support optimal cardiovascular function.

2. Certain Herbal Teas

An increasing number of studies show many herbal teas can benefit blood pressure. The best teas for high blood pressure include green tea, black tea, and hibiscus tea. Oolong tea may also be beneficial, but more research is needed to confirm this. 

Additionally, there’s some evidence for cardamom blood pressure benefits, though studies have been mixed. 

Many teas contain ingredients that relax blood vessels, reduce vascular inflammation, and lower oxidative stress that leads to inflammation. The ritual of drinking tea may also have a stress-reducing effect, helping lower heart rate and blood pressure. 

More research is needed into how much tea to have, but currently, it’s recommended to keep it in moderation at 1-2 cups per day.

3. Pomegranate juice

Pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants and can lower blood pressure, according to research. One way it may do this is by lowering levels of an enzyme that raises blood pressure called Angiotensin Converting Enzyme, or ACE. The best results were seen from pomegranate juice with no added sugar.

4. Beet juice

Some people ask, can I drink beet juice while taking blood pressure medication? Yes! Studies show an association between beet juice and high blood pressure​ benefits, as beets contain nitrates. 

These are compounds known to reduce blood pressure by working to widen the blood vessels, improving blood flow, and allowing more oxygen-rich blood to reach the heart.

5. Tomato juice

Tomato juice has also been seen to lower blood pressure, with some studies recommending one cup per day for heart health. Tomatoes and tomato juice are rich in potassium, a mineral associated with lower blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health.

Juicing for high blood pressure at home is super easy, and this way you have total control over the ingredients and the amount of added sugar or salt (if any) that’s in the result. I recommend this juicer from Hurom. (This is an affiliate link meaning if you choose to purchase, I will get a small commission at no cost to you!)

5 Drinks to Limit with High Blood Pressure

Now that you have some good hydrating beverage options that are okay with high blood pressure, it’s also important to understand what types of drinks are best avoided. 

Here are 5 beverages I recommend limiting as they can worsen high blood pressure or make overall blood pressure regulation trickier for some. 

Alcohol

Alcohol, especially red wine, is sometimes touted to be heart-healthy. But are there risks to consuming alcohol, and can alcohol cause high blood pressure?

Drinking alcohol can increase blood pressure and heart rate and interact with blood pressure medications, rendering them less effective. If you drink alcohol too often, it can also lower your inhibitions and lead you to forget to take your medication.

What’s the worst alcohol for high blood pressure? Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but all of them. Any type of alcohol causes the muscles around your arteries to constrict, which ultimately contributes to increased blood pressure. 

If you don’t currently drink, it’s not recommended to start. If you do drink alcohol, practice moderation and avoid binge drinking (drinking more than 2 glasses at a time), as much as possible. One standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, 1.5 ounces of liquor, or 5 ounces of wine.

Consult with your personalized medical team to determine whether you should be concerned about high blood pressure and alcohol consumption. 

Coffee

Coffee causes a temporary spike in blood pressure, and chronic consumption is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure. 

While some research shows moderate coffee intake is safe, everyone has a personal level of tolerance and caffeine sensitivity. 

It’s most important to understand your tolerance to regular coffee, so check with your registered dietitian nutritionist who specializes in heart disease first.

Soda

Most soft drinks are loaded with added sugar, which increases the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Many also contain caffeine, which can further increase blood pressure in some people.

This also seems to be the case for diet sodas as well, with some studies showing an even higher risk for elevated blood pressure from drinking diet soda. While more research is needed, one potential explanation for this is that some artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas may disrupt the gut microbiome, your metabolic health, and ultimately blood pressure regulation. It’s also possible that individuals who regularly drink diet soda may unconsciously compensate for those “saved calories” by eating other things that promote high blood pressure, or perhaps also lead a more sedentary lifestyle that would contribute. 

Since there aren’t any health benefits to consuming any type of soda, it’s best to avoid both regular and diet soda as much as possible. If it’s the occasional carbonation you’re after, I would suggest opting for some unsweetened seltzer water instead. 

Energy drinks

Energy drinks can increase concentration and feelings of productivity, but do energy drinks cause high blood pressure? 

Due to the combination of caffeine and added sugar, energy drinks have been shown to increase the risk of high blood pressure by altering the heart’s electrical activity and heart rate. 

Certain ingredients in energy drinks such as guarana can also increase your circulating adrenaline levels, which can lead to a heightened level of anxiety and heartbeat irregularities. 

Licorice tea

https://youtu.be/DQTPxdD377I

Licorice tea contains an active compound called glycyrrhizin, which can promote sodium retention and reduce potassium levels. This can lead to fluid retention and higher blood pressure, which is problematic especially if you already have high blood pressure. 

While rare, there have been some reports of something called licorice-induced pseudohyperaldosteronism, which triggers a high blood pressure emergency. 

Even small amounts of licorice tea consumed regularly may contribute to elevated blood pressure and other cardiovascular complications, so it’s best to steer clear.

Other Tips for Lowering Blood Pressure

In addition to the beverages above, there are other things you can do to help support healthy blood pressure levels: 

• Stop smoking: Smoking promotes inflammation and damages blood vessels, causing them to narrow, which increases blood pressure. Quitting smoking improves vascular health and lowers the risk of hypertension and heart disease over time.
• Prioritize nutrition: A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins provides essential nutrients for heart health and blood pressure regulation. 
• Optimize your sodium-potassium ratio: Reducing sodium intake helps prevent water retention, which can raise blood pressure, but boosting your potassium intake is also important as it helps balance out sodium and relax blood vessels. In fact, research shows that the sodium-potassium ratio matters more than focusing on either nutrient alone. 
• Move your body: Regular physical activity strengthens the heart, improves circulation, and helps lower resting blood pressure. Exercise also reduces stress hormones and supports healthy weight management, contributing to better blood pressure control.

Find more tips in my post on lowering blood pressure naturally. 

Seek Personalized Support to Manage Your Blood Pressure

Getting your blood pressure under control is an essential piece of lowering your cardiovascular risk. Fortunately, it can be done with effective everyday lifestyle habits, including science-based nutrition. 

If you’re interested in 1:1 help with your blood pressure and heart health risk management, click here to learn about my counseling program. 

If group coaching is more your style, my Optimize program is designed to go beyond generic diet advice and tackle the whole picture with actionable, realistic steps. Through this program, you’ll gain access to an entire lecture on endothelial health, which targets lowering blood pressure through science-based nutrition. 

Want to chat about either of these? You can schedule a complementary 15-minute discovery call here. 

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