Your blood pressure might be higher than you think. These 7 Fruits Can Help Bring It Down, Experts Say

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• Dietitians explain what’s in fruit and why it might help reduce this health marker.

• Here is a list of the seven most effective fruits for blood pressure.

High blood pressure can creep up on you, causing symptoms like chest pain, headaches, and dizziness. And because this disease is linked to more serious health complications like heart attacks and strokes, it’s important to stay on top of your numbers.

Managing blood pressure is complex and usually involves many lifestyle changes, including adjusting your exercise routine, changing your diet, and even taking medications. But when it comes to dietary adjustments, consuming fewer packaged and ultra-processed foods and “replacing them with whole foods and antioxidant-rich foods like fruit can be helpful,” says Jessica Cording, RD, author of The little book that changes the game.

Meet the experts: Scott Keatley, RD, is co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. Jessica Cording, RD, is the author of The little book that changes the game. Keri Gans, RDN, is a registered dietitian and host of The Keri Report podcast.

There is also research to support these claims: a 2022 study in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension monitored their blood pressure at home in more than 2,200 participants aged 50 to 65. They self-reported how often they ate bananas, apples, pears, and citrus fruits (response options were: not every week, once or twice a week, three to four times a week, and at least five times a week), and those who ate these fruits more frequently had significantly lower home systolic blood pressure.

Ahead, dietitians break down the best fruits that can help lower your blood pressure and add them to your plate regularly.

Bananas

The big appeal of bananas is their potassium content; A medium-sized banana provides about 375 milligrams of potassium, according to the USDA, helping you meet your daily goal of 2,600 milligrams of the nutrient, according to the NIH.

Why is this important? Potassium “balances sodium in the body and relaxes blood vessel walls, directly lowering (arterial) pressure,” says Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. It’s important to have some sodium in the body, but too much will cause your body to retain water, according to Harvard Health. When this happens, the amount of fluid in your blood vessels increases, leading to an increase in blood pressure.

Blueberries

Blueberries contain anthocyanins, which are plant compounds that improve blood vessel flexibility and support nitric oxide production, says Keri Gans, RDN, registered dietitian and host of The Keri Report podcast. Nitric oxide helps relax the smooth muscles in blood vessels, helping them dilate so blood can flow more freely, thereby reducing blood pressure, she explains.

Kiwi

This green fruit is packed with vitamin C: 59 milligrams, to be exact. (That’s more than half the recommended daily goal for women, which is 75 milligrams, according to the Mayo Clinic.) Vitamin C “enhances the availability of nitric oxide,” says Keatley. Again, nitric oxide helps relax the smooth muscles in your blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure. It also helps relax blood vessels, making blood flow easier and thereby reducing blood pressure.

Grapefruit

Like kiwi, grapefruit is rich in vitamin C, as half of a grapefruit contains 39 milligrams of the nutrient, according to the USDA. “The compounds (like vitamin C and potassium) in grapefruit can improve the elasticity of blood vessels and reduce oxidative stress, which helps the circulatory system work more efficiently and lowers blood pressure,” says Keatley.

Grapes

Grapes are loaded with polyphenols, which are natural chemical compounds found in plants, says Cording. These support the elasticity of your blood vessels and reduce oxidative stress in the body, thereby reducing the risk of inflammation, which is also a risk factor for high blood pressure, adds Gans.

Watermelon

Watermelon contains an amino acid called L-citrulline. It stimulates the production of nitric acid in your body, helping to widen those blood vessels and lower your blood pressure, says Keatley.

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Like bananas, avocados contain a dose of potassium (576 milligrams in 100 grams, or 3/4 cup, according to the USDA) to help manage blood pressure, says Keatley. They can also help with weight management thanks to the fact that they contain healthy fats that will keep you full and satisfied – and which can indirectly help reduce blood pressure, he says.

Remember: high blood pressure is complex, and eating more fruit alone is unlikely to lower it. However, eating more nutritiously can support your other efforts to reduce it. If you have high blood pressure, it’s important to work closely with your doctor to develop a comprehensive plan that will help you turn things around.

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