Essential Oils for High Blood Pressure: Natural Remedies – Healthline

Essential oils and blood pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is common in American adults. Left untreated, it can result in heart attack and stroke.
Some believe taking essential oils can lower blood pressure that’s consistently high. A 2012 clinical study on aromatherapy’s effect on hypertension supports this notion. The study used a blend of lavender, ylang ylang, marjoram, and neroli essential oils.
Essential oils can be effective used alone or in combination with other oils. There is limited scientific research, however, on the effectiveness of essential oils for high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, consult your doctor before using essential oils as a natural treatment.
Here are 18 of the essential oils that are recommended by those who advocate their use for the treatment of high blood pressure.
Bergamot essential oil may lower heart rate and blood pressure.
Cedarwood essential oil can promote relaxation and temporarily decrease heart rate.
Citronella essential oil helps to ease stress. This in turn can lower blood pressure.
Clary sage essential oil can reduce anxiety levels and thus lower blood pressure.
Frankincense essential oil may reduce stress levels and regulate the heart.
Jasmine essential oil might ease a tense nervous system.
Helichrysum essential oil is believed to have hypotensive properties that act as a natural relaxant to reduce blood pressure.
Lavender essential oil has calming properties that may reduce anxiety and heart rate.
Lemon essential oil is believed to relieve stress and depression, and as such support lowering blood pressure naturally.
Lemon balm essential oil may decrease blood pressure while protecting against heart palpitations, tachycardia, and heart attacks.
Lime essential oil is said to have stress-reducing properties.
Neroli essential oil may have antihypertension properties.
The calming effect and anti-inflammatory characteristics of rose essential oil helps relax the entire body to increase blood circulation and lower high blood pressure.
Sage essential oil may promote weight loss through increasing the body’s metabolism. Weight loss has been shown to have a positive influence on lowering blood pressure.
Sweet marjoram essential oil may dilate blood vessels to lower high blood pressure.
Valerian essential oil may have powerful calming effects on the nervous system, which can:
Yarrow essential oil is considered one of the top oils for improving blood circulation.
Ylang ylang essential oil may help decrease levels of cortisol, known as the “stress hormone,” and thus lower blood pressure.
Essential oils can be used alone or mixed together. Those who advocate their use suggest a blend to maximize the power of various plants. Here are a few examples of blends believed to target high blood pressure.
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According to the National Cancer Institute, safety tests for essential oils have shown few risks or side effects when these oils are used as directed. The majority have been labeled GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Essential oils shouldn’t be ingested, only used diluted in a carrier oil for application on the skin (massage) or inhalation (aromatherapy).
If you’re considering any treatment or therapy, including the use of essential oils, it’s always a good idea to consult with your doctor beforehand.
Although there are some promising indications that essential oils could have health benefits, there isn’t enough definitive clinical evidence that essential oils offer a cure for high blood pressure. Consult with your doctor to see if essential oil treatments — such as aromatherapy or massage — would be a good complement to your current treatment for high blood pressure or other conditions.
Last medically reviewed on May 15, 2018
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Current Version
Nov 1, 2018
Written By
Scott Frothingham
Edited By
Elizabeth Donovan
May 15, 2018
Medically Reviewed By
Debra Rose Wilson, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT
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