2022 Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products
Consumption of broccoli sprouts significantly lowers blood pressure, potentially due to properties of sulforaphane.
Acupuncture for High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure (hypertension) and cardiovascular disease has become the most important preventable risk factor for premature deaths worldwide. A normal blood pressure level is around 120/80 mmHg.
Having a high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attacks, stroke, congestive heart failure, kidney failure and erectile dysfunction. More than 90% of high blood pressure cases are categorised as "primary hypertension" which means there is no clear diagnosable cause according to western medicine.
Studies have shown that both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine may be beneficial as an adjunct therapy for high blood pressure.
What does the research say?
The following insights are obtained from systematic reviews and analysis of clinical trials investigating the efficacy of Chinese medicine and acupuncture for high blood pressure.
2020 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The study shows the promising potential of Suan Zao Ren as a multi-effect traditional Chinese medicine derived from the seeds of Ziziphus Jujuba.
2020 European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
The literature overall supports an inverse association between green tea and cardiovascular disease-related health outcomes, while the included meta-analyses generally suggested an inverse association between green tea and BMI-related and blood pressure outcomes.
2019 Journal of Sleep Research
Acupuncture therapy does not impact the severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, blood pressure, or quality of life in hypertensive patients.
2019 Frontiers in Pharmacology
Pu-erh tea's ability to lower blood pressure is primarily due to theabrownins and caffeine, which cause vasodilation irrespective of the endothelium.
2019 International Journal of Hypertension
Acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy has antihypertensive effect.
2017 Maturitas
Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have various health benefits for postmenopausal women including reducing triglycerides and improving depression and psychotic symptoms.
2015 PLOS One
There is evidence of efficacy of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy to western medicine for treating hypertension.
2014 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Acupuncture significantly lowers blood pressure in patients taking antihypertensive medications.
Seek personalised healthcare and advice
Although well-conducted clinical research can help members of the public to make better-informed decisions about their healthcare, we cannot claim that any particular treatment may be effective for any individual person.
When you consult with our Chinese medicine practitioners, you’ll receive personalised advice and treatment based on your symptoms and Chinese medicine diagnosis.
Research papers
Browse our collection of scientific clinical research on acupuncture for high blood pressure.
It includes recent and reputable papers published by peer-reviewed journals within the last 10 years.
2022, Oct 18
Beneficial Effects of Sulforaphane-Yielding Broccoli Sprout on Cardiometabolic Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products
The study concludes that the dietary intake of broccoli sprouts significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and showed marginal changes in blood lipid biomarkers, confirming the hypotensive properties and potential sulforaphane-dependent effects of broccoli sprouts.
Houshialsadat Z, Mirmiran P, Zare-Javid A, Bahadoran Z, Houghton C Full Article
2020, Jul 10
Botanical and Traditional Uses and Phytochemical, Pharmacological, Pharmacokinetic, and Toxicological Characteristics of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen: A Review
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
This article reflected the chemical components of red date with its high efficacy to produce antioxidant effects. Therefore suggests it to be highly effective in improving learning and memory, anti-inflammation, blood pressure and lipid lowering, antiaging, and even antitumor.
Su-Rong He, Chong-Bo Zhao, Jing-Xia Zhang, Jing Wang, Bo Wu, Chun-Jie Wu, Full Article
2020, Aug 20
Green tea and cancer and cardiometabolic diseases: a review of the current epidemiological evidence
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
The review highlighted the benefits of green tea for cardiovascular disease, particularly stroke. It also found increased advantages in studies with certain cancers such as endometrial, esophageal, lung, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, oral, and ovarian cancer. Furthermore, green tea is also evident in reducing blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases.
Abe SK, Inoue M Full Article
2019, Dec 23
Effects of acupuncture on obstructive sleep apnea severity, blood pressure control and quality of life in patients with hypertension: A randomized controlled trial
Journal of Sleep Research
A short course of acupuncture in hypertensive patients under effective antihypertensive treatment with mild to moderate OSA did not reduce OSA severity, or daytime or nocturnal BP, and did not improve quality of life.
Silva MVFP, Lustosa TC, Arai VJ, Couto Patriota TLG, Lira MPF, Linsâ€Filho OL, Chalegre ST, B.B.A.S. K, Secundo IV, Pedrosa RP Full Article
2019, Nov 28
Pu-Erh Tea Relaxes the Thoracic Aorta of Rats by Reducing Intracellular Calcium
Frontiers in Pharmacology
In conclusion, theabrownins and caffeine should be the two main active components in pu-erh tea. Pu-erh aqueous extract vasodilated arteries in an endothelium-independent manner, which might partly be attributed to the decrease in extracellular Ca2+ influx. Moreover, our study provided data on the potential mechanism of the hypotensive actions of pu-erh tea, which might improve our understanding of the effect of pu-erh tea on the prevention and treatment of hypertension.
Luo Dan, Chen Xuejiao, Zhu Xu, Liu Shuang, Li Jie, Xu Jianping, Zhao Jinhua, Ji Xu Full Article
2019, Mar 7
The Mechanism of Acupuncture in Treating Essential Hypertension: A Narrative Review
International Journal of Hypertension
Acupuncture can significantly improve cardiac hypertrophy and the thickness of the aortic wall in order to prevent new vascular remodeling .The latest clinical study unveils the cardioprotective effects of acupuncture through improving wave reflection (augmentation index, AIx) and arterial stiffness in hypertensive patient. Therefore, acupuncture is highly essential in treating hypertension
Juan Li ,1 Mingsheng Sun ,2 Jing Ye,2 Yuxi Li ,2 Rongjiang Jin ,1 Hui Zheng ,2 and Fanrong Liang 2 Full Article
2017, Sept
Recommendations of the Spanish Menopause Society on the consumption of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids by postmenopausal women
Maturitas European Menopause and Andropause Society
The study concluded that LCO3-PUFAs have various beneficial effects in postmenopausal women, including a decrease in triglycerides, antiarrhythmic effects, reduction in blood pressure, improvement in depressive and psychotic symptoms, and no increased risk of cancer.
Sánchez-Borrego R, von Schacky C, Osorio MJA, Llaneza P, Pinto X, Losa F, Navarro MC, Lubián D, Mendoza N Full Article
2015, Jul 24
Is Acupuncture Effective for Hypertension? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
PLOS One Public Library of Science
Our meta-analysis suggested that acupuncture plus western medicine had a more significant effect on both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure change magnitude than sham acupuncture plus medication, which indicated that acupuncture has an add-on effect for western medicine.
Zhao XF, Hu HT, Li JS, Shang HC, Zheng HZ, Niu JF, et al Full Article
2014, Mar 4
Acupuncture for Essential Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Sham-Controlled Clinical Trials
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The study is consistent with acupuncture significantly lowers blood pressure in patients taking antihypertensive medications. Results from this meta-analysis of randomized sham-controlled trials provide evidence that acupuncture helped (lowered) BP in patients taking antihypertensive medications.
Li DZ, Zhou Y, Yang YN, Ma YT, Li XM, Yu J, et al. Full Article
It is by virtue of the twelve channels that human life exists, that disease arises, that human beings can be treated and illness cured. The twelve channels are where beginners start and masters end.