Natural remedies for heart health
Direct answer
The best-supported options are soluble fibres, psyllium husk and oats, both rated 4 (strong) for modestly lowering LDL cholesterol by about 0.2 to 0.3 mmol/L (a blood-fat measure, not proof of fewer heart attacks). These are at best small add-ons and never a replacement for blood pressure, cholesterol or blood-thinning medicines. The caution that matters most is interactions with those medicines.
Next, at 3, come olive oil as part of a Mediterranean diet, argan oil eaten in place of butter and, for blood pressure, flavanol-rich cocoa, which lowers it by only about 2 mmHg (as does quercetin).
Two options have a trial showing fewer cardiovascular events. Olive oil has PREDIMED (hazard ratio 0.69), though it tested a whole diet, not the oil alone. Coenzyme Q10 has Q-SYMBIO (hazard ratio 0.50); it is rated 3 but only as an add-on in heart failure, where a systematic review calls the wider evidence weak.
Beetroot juice (2) lowered clinic blood pressure by about 4 to 5 mmHg but not on 24-hour monitors. Bergamot fruit extract (2) lowered LDL in small trials but with low to very low certainty. Sunflower oil used in place of saturated fat is rated Limited (2).
Cinnamon is also Limited (2), for total cholesterol and triglycerides, but with no clear LDL change. So is freeze-dried strawberry powder, for blood pressure and insulin markers, in small trials, some funded by strawberry industry groups.
Omega-3 lowers triglycerides but shows little or no effect on heart attacks and strokes. Coconut oil, though widely eaten for the heart, raises LDL rather than lowering it (rated 1, and the evidence points the wrong way). Diatomaceous earth has only one uncontrolled 19-person cholesterol study (rated 1).
Compare the options
Of the 26 remedies for heart health we have rated, 14 have Moderate or Strong evidence for this use (4 Strong). See our evidence report.
Click a column heading to sort.
| Rated for | Typical form & use | Main caution | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oats Avena sativa (grain) | Strong | Lowering LDL cholesterol (eaten) | Oat beta-glucan, 3 g+ a day (eaten) | Not a replacement for cholesterol medicines | 4+ weeks |
| Omega-3 Fish or algal oil (EPA and DHA) | Strong | Lowering triglycerides | EPA+DHA oil, up to 4 g daily | Higher doses linked to atrial fibrillation | 4+ weeks |
| Psyllium Plantago ovata (seed husk) | Strong | Lowering LDL cholesterol | Husk powder, about 10 g a day in water | Needs plenty of water; can cause choking or blockage | 4+ weeks |
| Red yeast rice Rice fermented with Monascus purpureus | Strong | Lowering LDL cholesterol | Capsule, 2–11 mg monacolin K in trials | Contains a statin; muscle, liver and kidney harm reported | 4+ weeks |
| Argan oil Argania spinosa (kernel oil) | Moderate | Blood cholesterol and lipids (eaten) | Virgin argan oil, 25 mL a day eaten | Don’t swap it for prescribed cholesterol treatment | 4+ weeks |
| Artichoke Cynara scolymus (leaf extract) | Moderate | Raised cholesterol | Leaf extract, 400–1,320 mg daily | Not for gallstones or bile-duct blockage | 4+ weeks |
| Berberine Plant alkaloid (barberry, goldenseal) | Moderate | Raised cholesterol and triglycerides | Berberine, 900–1,500 mg daily, split | Many drug interactions; never in pregnancy or for babies | 4+ weeks |
| Black seed oil Nigella sativa (seed oil) | Moderate | Cholesterol (total and LDL) | Seed oil capsules, 1–3 g daily | Adds to blood pressure medicines; check readings | 4+ weeks |
| Cocoa (powder and flavanols) Theobroma cacao (seed powder) | Moderate | Lowering blood pressure | Flavanol-rich cocoa, ~670 mg flavanols | Contains lead, cadmium and caffeine | 2 weeks |
| Coenzyme Q10 Ubiquinone / ubiquinol (body coenzyme) | Moderate | Chronic heart failure, add-on to standard care | Oral 100 mg three times a day (Q-SYMBIO) | Ask first if on warfarin; may alter its effect | 4+ weeks |
| Green Tea Extract Camellia sinensis (leaf extract) | Moderate | Cholesterol (total and LDL) | Catechin extract, taken with food | May weaken atorvastatin; rare liver injury | 4+ weeks |
| Olive oil Olea europaea (fruit oil) | Moderate | Heart health (as part of a Mediterranean diet) | Extra virgin olive oil in the diet | Trial tested a whole diet, not the oil alone | 4+ weeks |
| Quercetin Plant flavonoid (isolated compound) | Moderate | Lowering blood pressure | Capsule; BP trial dose not extracted | Can change how some medicines are absorbed | 4+ weeks |
| Spirulina Arthrospira platensis (blue-green algae) | Moderate | Cholesterol and triglycerides | Tablet, capsule or powder, 1–10 g daily | Product quality varies; may aggravate autoimmune disease | 4+ weeks |
| Beetroot (juice and powder) Beta vulgaris (root) | Limited | Blood pressure | Juice, 200–800 mg nitrate a day | High in oxalate if you form kidney stones | 2–3 days |
| Bergamot Citrus bergamia (peel oil, fruit) | Limited | Raised cholesterol (bergamot fruit extract, oral) | Fruit extract (BPF), 400–1,000 mg daily | Ask your prescriber first if you take a statin | 4+ weeks |
| Cinnamon Cinnamomum cassia / verum (bark, oil) | Limited | Cholesterol and triglycerides | Ground bark or capsule; dose varies | Cassia coumarin can harm the liver at high intake | 4+ weeks |
| Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba (leaf extract) | Limited | Leg pain on walking (claudication) | Standardised leaf extract, 240 mg/day | Raises bleeding concern; stop 3–4 days before surgery | 4+ weeks |
| Grape seed extract Vitis vinifera (seed) | Limited | Blood pressure | Seed extract, about 150–300 mg a day | Not a substitute for prescribed BP treatment | 4+ weeks |
| Hibiscus Hibiscus sabdariffa (calyces) | Limited | Lowering blood pressure | Tea from dried calyces, about 10 g a day | May add to blood pressure and diuretic drugs | 4+ weeks |
| Rooibos Aspalathus linearis (leaf, as tea) | Limited | Cholesterol and oxidative stress markers | Fermented tea, six cups a day | Rare liver injury case reports | 4+ weeks |
| Strawberry (fruit and extract) Fragaria x ananassa (fruit) | Limited | Blood pressure, insulin and cholesterol markers (eaten) | Freeze-dried powder, 26-50 g a day | Strawberry allergy or oral allergy syndrome | 4+ weeks |
| Sunflower oil Helianthus annuus (seed oil) | Limited | Heart health (as a cooking oil, in place of saturated fat) | Cooking oil replacing saturated fat | Benefit is from replacing saturated fat | 4+ weeks |
| Yerba mate Ilex paraguariensis (leaf) | Limited | Cholesterol | Tea or capsules, about 3 g leaf a day | Caffeine raises heart rate and blood pressure | 4+ weeks |
| Coconut oil Cocos nucifera (fruit oil) | Traditional | Heart health and cholesterol | Eaten as a cooking oil | Raises LDL cholesterol; ask your doctor first | 2 weeks |
| Diatomaceous earth Fossilised diatom silica (mineral) | Traditional | Lowering cholesterol | Food-grade powder, 250 mg 3x daily | Never inhale; never use pool-grade (calcined) DE | 2 weeks |
- Rated for
- Lowering LDL cholesterol (eaten)
- Form
- Oat beta-glucan, 3 g+ a day (eaten)
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Lowering triglycerides
- Form
- EPA+DHA oil, up to 4 g daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Lowering LDL cholesterol
- Form
- Husk powder, about 10 g a day in water
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Lowering LDL cholesterol
- Form
- Capsule, 2–11 mg monacolin K in trials
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Blood cholesterol and lipids (eaten)
- Form
- Virgin argan oil, 25 mL a day eaten
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Raised cholesterol
- Form
- Leaf extract, 400–1,320 mg daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Raised cholesterol and triglycerides
- Form
- Berberine, 900–1,500 mg daily, split
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Cholesterol (total and LDL)
- Form
- Seed oil capsules, 1–3 g daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Lowering blood pressure
- Form
- Flavanol-rich cocoa, ~670 mg flavanols
- Onset
- 2 weeks
- Rated for
- Chronic heart failure, add-on to standard care
- Form
- Oral 100 mg three times a day (Q-SYMBIO)
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Cholesterol (total and LDL)
- Form
- Catechin extract, taken with food
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Heart health (as part of a Mediterranean diet)
- Form
- Extra virgin olive oil in the diet
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Lowering blood pressure
- Form
- Capsule; BP trial dose not extracted
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Cholesterol and triglycerides
- Form
- Tablet, capsule or powder, 1–10 g daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Blood pressure
- Form
- Juice, 200–800 mg nitrate a day
- Onset
- 2–3 days
- Rated for
- Raised cholesterol (bergamot fruit extract, oral)
- Form
- Fruit extract (BPF), 400–1,000 mg daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Cholesterol and triglycerides
- Form
- Ground bark or capsule; dose varies
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Leg pain on walking (claudication)
- Form
- Standardised leaf extract, 240 mg/day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Blood pressure
- Form
- Seed extract, about 150–300 mg a day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Lowering blood pressure
- Form
- Tea from dried calyces, about 10 g a day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Cholesterol and oxidative stress markers
- Form
- Fermented tea, six cups a day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Blood pressure, insulin and cholesterol markers (eaten)
- Form
- Freeze-dried powder, 26-50 g a day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Heart health (as a cooking oil, in place of saturated fat)
- Form
- Cooking oil replacing saturated fat
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Cholesterol
- Form
- Tea or capsules, about 3 g leaf a day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Heart health and cholesterol
- Form
- Eaten as a cooking oil
- Onset
- 2 weeks
- Rated for
- Lowering cholesterol
- Form
- Food-grade powder, 250 mg 3x daily
- Onset
- 2 weeks
Quick picks
Rated 4 for lowering LDL cholesterol: a meta-analysis of 28 trials (1,924 people) found about 10 g a day lowered LDL by 0.33 mmol/L. The EU regulator notes there are no data on heart attacks or deaths, and it must be taken with plenty of fluid.
Gentlest optionOatsRated 4 for lowering LDL cholesterol when eaten: 3 g or more of oat beta-glucan a day lowered LDL by 0.25 mmol/L in a meta-analysis of 28 trials. It is a food, the effect is modest, and the entry calls it not a replacement for lipid-lowering medicines.
Traditional favouriteHibiscusRated 2 for blood pressure: the Cochrane review found only one eligible trial and no clear effect, and small trials in other reviews are inconsistent. It is a widely drunk tea, but no one has properly tested it with blood pressure tablets.
Key facts about heart health
- Over 8 million people in the UK are estimated to be living with cardiovascular disease, which causes around a quarter (26 per cent) of all UK deaths: around 170,000 a year, or one every three minutes.9
- An estimated 30 per cent of UK adults, around 16 million, have high blood pressure, and up to 5 million could be undiagnosed. Up to half of those with it are not receiving effective treatment.9
- Around half of UK adults are estimated to have cholesterol above national guidelines (total cholesterol above 5 mmol/L), and high LDL cholesterol is linked to around 1 in 5 cardiovascular deaths.9
- Nearly half of US adults (48.1%, 119.9 million) have high blood pressure, and only about 1 in 4 of them has it under control. It is more common in men (50%) than in women (42.1%).10
- In the US, high blood pressure was a primary or contributing cause of 680,179 deaths in 2024, and its annual costs were an estimated $219 billion in 2019.10
- An estimated 1.4 billion adults aged 30–79 worldwide had high blood pressure in 2024, and about 600 million of them (44%) did not know they had it. Only 23% had it under control.11
- High blood pressure does not usually cause symptoms, so many people have it without realising. In the UK, adults aged 40 or over who have not had a check for more than 5 years should get one at a pharmacy or GP surgery.12
Talk to a doctor first if…
Who should avoid
- Prescribed blood pressure, cholesterol or blood-thinning medicines: do not use these remedies to replace them.
- Diatomaceous earth: pool-filter grade must never be swallowed or its dust breathed in.
- High LDL cholesterol or heart disease: ask your doctor before eating coconut oil.
- Warfarin, insulin or cancer treatment: ask first about coenzyme Q10.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding: ask first about coenzyme Q10 (no safety data).
- Atrial fibrillation or other rhythm problems: ask first about omega-3.
- A history of nut or plant-oil allergy: avoid argan oil (contact allergy and one case of anaphylaxis are reported).
- Gallstones, bile-duct blockage or liver disease: avoid artichoke.
- Liver disease or unexplained abnormal liver tests: avoid green tea extract and rooibos.
- Liver disease or large daily amounts: cassia cinnamon is best avoided (its coumarin can harm the liver; about 2 g a day of cassia reaches the limit for a 60 kg adult).
- A history of calcium oxalate kidney stones: avoid beetroot juice or powder.
- Swallowing difficulty or a bowel blockage: psyllium is unsuitable.
- Low blood pressure: hibiscus may lower it further.
- Strawberry allergy or oral allergy syndrome: strawberry powder is unsuitable.
- High blood pressure or heart rhythm problems: yerba mate’s caffeine matters.
- Cocoa: it also carries caffeine, lead and cadmium.
Known interactions
- Ginkgo and anticoagulants or antiplatelets: ginkgo may increase bleeding risk (rated 2, caution).
- Green tea extract and atorvastatin or nadolol: it can lower blood levels of atorvastatin and, at high doses, of the beta-blocker nadolol (rated 2, caution).
- Coenzyme Q10 and warfarin: it may weaken warfarin (case reports, though one small 4-week trial found no change in INR; rated 2, caution).
- Coenzyme Q10 and insulin or cancer treatment: it may interact with insulin and some cancer treatments (rated 2, caution).
- Coenzyme Q10 and blood pressure medicines: it can add slightly to them.
- Hibiscus and blood pressure drugs or diuretics: hibiscus may add to them, though the interaction is unestablished.
- Bergamot extract and rosuvastatin: bergamot added to rosuvastatin’s cholesterol lowering in one small open-label trial.
- Omega-3, psyllium and blood thinners: both have severity 1 blood-thinner notes.
- Psyllium and digoxin: psyllium can delay absorption of digoxin.
- Cinnamon and statins: one case report links cinnamon supplements taken with a statin to acute hepatitis (severity 1; a single case does not prove cause).
- Any of these with your medicines: ask your prescriber or pharmacist before combining them.
- Olive oil, argan oil, cocoa, beetroot, strawberry and diatomaceous earth: these entries list no interactions.
Before you reach for an ingredient
Diet changes that lower blood pressure have larger trial evidence than any supplement here, and they work alongside medication rather than instead of it.
- Cutting salt: a 2013 systematic review of 34 trials (3,230 people) found that reducing salt by about 4.4 g a day for four weeks or more lowered blood pressure by 4.18/2.06 mmHg overall, and by 5.39/2.82 mmHg in people with hypertension.1
- The DASH eating pattern: a meta-analysis of 30 trials (5,545 people) found it lowered blood pressure by 3.2/2.5 mmHg compared with a control diet, in people with and without hypertension, with moderate-certainty evidence.2
Questions people ask
What supplements actually lower cholesterol or blood pressure?
For cholesterol, soluble fibre has the best evidence: psyllium lowered LDL by about 0.33 mmol/L and oat beta-glucan by about 0.25 mmol/L in meta-analyses (both rated 4).
Eaten argan oil (about 12 mg/dL lower LDL in small trials, mostly against butter), artichoke leaf extract, green tea extract and spirulina lower it by smaller, less certain amounts (rated 3), and bergamot fruit extract is rated 2 because its meta-analyses are low to very low certainty.
For blood pressure, flavanol-rich cocoa lowered it by about 2 mmHg in a Cochrane review (rated 3) and beetroot juice by about 4 to 5 mmHg in clinic readings only (rated 2).
Cinnamon lowered total cholesterol by about 14 mg/dL and triglycerides by about 24 mg/dL without a significant LDL change, and strawberry powder lowered systolic pressure in small trials, some industry-funded (both rated 2). None replaces prescribed treatment.
Does fish oil protect the heart?
It reliably lowers triglycerides (rated 4), but a Cochrane review of 86 trials found little or no effect on deaths, heart attacks or stroke (rated 2). Higher doses were linked to a greater risk of atrial fibrillation, so ask your doctor first if you have a rhythm problem.
Is olive oil good for your heart?
As part of a Mediterranean diet, probably yes (rated 3): in PREDIMED, 7,447 high-risk adults given a Mediterranean diet with free extra virgin olive oil had a hazard ratio of 0.69 (95% CI 0.53 to 0.91) for major cardiovascular events over about 4.8 years.
The result is from a re-analysis after the original 2013 report was withdrawn for randomisation errors, and the trial tested the whole diet, so the benefit cannot be credited to the oil alone. Argan oil lowered LDL in small trials but has not been shown to beat olive oil.
Is coconut oil good for your heart or cholesterol?
No. A meta-analysis of 16 trials found coconut oil raised LDL cholesterol by 10.5 mg/dL (95% CI 3.0 to 17.9) and HDL by 4.0 mg/dL compared with non-tropical vegetable oils.
The American Heart Association advises replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat, and WHO says under 10% of energy should come from saturated fat. It is in this hub so you see the honest answer, not because it helps.
Sources (12)
- Systematic review He FJ, Li J, Macgregor GA. Effect of longer term modest salt reduction on blood pressure: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials. BMJ. 2013.
- Meta-analysis Filippou CD, Tsioufis CP, Thomopoulos CG, et al. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet and Blood Pressure Reduction in Adults with and without Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Adv Nutr. 2020.
- Systematic review Jovanovski E, Yashpal S, Komishon A, et al. Effect of psyllium (Plantago ovata) fiber on LDL cholesterol and alternative lipid targets, non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018.
- Meta-analysis Whitehead A, Beck EJ, Tosh S, Wolever TM. Cholesterol-lowering effects of oat beta-glucan: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014.
- Systematic review Abdelhamid AS, Brown TJ, Brainard JS, et al. Omega-3 fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020.
- Randomised trial Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvado J, et al. Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts. N Engl J Med. 2018.
- Cochrane review Ried K, Fakler P, Stocks NP. Effect of cocoa on blood pressure. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017.
- Randomised controlled trial Mortensen SA, Rosenfeldt F, Kumar A, et al. The effect of coenzyme Q10 on morbidity and mortality in chronic heart failure: results from Q-SYMBIO: a randomized double-blind trial. JACC Heart Fail. 2014.
- Charity statistics British Heart Foundation. UK Cardiovascular Disease Factsheet. July 2026.
- Government statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High Blood Pressure Facts. cdc.gov (updated 2 June 2026).
- Health agency fact sheet World Health Organization. Hypertension (fact sheet). 2025.
- Health service guidance NHS. High blood pressure. nhs.uk (page last reviewed 19 July 2024).
Reviewed by Healthy and Herbal editors · 10 October 2026 · Next review April 2027
Reader notes
Experiences and questions from readers, read by an editor before they appear. They are personal accounts, not evidence, and are not medical advice.