Ayurveda for High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol: Evidence and Safety
What reviews and trials found for Ayurvedic herbs, guggul, triphala and shirodhara in high blood pressure and cholesterol, with conflicting results explained and safety notes.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Get checked and keep your medicines
High blood pressure usually causes no symptoms; the only way to find out is to have it measured. [1] High blood pressure can lead to serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes, and the NHS says lifestyle changes and blood pressure medicines can help. [1] High cholesterol also does not usually cause symptoms and is found by a blood test; some people need medicine as well as healthy eating and exercise. [2] Call emergency services (999 in the UK, 911 in the US) for sudden chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to the arm, neck or jaw, or chest pain with sweating or breathlessness, as these can be signs of a heart attack. [1]Do not stop or change a blood pressure or cholesterol medicine because of an Ayurvedic product. Tell your clinician and pharmacist what you use. [3]
Blood pressure
| Intervention | What the source found | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Ayurvedic interventions overall (2025 meta-analysis: 44 studies, 10 randomized trials with 524 people) | Compared with placebo (118 people), the drop in systolic pressure of 2.6 mmHg was not statistically significant. Compared with standard blood pressure drugs (396 people), differences were also not significant. Variation between trials was very high. [4] | Insufficient evidence |
| Shirodhara added to Ayurvedic medicine (2025 meta-analysis of three trials, 100 people) | Diastolic pressure fell slightly (about 0.4 mmHg), which the authors say has low clinical value; the effect on systolic pressure was unclear. [5] | Insufficient evidence |
| Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna) bark, added to usual blood pressure medicine | A 2026 triple-blind trial of 44 people with stage 1 hypertension, all also taking telmisartan, reported larger blood pressure drops than placebo over 28 days. [6] A 2012 review of arjuna says many clinical studies are poor in design and safety reporting and that extracts lack standardization. [7] | Promising but limited (one small, short trial) |
The 2025 review included single herbs, herb-and-mineral formulations and panchakarma therapies, so it cannot say which single product works. [4] Its authors conclude Ayurvedic interventions did not significantly lower blood pressure versus conventional treatment, though they may offer benefits with good safety, and they call for better multicenter trials. [4] A "not significant" result against standard drugs does not show the two work equally; trials may be too small or varied to detect a difference.
The NHS lists a high-salt diet, being overweight, smoking and drinking too much alcohol as things that raise the chance of high blood pressure. [1] For general relaxation approaches, see movement, yoga and tai chi for stress.
Cholesterol
| Intervention | What the source found | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Ayurvedic herbs overall (2021 meta-analysis: 32 studies, 1,386 people) | Randomized trials of three herbs. Guggul lowered total cholesterol by about 17 mg/dL and LDL by about 19 mg/dL; garlic lowered LDL by about 10 mg/dL; black cumin lowered total cholesterol by about 9 mg/dL. The authors rate the evidence as moderate to high and report minimal side effects. [8] | Promising but limited |
| Guggul in a US trial (103 adults, 8 weeks) | LDL cholesterol rose by 4 to 5 percent in the guggul groups while it fell 5 percent on placebo; six guggul users developed a rash. [9] | No good evidence of benefit (in that trial) |
| Guggul in a Norwegian trial (43 adults, 12 weeks) | Total cholesterol and HDL fell compared with placebo, but LDL and triglycerides did not change significantly; more guggul users reported side effects including stomach upset, a rash and possible thyroid problems. [10] | Mixed |
| Triphala (review of 12 trials) | Six studies showed lower LDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides; the authors say larger well-designed trials are needed. [11] | Promising but limited |
| Amla (Indian gooseberry) (meta-analysis of 5 trials) | Pooled results showed lower LDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides and higher HDL; authors call for more studies. [12] | Promising but limited |
Why do the guggul results conflict? The abstracts do not say. The 2021 meta-analysis pooled many trials of guggul in combination or alone, while the US and Norwegian trials each tested one product in a modest number of people and gave different answers from each other. [8] [9] [10] Overall, we rate guggul as unproven for lowering LDL cholesterol. See guggul and guggulu formulations.
Safety and quality
- Guggul trials reported rash and stomach upset, and the Norwegian trial reported two people with possible thyroid problems. [10] [9]
- Some Ayurvedic products contain toxic levels of lead, mercury or arsenic. [3] See heavy metals and product quality.
- Ashwagandha might interact with medicines for high blood pressure and with sedatives. [13]
- Ask your clinician or pharmacist before combining any herb with a statin, a blood pressure drug or a blood thinner. See how interactions work.
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
Can Ayurveda lower blood pressure?
A 2025 meta-analysis found no statistically significant drop compared with placebo or with standard drugs, with very high variation between trials. [4]
Does guggul lower cholesterol?
Results conflict: a 2021 meta-analysis reported lower LDL, while a US trial found LDL rose with guggul. [8] [9]
Can triphala or amla lower cholesterol?
Reviews report lower cholesterol in some trials of each, but call for larger, better trials. [11] [12]
Can I stop my statin and try Ayurveda?
No. Talk to your clinician before changing any medicine; the NHS says some people need medicine as well as lifestyle changes. [2]
Does Shirodhara help blood pressure?
A small meta-analysis found a tiny diastolic drop of low clinical value and an unclear effect on systolic pressure. [5]
References
- NHS, High blood pressure (hypertension) Read 2026-10-22.
- NHS, High cholesterol Read 2026-10-22.
- NCCIH, Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth Read 2026-10-22.
- Deshmukh et al., Effectiveness and safety of Ayurvedic intervention in essential hypertension, systematic review with meta-analysis, Front Pharmacol 2025 (PubMed) Read 2026-10-22.
- Khapre et al., The effect of Shirodhara on essential hypertension, systematic review and meta-analysis, J Educ Health Promot 2025 (PubMed) Read 2026-10-22.
- Nazir et al., Efficacy of Terminalia arjuna in essential hypertension, randomized controlled study, Explore 2026 (PubMed) Read 2026-10-22.
- Maulik and Talwar, Therapeutic potential of Terminalia arjuna in cardiovascular disorders, Am J Cardiovasc Drugs 2012 (PubMed) Read 2026-10-22.
- Gyawali et al., Ayurvedic herbal preparations for hypercholesterolemia, systematic review and meta-analysis, Medicina 2021 (PubMed) Read 2026-10-22.
- Szapary et al., Guggulipid for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, randomized controlled trial, JAMA 2003 (PubMed) Read 2026-10-22.
- Nohr et al., Guggul for treating hypercholesterolemia, randomized controlled study, Complement Ther Med 2009 (PubMed) Read 2026-10-22.
- Phimarn et al., Effects of triphala on lipid and glucose profiles and anthropometric parameters, systematic review, J Evid Based Integr Med 2021 (PubMed) Read 2026-10-22.
- Setayesh et al., Impact of Emblica officinalis (amla) on lipid profile, glucose and CRP, systematic review and meta-analysis, Diabetes Metab Syndr 2023 (PubMed) Read 2026-10-22.
- NCCIH, Ashwagandha Read 2026-10-22.