Supplements · Metabolic & Cardiometabolic
olive oil decreases blood pressure
In plain terms: Does olive oil lower blood pressure?
Part of: • Olive oil
Only a little, and only sometimes. High-polyphenol olive oil (or the whole Mediterranean diet) can nudge the top blood-pressure number down a few points, but several strong trials find no real effect from olive oil alone. Don't expect it to replace blood-pressure treatment.
📅 Last reviewed: 2026-07-15 ⓘ
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: All trials, pooled (Meta-analysis)
How the studies fall
What the evidence shows
The blood-pressure evidence is mixed and phenolic-dependent. Trials using high-polyphenol olive oil (or the whole Mediterranean diet) tend to show a small drop in systolic pressure — a few mmHg — but several well-powered meta-analyses of olive oil as a food find no significant effect on blood pressure at all, and some head-to-head trials show none.
The evidence (16)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhou C, Li Y, Huang M, Bai M, Xing Y 2026 · Front Nutr | meta-analysis | tested-null | moderate | Meta-analysis of RCTs and prospective cohorts in nondialysis CKD, Mediterranean diet vs control (10 studies/1073 patients per prior extract). Blood pressure is reported only for the whole Mediterranean diet: SBP MD -2.69 mmHg (95% CI -5.83 to 0.44; p=0.09), DBP -1.31 (-3.32 to 0.70; p=0.20). The phenolic-EVOO subgroup split is reported for eGFR, albumin and CRP, not for blood pressure, so no olive-oil-specific blood-pressure estimate exists. |
| Kourek C, Makaris E, Benetou V, Magiatis P, Zouganeli V, Dimopoulos S, Georgiopoulos G, Briasoulis A, Paraskevaidis I, Melliou E, Orfanos P 2025 · Nutrients | observational | supports | low | Post hoc, n=70 (50 hyperlipidemic+20 controls), 4wk EVOO daily. DBP decreased significantly (p=0.007); SBP reduction significant only in high-phenolic-low-dose subgroup (p=0.049), not low-phenolic-high-dose. |
| Morvaridzadeh M, Cohen AA, Heshmati J, Alami M, Berrougui H, Zoubdane N, Pizarro AB, Khalil A 2023 · Pharmacol Res | meta-analysis | contradicts | high | Meta 33 RCTs (2,020): EVOO no significant BP effect (did lower insulin/HOMA-IR). |
| Schwingshackl L, Krause M, Schmucker C, Hoffmann G, Rücker G, Meerpohl JJ 2019 · Nutrients | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | Network meta 13 RCTs: high/low-phenolic EVOO lowered SBP ~2.9 mmHg vs refined; no DBP difference. |
| Ferrara LA, Raimondi AS, d'Episcopo L, Guida L, Dello Russo A, Marotta T 2000 · Arch Intern Med | RCT | supports | low | Crossover RCT (23 hypertensives): EVOO diet lowered BP vs PUFA; cut antihypertensive dose 48%. |
| Morris EA, McBride CA, Roberts L, Psoinos R, Skelly J, Mandalà M, Bernstein IM 2026 · Pregnancy Hypertens | RCT | contradicts | low | Double-blind RCT, healthy nulliparous women, 40 g/d high-phenol EVOO vs 40 g/d sunflower oil x 8 wk, 27 completers (12 vs 15): 'No differences in blood pressure were observed, though EVOO was associated with a lower blood pressure response to volume challenge'. Resting-BP null on the directional claim -> contradicts; underpowered, no estimate or CI in the abstract. The volume-challenge response is a reactivity measure, not BP level. |
| Keshani M, Sadeghi N, Tehrani SD, Ahmadi AR, Sharma M 2024 · Front Nutr | meta-analysis | contradicts | moderate | Meta 18 RCTs: MedDiet+olive oil no significant BP effect; only triglycerides reduced (whole-Med). |
| George ES, Marshall S, Mayr HL, Trakman GL, Tatucu-Babet OA, Lassemillante AM, Bramley A, Reddy AJ, Forsyth A, Tierney AC, Thomas CJ, Itsiopoulos C, Marx W 2019 · Ageing Res Rev | meta-analysis | mixed | moderate | SR+meta 26 studies: high-vs-low-polyphenol olive oil improved lipids/oxLDL; BP only in subgroups. |
| McNabb TB, Young I, Newman RG, Skinner RC, Benedito VA, Tou JC 2024 · Nutrients | meta-analysis | contradicts | high | Meta 17 RCTs: no significant effect of olive/flaxseed oil on SBP or DBP. |
| Rees K, Takeda A, Martin N, Ellis L, Wijesekara D, Vepa A, Das A, Hartley L, Stranges S 2019 · Cochrane Database Syst Rev | meta-analysis | supports | high | Cochrane comparison 1 (Med diet vs no/minimal intervention): 'moderate-quality evidence for a reduction in systolic (-2.99 mmHg (95% CI -3.45 to -2.53) and diastolic blood pressure (-2.0 mmHg, 95% CI -2.29 to -1.71)'. Whole-diet contrast; diet defined by 'olive oil as main cooking ingredient and/or ... tree nuts'; no olive-oil arm. |
| Hohmann CD, Cramer H, Michalsen A, Kessler C, Steckhan N, Choi K, Dobos G 2015 · Phytomedicine | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | Meta-analysis of 8 crossover RCTs (355 subjects), high- vs low-phenolic olive oil; the BP estimate comes from a subset of n = 69: 'medium effects for lowering systolic blood pressure (n = 69; SMD -0.52; CI -0.77/-0.27; p < 0.01)'; diastolic null (n = 69; SMD -0.20; CI -1.01/0.62). Authors: 'The small number of studies/participants limits this review.' Tests phenolic content, olive oil in both arms. |
| Pourrajab B, Mirdar Harijani A, Asghari P, Shidfar F 2025 · Clin Nutr ESPEN | meta-analysis | mixed | moderate | Meta 21 trials: olive oil vs nuts no DBP difference; olive oil slightly higher SBP than nuts (comparative). |
| Frumuzachi O, Kieserling H, Rohn S, Mocan A 2025 · Nutrients | meta-analysis | tested-null | moderate | Meta 14 studies: olive-oil phenolics lowered TC/TG/insulin; BP not moved in pooled estimate. |
| Samoutis G, Kyriakides TC, Demetriou N, Poulianiti E, Samouti G, Samouti S, Diamantakos P, Melliou E, Magiatis P 2026 · Clinical nutrition ESPEN | RCT | supports | moderate | n=102 metabolic syndrome, 10mg/d olive-oil-phenol extract (80% oleocanthal/oleacein), 12wk. SBP -7.66 mmHg vs placebo, p=0.004. |
| Lauwers S, Breynaert A, Verlaet A, Fransen E, Bringmans T, Roth L, Tuenter E, Bosmans J, Hermans N 2026 · PloS one | RCT | tested-null | moderate | n=56, standardized olive extract (123.5mg oleuropein+25mg hydroxytyrosol/d), 8wk. SBP: -8.3±2.2 vs placebo -7.3±2.2 mmHg, NOT significantly different between groups. |
| Toledo E, Hu FB, Estruch R, Buil-Cosiales P, Corella D, Salas-Salvadó J, Covas MI, Arós F, Gómez-Gracia E, Fiol M, Lapetra J, Serra-Majem L, Pinto X, Lamuela-Raventós RM, Saez G, Bulló M, Ruiz-Gutiérrez V, Ros E, Sorli JV, Martinez-Gonzalez MA 2013 · BMC Med | RCT | mixed | moderate | PREDIMED (7,447): MedDiet+EVOO DBP -1.53 mmHg vs control; no SBP difference. |
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