Can amino acid supplements lower blood pressure?
The Effects of Oral l-Arginine and l-Citrulline Supplementation on Blood Pressure
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
L-citrulline’s blood pressure-lowering effect is more variable than L-arginine’s, ranging from 4.1 to 7.54 mmHg systolic, depending on whether it came from pure supplements or watermelon extract.
People assume 'natural' sources like watermelon extract are better—but the data shows inconsistent results, suggesting formulation matters more than source.
Practical Takeaways
If you have high blood pressure, try 6–8g of L-citrulline daily for at least 6 weeks—preferably in capsule form, not watermelon juice.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
L-citrulline’s blood pressure-lowering effect is more variable than L-arginine’s, ranging from 4.1 to 7.54 mmHg systolic, depending on whether it came from pure supplements or watermelon extract.
People assume 'natural' sources like watermelon extract are better—but the data shows inconsistent results, suggesting formulation matters more than source.
Practical Takeaways
If you have high blood pressure, try 6–8g of L-citrulline daily for at least 6 weeks—preferably in capsule form, not watermelon juice.
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2019
Authors
David Khalaf, Marcus Krüger, M. Wehland, M. Infanger, D. Grimm
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Claims (6)
Taking L-arginine pills can raise the level of arginine in your blood, but that doesn’t always mean you’ll produce more nitric oxide or get better at exercising—sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn’t.
Taking L-arginine or L-citrulline supplements might help lower blood pressure by helping blood vessels relax better, but other things in the body can get in the way and make it less effective.
Taking L-citrulline supplements gives you more arginine in your blood than taking the same amount of L-arginine, because your body doesn’t break down L-citrulline as much when it’s digested, and taking 3 grams twice a day works better than the same dose of L-arginine.
Taking L-arginine pills every day for a few weeks to a few months might help lower your blood pressure a little—like how eating healthier foods (such as the DASH diet) does.
Taking L-citrulline pills or getting it from watermelon might help lower your blood pressure a little—especially if you already have high blood pressure and take it for at least six weeks.