By Lindsey DeSoto, RD, LD 

 Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD

Your heart rate, also known as your pulse, is the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Your resting heart rate is defined as the number of times your heart beats per minute when you are calm and relaxed.1

A normal resting heart rate (or RHR) is usually between 60 and 100 beats per minute. A lower resting heart rate is typically associated with better fitness and suggests your heart muscles are in good condition to easily keep a regular beat.1

In contrast, a higher resting heart rate is associated with high blood pressure, increased risk of diabetes, and mortality.2

Exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, breathing exercises, and certain foods and drinks can help lower your heart rate if it's too high. 

This article will discuss the best beverages to drink to help your overall heart health.

PeopleImages / Getty Images

Drinks for Heart Health

Studies show that certain beverages may lower your heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol, and improve your overall heart health. Below, we look at 10 drinks to incorporate into your diet for overall heart health.

Tea

Tea is chock-full of heart-healthy compounds like catechins and polyphenols that can work to fight inflammation. One study followed more than 80,000 people over six years and found people who drank tea more than once a month had a 1% per year slowing of age-related declines in HDL (the healthy cholesterol) levels when compared with those who do not drink tea. Researchers hypothesized that this could lead to an 8% decrease in cardiovascular disease risk but expressed caution in interpreting the results and recommended further study of the effects of tea drinking on heart health.3

Matcha Tea

Matcha tea is a Japanese green tea powder that may protect you against heart disease.4

In one review, researchers found drinking green tea may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in men while green tea consumption (more than three cups a day) may reduce the risk in women.4 The study also noted green tea consumption may also lower cholesterol and reduce diastolic blood pressure (DBP).

Another study found that green tea produced a small (1 to 2 millimeters of mercury [mmHg]) systolic and diastolic blood pressure in short-term trials. However, it isn't clear if drinking green tea can lower the heart rate.5

Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus tea not only has a tart, vibrant flavor, but it’s also good for your heart.

It’s been used for years as a natural way to treat common ailments. Studies show that hibiscus can prevent high blood pressure by allowing blood to flow more easily. It can also fight against inflammation and reduce overall heart rate.6

Tomato Juice

An observational study of Japanese patients found that drinking one cup of unsalted tomato juice could improve heart health. Research suggested tomato juice could improve both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by a few millimeters of mercury in addition to lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by about 3%. However, it isn't clear if drinking unsalted tomato juice can lower your heart rate.7

You'll want to avoid tomato juice with added salt. Excess dietary sodium can lead to high blood pressure, which is associated with an elevated heart rate.89

Cacao

Cacao is essentially cocoa in its purest form. Not only does it taste delicious, but moderate cacao or cocoa intake can also improve heart health.  

An observational study from Denmark found that consumption of cocoa or cocoa-containing foods between one to three times a month was associated with a reduced risk of developing atrial fibrillation (Afib) by up to 10%.10

Berry Juice

Berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are good sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants work to fight oxidation and can help protect against heart disease and other chronic diseases.11

A small study found that eating 200 grams (about one cup) of blueberries every day can reduce systolic blood pressure and improve overall blood vessel function. However, it isn't clear if eating blueberries can lower your heart rate.12

To keep your berry juice as nutritious as possible, opt for fresh berry juice and avoid adding sugar.

Beet Juice

Beetroot is naturally rich in nitrate, which can reduce blood pressure and improve overall heart function. A small study showed that short-term nitrate-rich beetroot juice supplementation can reduce systolic blood pressure in both younger and older adults. Moreover, it reduced diastolic blood pressure to a greater degree in older adults.13

Prune Juice

Prune juice is made from dried prunes or plums. It is rich in many nutrients such as potassium that benefits heart health.14 Potassium helps your heartbeat stay regular and can lessen the negative impact of sodium on your blood pressure.15

A study found that daily consumption of 50-100 grams of dried plums can lower inflammation, total cholesterol, and oxidative stress in postmenopausal women.16

Citrus Water

Drinking water infused with citrus fruits is a great way to increase your daily water intake. It may also protect your heart.

Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C.17 They are also rich in flavonoids, which can protect against heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, and improve blood pressure.18

Next time you fix a glass of water, consider adding extra flavor and health benefits with citrus fruits.

Water

Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water can help lower your heart rate. When you are dehydrated, you lose too much fluid in the body. This can lead to a rapid heartbeat because the heart has to work harder.19.

One study found drinking 335 milliliters of tap water led to a small decrease in blood pressure and heart rate over a 30-minute period, but the effect was temporary and resolved after one hour.20

Drinks to Avoid

If you’re experiencing a rapid heartbeat, some beverages can make it worse. Below are some drinks you’ll want to avoid if your heart rate is high.

• Energy drinks21

• Alcohol22

• Excess caffeine23

Summary

Your resting heart rate is an indicator of how well your heart is working. When your heart rate remains elevated, it can put you at risk for chronic disease and negative health outcomes.

The good news is, making lifestyle changes, eating a healthful diet, and including heart-healthy drinks into your day can help you lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as help improve your overall heart health.

23 Sources

American Heart Association. All about heart rate.

Reule S, Drawz PE. Heart rate and blood pressure: any possible implications for management of hypertension? Curr Hypertens Rep. 2012;14(6):478-484. doi:10.1007/s11906-012-0306-3

Huang S, Li J, Wu Y, et al. Tea consumption and longitudinal change in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration in Chinese adults. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2018;7(13):e008814.

Pang J, Zhang Z, Zheng T, et al. Association of green tea consumption with risk of coronary heart disease in Chinese population. Int J Cardiol. 2015;179:275-278.

Xu R, Yang K, Ding J, Chen G. Effect of green tea supplementation on blood pressure. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020;99(6):e19047. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000019047

Amos A, Khiatah B. Mechanisms of action of nutritionally rich hibiscus sabdariffa’s therapeutic uses in major common chronic diseases: a literature review. J Am Nutr Assoc. 202;41(1):116-124. doi:10.1080/07315724.2020.1848662

Odai T, Terauchi M, Okamoto D, Hirose A, Miyasaka N. Unsalted tomato juice intake improves blood pressure and serum low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol level in local Japanese residents at risk of cardiovascular disease. Food Sci Nutr. 2019;7(7):2271-2279. doi:10.1002/fsn3.1066

Reule S, Drawz PE. Heart rate and blood pressure: any possible implications for management of hypertension? Curr Hypertens Rep. 2012;14(6):478-484. doi:10.1007/s11906-012-0306-3

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sodium.

Mostofsky E, Johansen MB, Tjønneland A, Chahal HS, Mittleman MA, Overvad K. Chocolate intake and risk of clinically apparent atrial fibrillation: the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study. Heart. 2017;103(15):1163-1167. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2016-310357

Huang W yang, Zhang H cheng, Liu W xu, Li C yang. Survey of antioxidant capacity and phenolic composition of blueberry, blackberry, and strawberry in Nanjing. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2012;13(2):94-102. doi:10.1631/jzus.B1100137

Rodriguez-Mateos A, Istas G, Boschek L, et al. Circulating anthocyanin metabolites mediate vascular benefits of blueberries: insights from randomized controlled trials, metabolomics, and nutrigenomics. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A. 2019;74(7):967-976. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glz047

Stanaway L, Rutherfurd-Markwick K, Page R, et al. Acute supplementation with nitrate-rich beetroot juice causes a greater increase in plasma nitrite and reduction in blood pressure of older compared to younger adults. Nutrients. 2019;11(7):1683. doi:10.3390/nu11071683

Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Food sources of potassium.

MedlinePlus. Potassium.

Hong MY, Kern M, Nakamichi-Lee M, Abbaspour N, Ahouraei Far A, Hooshmand S. Dried plum consumption improves total cholesterol and antioxidant capacity and reduces inflammation in healthy postmenopausal women. J Med Food. 2021;24(11):1161-1168. doi:10.1089/jmf.2020.0142

National Institutes of Health. Vitamin C.

Mahmoud AM, Hernández Bautista RJ, Sandhu MA, Hussein OE. Beneficial effects of citrus flavonoids on cardiovascular and metabolic health. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2019;2019:5484138. doi:10.1155/2019/5484138

MedlinePlus. Dehydration.

Monnard CR, Grasser EK. Water ingestion decreases cardiac workload time-dependent in healthy adults with no effect of gender. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):7939

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The buzz on energy drinks.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Excessive alcohol use.

MedlinePlus. Caffeine.

By Lindsey DeSoto, RD, LD
Lindsey Desoto is a registered dietitian with experience working with clients to improve their diet for health-related reasons. She enjoys staying up to date on the latest research and translating nutrition science into practical eating advice to help others live healthier lives.