Does zinc help with blood pressure? What the research does and doesn't show

The evidence doesn't support zinc as a treatment for high blood pressure, and it doesn't support the idea that typical supplemental doses raise blood pressure either. A 2020 meta-analysis of 9 randomized trials found systolic blood pressure was modestly lower with zinc than with control — about 1.5 mmHg on average — while diastolic blood pressure showed no significant difference.

What the evidence doesn't support

It doesn't support zinc as a treatment for diagnosed hypertension, a replacement for blood pressure medication, or a specific dose expected to change blood pressure by a predictable amount — the meta-analysis below found no dose-response relationship. It also doesn't support the idea that supplemental zinc raises blood pressure; no trial identified for this page found that effect.

What the trials found

A 2020 systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis searched PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar for randomized controlled trials of oral zinc supplementation on blood pressure, through September 2019, and pooled 9 trials in adults. Systolic blood pressure across the pooled trials was, on average, about 1.5 mmHg lower with zinc than with control (weighted mean difference -1.49 mmHg, 95% CI -2.85 to -0.13, p=0.03) — a statistically significant but small population-average difference. Diastolic blood pressure showed no statistically significant difference between groups (-0.88 mmHg, 95% CI -2.04 to 0.29, p=0.14). A nonlinear dose-response analysis across the same 9 trials found no significant relationship between the dose of zinc used, or how long it was taken, and the size of either blood pressure measure's change. Sensitivity checks found the overall result wasn't driven by any single trial, and the authors found no evidence of small-study publication bias.

A roughly 1.5 mmHg average difference across 9 pooled trials, in a mix of adult populations, is a small population-level signal — not a number that tells an individual what to expect from taking zinc, and not a substitute for measuring blood pressure directly.

Measure	Result	Statistically significant?
Systolic blood pressure	~1.5 mmHg lower with zinc than without	Yes (p=0.03)
Diastolic blood pressure	~0.9 mmHg lower with zinc than without	No (p=0.14)
Dose-response relationship	None found	No

Questions people ask

Does zinc increase blood pressure?

No trial identified for this page found supplemental zinc raising blood pressure. The 2020 meta-analysis above found the opposite direction for systolic pressure — a small average reduction — and no significant change for diastolic pressure.

Can zinc lower blood pressure?

A 2020 meta-analysis of 9 randomized trials found a small, statistically significant average reduction in systolic blood pressure with zinc (about 1.5 mmHg) but no significant change in diastolic blood pressure, and no relationship between dose and effect size. That's a modest population-average finding, not evidence that zinc treats hypertension.

What dose of zinc was used in these trials?

The 9 pooled trials used a range of doses and durations, and the dose-response analysis found no significant relationship between the amount used and the size of the effect — so there's no specific dose to point to as the one that works.

When to talk to a doctor

High blood pressure should be monitored and managed with a doctor, including any decision to start, stop or adjust medication. Zinc is not a treatment for hypertension, and nothing in the evidence above supports using it as a substitute for blood pressure monitoring or a doctor's guidance. If you take blood pressure medication or are pregnant or nursing, talk to a doctor before adding any supplement.

Related reading: zinc benefits: what the research does and doesn't show, how much zinc should you take a day, and zinc and medications: what to check.