You know that feeling. You stand up too fast from the couch and suddenly the room starts spinning. Your vision goes a bit grainy, like an old TV set, and you have to grab the wall to keep from toppling over. Most people obsess over high blood pressure—the "silent killer"—but having blood pressure that’s chronically too low (hypotension) can make you feel like you're walking through waist-high swamp water every single day.
It’s exhausting.
The standard medical definition for low blood pressure is usually anything below 90/60 mmHg. But honestly, numbers are kind of relative. If you’re sitting at 85/55 and feel like a rockstar, your doctor probably won't care. But if you're hitting those numbers and feel dizzy, fatigued, or nauseous, you're likely looking for ways regarding how to raise blood pressure naturally without jumping straight to midodrine or other heavy-duty prescriptions.
Why your pressure is bottoming out
Before we fix it, we have to talk about why it’s happening. It isn't always just "the way you are." Sometimes it's dehydration. Sometimes it’s your heart not pumping with enough "oomph." Other times, it's your nervous system being a bit lazy when you change positions—that’s called orthostatic hypotension.
I’ve seen people try to "health" their way into low blood pressure by cutting out every milligram of salt because they think "salt is bad." For a hypotensive person, that’s actually dangerous advice. If your pressure is low, your body is essentially struggling to keep enough volume in your pipes to reach your brain.
How to raise blood pressure naturally by changing how you eat (and drink)
Salt is your best friend here. Seriously. While the American Heart Association usually tells everyone to keep it under 1,500 mg a day, if you’re struggling with hypotension, you might need way more. Sodium holds onto water. More water in your bloodstream means higher blood volume. Higher volume means higher pressure. It’s basic hydraulics.
But don't just start eating bags of potato chips. That’s junk.
📖 Related: Products With Red 40: What Most People Get Wrong
Instead, try adding high-quality sea salt or Himalayan pink salt to actual food. Sprinkle it on your avocado, your eggs, or even in your water if you can stand the taste. Some athletes even use salt tabs. If you’re feeling a "crash" coming on, a quick glass of water with a quarter-teaspoon of salt can act like a natural stimulant for your vascular system.
The hydration factor
You can’t just eat salt and skip the water. That just makes you a human pretzel. You need the fluid to give the salt something to hold onto. Most people with low blood pressure are chronically under-hydrated. I’m not talking about "eight glasses a day." I’m talking about "your pee should be pale yellow" levels of hydration.
- Drink early. Have a full 16 ounces of water before you even think about coffee.
- Coconut water. It’s loaded with electrolytes that help balance the sodium.
- Small, frequent meals. Ever feel like you need a nap after a big Thanksgiving dinner? That’s because your blood is rushing to your gut to digest that massive pile of turkey and stuffing. This leaves less blood for your brain. Eating smaller portions more often keeps your blood flow more stable.
Vitamin B12 and Folate
If you’re deficient in B12 or folate, you can become anemic. Anemia means your blood doesn't have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen efficiently, which can cause your blood pressure to tank. This is super common in vegans or older adults who don't absorb nutrients as well.
Beef liver is the gold standard for B12, but if you can’t stomach that, eggs and nutritional yeast help.
The "Compression" Secret
If you've ever seen a pilot in a fighter jet, they wear "G-suits" to keep from blacking out during high-speed turns. You don't need a flight suit, but the principle is the same. Compression stockings are basically a cheat code for how to raise blood pressure naturally.
They put pressure on your lower legs, which prevents blood from pooling in your feet. When you stand up, that blood is forced back up toward your heart and brain.
👉 See also: Why Sometimes You Just Need a Hug: The Real Science of Physical Touch
Look for stockings that offer 20-30 mmHg of pressure. They’re a pain to get on—honestly, it’s a workout in itself—but they work. If you find them too hot or uncomfortable, even waist-high compression leggings can make a massive difference in your daily energy levels.
Move your muscles
Your calf muscles are often called your "second heart." Every time you take a step, those muscles contract and squeeze the veins, pushing blood upward. If you’re sitting at a desk all day, your blood is just sitting there in your legs like a stagnant pond.
- Ankle pumps. While sitting, flex your feet up and down 20 times.
- Leg crossing. Crossing your legs while sitting can actually increase blood pressure slightly. It’s one of the few times "bad posture" is actually good for you.
- Tense your core. If you feel dizzy, squeeze your glutes and abdominal muscles. This "shunts" blood back to the upper body.
Herbs and lifestyle tweaks that actually work
Licorice root is a heavy hitter. Not the red candy stuff—I’m talking about real Glycyrrhiza glabra. It contains glycyrrhizin, which helps your kidneys retain salt and water. It’s so effective at raising blood pressure that people with high blood pressure are strictly warned to avoid it.
You can find it as a tea or a tincture. Be careful, though. Too much can mess with your potassium levels, so it’s something you use as a tool, not a meal replacement.
Watch the caffeine and alcohol
Alcohol is a vasodilator. It opens up your blood vessels and makes your pressure drop even further. If you're already prone to fainting, that glass of wine at dinner might be why you feel like you're going to pass out by dessert.
Caffeine is tricky. For some, a cup of coffee provides a temporary spike in pressure. For others, it acts as a diuretic, making them pee out all their fluids and eventually lowering their pressure. Pay attention to how you feel 90 minutes after your latte. If you feel worse, the caffeine is backfiring.
✨ Don't miss: Can I overdose on vitamin d? The reality of supplement toxicity
The "Slower is Better" Rule
This is a behavioral shift.
Stop jumping out of bed. When you wake up, sit on the edge of the bed for a full minute. Let your body calibrate. Wiggle your toes. Drink some water. Then stand up slowly. This gives your baroreceptors—the little sensors in your neck that manage blood pressure—time to realize you're no longer horizontal.
When to see a doctor (The reality check)
I love natural fixes, but we have to be honest. Sometimes low blood pressure is a symptom of something bigger.
If you’re experiencing chest pain, extreme shortness of breath, or a pulse that’s racing like a Ferrari while you’re just sitting still, you need a cardiologist, not a salt shaker. Conditions like POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) or heart valve issues require a professional diagnosis.
Also, check your meds. Are you on antidepressants? Anti-anxiety meds? Diuretics for "bloating"? These are notorious for dragging blood pressure into the basement.
Actionable Steps to Take Today
To really see a change, don't try to do everything at once. Start with the basics and see how your body responds over the next 48 hours.
- The Morning Salt Liter: Mix 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt into a liter of water and finish it before noon. Notice if that "brain fog" clears up.
- Elevate the Head of Your Bed: Use a wedge pillow or put bricks under the head-end of your bed frame (about 6 inches). It sounds weird, but it tricks your body into not dumping as much fluid through your kidneys at night.
- Track the Trends: Buy a cheap home blood pressure cuff. Take your reading when you first wake up and then again after you've been standing for three minutes. If the top number (systolic) drops by more than 20 points, you have orthostatic hypotension.
- Counter-maneuvers: When you feel a dizzy spell, cross your legs tightly and squeeze. It’s a physical way to force the pressure up instantly.
Low blood pressure doesn't have to be your "normal." By focusing on blood volume through salt, hydration, and physical compression, you can usually bump those numbers up enough to stop the world from spinning every time you stand up to answer the door.