L-Citrulline and Reduced Blood Pressure

Research synthesisLow evidenceSmall effect4 studies · 2 beneficial · 2 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 4 studies, 2 reported beneficial small effects on blood pressure, while 2 found neutral results. The evidence is mixed, with the strongest study (a meta-analysis of 2,028 women) showing no effect. Among studies with beneficial findings, effect sizes were consistently small. The median study duration was 84 days, but this came from only 1 of 4 studies.

Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 4 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. The only meta-analysis (the highest-quality study) found no effect, while lower-quality reviews suggest small benefits; this discrepancy weakens confidence. Many of the included studies did not reach statistical significance — effect may be smaller than the predominant direction suggests.

Generated Jul 13, 2026

Time to effect

Median: 2.8 months · IQR 2.8 months–2.8 months · Range 2.8 months–2.8 months — Reported in 1 of 4 studies

4 of 4 papersPopulation:

L-Arginine and L-Citrulline for Prevention and Treatment of Pre-Eclampsia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- 2025-01-12
- Meta-Analysis · n = 2,028
- BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology 132(6)
- - Maureen Makama
  - Annie R A McDougall
  - Jenny Cao
  - Kate Mills
  - Phi-Yen Nguyen
  - Roxanne Hastie
  - Anne Ammerdorffer
  - A Metin Gülmezoglu
  - Joshua P Vogel
- PubMed: 39800868
- DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.18070
5 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Pressure
- High evidence
- Pregnant Women
Only one study (36 women) examined L-citrulline and reported no effect on pre-eclampsia or blood pressure.
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Dose
not specified in abstract
Impact of L-Citrulline Supplementation and HIIT on Lipid Profile, Arterial Stiffness, and Fat Mass in Obese Adolescents with Metabolic-Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
- 2025-01-23
- RCT · n = 15
- Nutrients 17(3)
- - Alan Arturo Rodríguez-Carrillo
  - Mario Ramón Espinoza-Vargas
  - Katya Vargas-Ortiz
  - Lorena Del Rocío Ibarra-Reynoso
  - Monserrat Olvera-Juárez
  - Armando Gómez-Ojeda
  - Ma Eugenia Garay-Sevilla
  - Arturo Figueroa
- PubMed: 39940261
- DOI: 10.3390/nu17030402
9 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Pressure
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Clinical
No significant between-group changes were found in ... BP
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Dose
not specified
l-Citrulline Supplementation: Impact on Cardiometabolic Health.
- 2018-07-19
- Review
- Nutrients 10(7)
- - Timothy D Allerton
  - David N Proctor
  - Jacqueline M Stephens
  - Tammy R Dugas
  - Guillaume Spielmann
  - Brian A Irving
- PubMed: 30029482
- DOI: 10.3390/nu10070921
1 Insight on
- Reduced Blood Pressure
- High evidence
- Highly Cited
- Rigorous Journal
Supplementation with l-citrulline has shown promise as a blood pressure lowering intervention (both resting and stress-induced) in adults with pre-/hypertension
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Watermelon and L-Citrulline in Cardio-Metabolic Health: Review of the Evidence 2000-2020.
- 2021-12
- Review
- Current atherosclerosis reports 23(12)
- - Britt Burton-Freeman
  - Morganne Freeman
  - Xuhuiqun Zhang
  - Amandeep Sandhu
  - Indika Edirisinghe
- PubMed: 34894302
- DOI: 10.1007/s11883-021-00978-5
1 Insight on
- Reduced Blood Pressure
- Low evidence
Watermelon and L-citrulline supplementation reduced blood pressure in human trials.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes

L-Citrulline and Reduced Blood Pressure

L-Arginine and L-Citrulline for Prevention and Treatment of Pre-Eclampsia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Impact of L-Citrulline Supplementation and HIIT on Lipid Profile, Arterial Stiffness, and Fat Mass in Obese Adolescents with Metabolic-Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

l-Citrulline Supplementation: Impact on Cardiometabolic Health.

Watermelon and L-Citrulline in Cardio-Metabolic Health: Review of the Evidence 2000-2020.