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| Can Garlic Reduce High Blood Pressure? |
By Ray Sahelian, MD
Did you know that if you have hypertension and eat garlic
or perhaps take garlic pills, your blood pressure could be
slightly reduced? Doctors at Hartford Hospital in Hartford,
CT reviewed several studies with garlic done in the last few
years and concluded that the use of this herb, on average,
can help systolic blood pressure drop by 16 mmHg and
diastolic blood pressure by 9 mmHg.1 The use of garlic
apparently did not reduce blood pressure in those with
normal blood pressure.
A review by another team of researchers at the University
of Adelaide in South Australia found garlic reduced systolic
blood pressure by 8 mmHg on average, and diastolic blood
pressure by 7 mmHg.2 Although the actual mg of pressure
reduction is still not clear, it does appear that garlic
consumption is of benefit to those with blood pressure
problems.
The amount of garlic used in the studies was about a gram,
providing about 5 mg of allicin, one of the active ingredients
in this herb. Sulfides present in garlic are converted by red
blood cells into hydrogen sulfide which helps to dilate blood
vessels. If you have hypertension, you may consider eating
more garlic or taking a garlic supplement. An average
garlic clove weighs about 3 to 5 grams.
Those who are already on blood pressure medications are
not likely to have significant side effects when adding fresh
garlic to their diet. However, do discuss with your doctor
that you are planning to take garlic and initially use only a
small clove once a day.
Over time you can gradually increase the amount of garlic
you use while you monitor your blood pressure. Hopefully,
it may be possible to reduce the dosage of BP medications
if the garlic helps reduce BP by a few points. Those
concerned about garlic breath may consider taking
odorless garlic pills.
References
Published Online, 18 November 2008, www.theannals.com, DOI
10.1345/aph.1L319.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2261/8/13/abstract
[Ed. Note: Ray Sahelian, M.D. is a practicing physician and the best-selling author
of Mind Boosters. He is a leading authority on natural supplements and nutrition.
