High blood pressure can increase your risk of developing heart failure and kidney disease. It can also speed the progression of atherosclerosis, as elevated blood pressure can contribute to the formation of cholesterol deposits on the walls of arteries, the American Heart Association explains. Many prescription medications can lower your blood pressure, but you may prefer to try herbs and other dietary supplements. Two supplements that are safe to take together and may be helpful in reducing high blood pressure are garlic and co-enyzyme Q10.
Step 1
Check with your doctor before taking taking CoQ10 or garlic to make sure they won't interact dangerously with any of your medications or other health problems. Although no data suggests that garlic supplements are dangerous, Drugs.com does note that garlic can reduce the effectiveness of the medication saquinavir. CoQ10 can reduce blood glucose levels and can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure when taken along with prescription blood pressure medications. People taking CoQ10 should also avoid vigorous exercise. In addition, CoQ10 can diminish the effectiveness of certain blood thinners, such as coumadin, the University of Maryland Medical Center notes.
Step 2
Take between 30 and 200 mg of CoQ10 daily. Because this chemical is fat-soluble, you may want to take it with a fat-containing meal to increase its absorption.
Step 3
Consume garlic or a garlic supplement every day. You may consume 2 to 5 g of fresh garlic, 0.4 to 1.2 g of powdered garlic, 300 to 1,000 mg of garlic extract or 2 to 5 mg of garlic oil, depending on the form you wish to take. Take garlic with food to minimize the chance of developing an upset stomach.
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