A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80. The top number, known as systolic, refers to the pressure of the heart contracting, whereas the bottom number, known as diastolic, refers to the pressure of the heart at rest between beats. Blood pressure higher than 120/80 increases the risk for stroke and heart disease. Research indicates that certain supplements can help lower blood pressure. Consult your health care provider before taking any supplements.
Aged Garlic Extract
Researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia investigated the effects of aged garlic extract on patients with treated but uncontrolled high blood pressure. For 12 weeks, participants consumed 960 mg of aged garlic extract or a placebo. Blood pressure was measured before and after the treatment. At the end of the study, which was published in the November 2010 issue of the journal "Maturitas," scientists observed that the aged garlic extract experience decreases in systolic blood pressure compared to those receiving a placebo.
Green Tea Extract
Antioxidant-rich green tea extract might lower blood pressure, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Florida, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and the Nutritional Science Research Institute in Boston. In the report, which was published in the October 2008 issue of the journal "Nutrition," scientists discovered that subjects supplementing with green tea extract for three months experienced significant decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to those with a placebo.
Cocoa Powder
Scientists from the Universidad Complutense in Spain studied the impact of cocoa powder on rats with high blood pressure. At the end of the study, which was published in the June 2009 issue of the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry," researchers discovered that rats fed 100 mg cocoa powder per kilogram of body weight experienced decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Quercetin
In research reported in the November 2007 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition," researchers examined the impact of quercetin supplementation on prehypertensive and hypertensive patients. Subjects received 730 mg of quercetin or a placebo for 28 days. Scientists observed that hypertensives, but not prehypertensives, experienced reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
References
- Nutra Ingredients; Aged Garlic Shows Blood Pressure Improvement Benefits: Study
- Nutra Ingredients; Green Tea Extract May Lower Blood Pressure: Study
- "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry"; Antihypertensive Effect of a Polyphenol-Rich Cocoa Powder Industrially Processed To Preserve the Original Flavonoids of the Cocoa Beans; E. Cienfueos et al.; June 2009
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Quercetin Reduces Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Subjects; R. Edwards et al.; November 2007
