Uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage artery walls and increase the risk for coronary heart disease. Besides reducing salt in your diet, research indicates that taking garlic extract in capsule form might have blood pressure-lowering effects. However, before consuming any garlic supplements, consult your health care provider.
High Blood Pressure
Researchers from Ankara University in Turkey explored the impact of garlic extract consumption on blood lipids in men and women with high blood cholesterol. Participants were divided into high blood pressure and normal blood pressure groups. Both groups consumed garlic extract for four months. Scientists reported in the June 2004 issue of the "Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry" that garlic extract significantly reduced blood pressure in participants with high blood pressure but not in the ones with normal blood pressure.
Animal Study
Scientists from Healthcare Research Institute in Japan studied the effects of aged garlic extract on blood pressure in rats with high blood pressure. Rats consumed aged garlic extract or garlic powder for four weeks. Researchers discovered that rats consuming aged garlic extract experienced decreases in systolic blood pressure or the force it takes to contract the heart, according to research reported in the March 2006 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition."
Systolic Blood Pressure
In findings published in the October 2010 issue of the journal "Maturitas," researchers from the University of Adelaide examined the effects of aged garlic extract on patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure. Subjects were assigned to receive four capsules of aged garlic extract or a placebo for 12 weeks. Blood pressure readings were conducted before and after the experiment. Scientists observed that the aged garlic extract group experienced decreases in systolic blood pressure compared to the placebo group.
Side Effects and Interactions
Garlic supplements may cause gas, abdominal pain and heartburn. If these problems appear or persist, limit the use of garlic supplements. In addition, they may also interact with anticoagulant medications, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
References
- "Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry"; Effects of Garlic Extract Consumption on Blood Lipid and Oxidant/Antioxidant Parameters in Humans with High Blood Cholesterol; I. Durak, et al.; June 2004
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Aged Garlic Extract Improves Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats More Safely Than Raw Garlic; A. Harauma, et al.; March 2006
- "Maturitas"; Aged Garlic Extract Lowers Blood Pressure in Patients with Treated but Uncontrolled Hypertension: a Randomized Controlled Trial; K. Ried, et al.; October 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute: Garlic and Organosulfur Compounds
