Garlic has been used medicinally for hundreds of years to treat many conditions, such as sore throats, colds, blocked noses and infections, and to lower blood fats.
According to an analysis by Australian researchers, garlic may be a useful addition to treatment for people with high blood pressure. The analysis combined eleven studies in which patients were given 600 to 900 mg of garlic a day for 12 to 23 weeks, compared with patients given dummy capsules. Garlic lowered systolic pressure by an average of 4.6 mmHg.
In patients with high blood pressure, garlic lowered systolic pressure by 8.4 mmHg and diastolic pressure by 7.3 mmHg, an effect similar to that of blood pressure drugs such as beta-blockers (which lower systolic pressure by about 5 mmHg) and ACE inhibitors (about 8 mmHg).
The researchers say 600–900 mg of garlic powder is equivalent to 3.6–5.4 mg of allicin, the active compound in garlic, which is produced when garlic is crushed or chopped; a fresh clove contains 5–9 mg of allicin. Lowering systolic pressure by 4–5 points and diastolic pressure by 2–3 points would reduce the risk of heart disease and death from heart disease by about 20%.
High blood pressure means readings above 140/90 mmHg. It usually causes no noticeable symptoms, which is why it is called the "silent killer". Garlic doesn't replace prescribed blood pressure medicine, and garlic supplements can increase bleeding in people taking blood thinners.
Like
Love
Angry
Dislike
