Garlic Supplements May Lower BP

People with hypertension who take garlic supplements may see their pressure drop.

Scientists at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in China, analyzing 17 clinical studies, found that garlic could lower systolic (upper number) pressure by 3.75 mmHg and diastolic (lower number) pressure by 3.39 mmHg. This effect only occurred in people with pre-existing hypertension.

The studies included trials that used garlic powder, aged garlic extract and garlic oil.

The research team reported in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension, “Our meta-analysis suggests that garlic supplementation is superior to placebo in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive patients, especially those with high systolic blood pressure.”

The scientists weren’t sure what accounted for garlic’s anti-hypertensive effects, but speculated that it might be that allicin, the main phytonutrient in garlic, was able to fight free radical damage in blood vessel walls.