Garlic for High Blood Pressure
A 2023 study found that aged garlic extract was significantly more effective than placebo at lowering blood pressure over 12 weeks in people with grade 1 hypertension. The aged garlic contained 0.25mg of s-allyl cysteine (SAC). SAC is thought to increase nitric oxide levels. Another study in 2012 found that 480mg of aged garlic containing 1.2mg SAC significantly lowered systolic blood pressure compared to placebo over 12 weeks in people already on antihypertensive medications; this effect was more significant than the 2023 study. Research has shown that garlic may also improve microcirculation. Garlic may cause digestive issues among other side effects.
Ried K, Frank OR, Stocks NP. Aged garlic extract reduces blood pressure in hypertensives: a dose-response trial. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Jan;67(1):64-70. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2012.178. Epub 2012 Nov 21. PMID: 23169470; PMCID: PMC3561616.
Sobenin IA, Andrianova IV, Fomchenkov IV, Gorchakova TV, Orekhov AN. Time-released garlic powder tablets lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure in men with mild and moderate arterial hypertension. Hypertens Res. 2009 Jun;32(6):433-7. doi: 10.1038/hr.2009.36. Epub 2009 Apr 24. PMID: 19390538.
Rahmatinia E, Amidi B, Naderi N, Ahmadipour S, Ahmadvand H, Pahlevan-Fallahy MT, Ghorbanzadeh V, Nazari A. Randomized, double-blind clinical trial evaluating the impact of freeze-dried garlic extract capsules on blood pressure, lipid profile, and nitric oxide levels in individuals at risk for hypertension. Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig. 2024 Jul 15;45(4):139-147. doi: 10.1515/hmbci-2024-0019. PMID: 39001718.
Serrano JCE, Castro-Boqué E, García-Carrasco A, Morán-Valero MI, González-Hedström D, Bermúdez-López M, Valdivielso JM, Espinel AE, Portero-Otín M. Antihypertensive Effects of an Optimized Aged Garlic Extract in Subjects with Grade I Hypertension and Antihypertensive Drug Therapy: A Randomized, Triple-Blind Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2023 Aug 23;15(17):3691. doi: 10.3390/nu15173691. PMID: 37686723; PMCID: PMC10490347.
Wlosinska M, Nilsson AC, Hlebowicz J, Malmsjö M, Fakhro M, Lindstedt S. Aged garlic extract preserves cutaneous microcirculation in patients with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases: A double-blinded placebo-controlled study. Int Wound J. 2019 Dec;16(6):1487-1493. doi: 10.1111/iwj.13220. Epub 2019 Sep 13. PMID: 31518044; PMCID: PMC7949022.