Garlic blood pressure management is a natural way of reducing the risk of other diseases associated with hypertension. Garlic, scientifically known as Allium sativum, has been popularly used not only as an ingredient in food preparation but also as a medicine. It has active ingredients including alliin and allicin. It can be eaten raw or cooked. But nowadays, garlic products for health supplements can also be in the form of pills, capsules, and oil extracts, which also provide garlic health benefits.
Garlic has beneficial health effects in maintaining normal blood pressure coming from a component called garlic sulphides retained even after cooking, or from alicin which researchers believed to have helped inhibit blood clotting. Lower cholesterol levels in hypertensive people are indirectly affected by garlic blood pressure in a patient’s diet.
Garlic has always been considered as an antihypertensive remedy. People in Asia especially the Chinese have used garlic for medicines, and in fact, the Japanese government officially recognizes it as a blood-pressure depressor. Many studies have proven its efficacy in helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disorders by lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressure. It was in 1921 when American scientists first tried garlic to lower blood pressure in laboratory animals which showed consistency in its result.
An Australian researcher, Dr. Karin Ried from the University of Adelaide, Australia, recently started trial of 50 hypertensive people taking prescription drugs for it. His research proved that garlic indeed can be an effective supplement to synthetic hypertension drugs.
Dr. Reid said, “When we gave them this garlic supplement we were able on average to reduce their blood pressure under the hypertension threshold – so it might be a good complementary treatment option to control hypertension.”
Certain chemical substances, nitric oxide and hydrogen sulphide, found in garlic are considered as having antihypertensive effect because they reduce incidence of blood vessel constriction. Garlic actually results to thinning of the blood so people taking medications as well as aspirin should consult their physicians for advice before taking any garlic supplement.
Salt or sodium in food can cause blood clotting in hypertensive people therefore extra garlic can be used for seasoning and therefore lessening or eliminating salt in cooking.
However, it is not actually the ultimate cure to the disease. Hypertension can occur to anyone depending on genetics, age and lifestyle. If you are a male, you can be hypertensive at 35 years old up to 55 years old. Women on the other hand, usually get hypertension after menopausal stage. If you suspect that you are prone to high blood pressure, or is actually hypertensive then you should immediately see your doctor for consultation and laboratory tests. This is a wise step before taking any home remedy or herbal treatment on your own.
For garlic blood pressure remedies, simply take one clove each morning. You can also prepare oil of garlic. Put about 250 grams of peeled minced garlic in a wide-mouthed jar. Pour in olive oil to cover them. Tightly close the jar and shake daily the mixture; let stand in a warm place for at least three days.