Garlic is a foundational flavor in many cuisines. People around the world also use garlic medicinally. It has long held a reputation for being able to help fight off infections, from colds and flu to tuberculosis. Many enthusiasts also believe that this allium vegetable also has anti-cancer activity. Could taking garlic supplements lower your blood pressure as well?
Do Garlic Supplements Work Like Raw Garlic?
Q. I have read that people who eat garlic live longer, in part because it helps lower blood pressure and triglycerides. I hate the smell of garlic. Would a garlic supplement offer the same protection?
Different Types of Garlic Supplements:
A. There are many types of garlic supplements, and they may act somewhat differently in the body. However, researchers have found that garlic extract can improve blood vessel flexibility and reduce inflammation and cholesterol more than placebo (Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, June 2018). Another randomized, placebo-controlled trial found that aged garlic extract lowered markers of inflammation and immune excitation (Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, April 2018).
Garlic Supplements Lower Your Blood Pressure:
Garlic extract appears to offer at least some of the benefits of fresh garlic in lowering blood pressure, blood lipids and blood sugar (Neurological Research, June 2018). The sulfur-containing compounds in garlic that give it a distinctive odor can also release hydrogen sulfide in the body, with benefits for both the cardiovascular system and immune response (Nutrients, Jan. 30, 2019). This suggests that garlic extracts or supplements should also contain sulfur compounds. A double-blind controlled trial (the GarGIC) study found that people who took Kyolic aged garlic extract for three months lowered their blood pressure about as much as if they had taken standard antihypertensive drugs (Frontiers in Nutrition, Dec. 11, 2018). That amounts to roughly 10 mm Hg systolic and more than 5 mm Hg diastolic.
Can Garlic Extract Help the Brain?
An intriguing study published in the journal Preventive Nutrition and Food Science (June 30, 2019) suggests that aged garlic extract may also help protect the brain. Researchers gave mice the drug scopolamine to mimic Alzheimer’s disease. Black garlic extract blocked the cognitive impairment scopolamine would have caused. Whether this will provide any benefit to humans with aging brains remains to be determined.
