<p>Researchers at the University of Adelaide, Australia, have developed a garlic tablet which they said helped patients reduce their blood pressure significantly in just 12 weeks, slashing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.<br /><br />The researchers carried out a trial of 50 people with high blood pressure who were taking prescription drugs for it.<br /><br />Dr Karin Ried, who led the research, said: "There is a large proportion of people out there who are on medication and some people are on four different types but they still have high blood pressure -- it is uncontrolled.<br /><br />"When we gave them this garlic supplement we were able on average to reduce their blood pressure under the hypertension threshold -- so garlic might be a good complementary treatment option to control hypertension."<br /><br />In the trial, researchers from the university's general practice department gave capsules containing 960mg of aged garlic extract to patients with high blood pressure.<br /><br />Those who took the supplements every day had much lower readings after 12 weeks, the Daily Mail reported.<br /><br />A high blood pressure reading is one that exceeds 140/90 millimetres of mercury. The first figure, the systolic pressure, corresponding to the 'surge' that occurs with each heart beat. It is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.<br /><br />Patients in the trial who had a systolic reading above 140mmHg saw it drop 10.2 lower on average than a control group on a placebo or dummy pill. This reduced the blood pressure of some patients down to healthy levels.<br /><br />"This reduction is clinically significant, as a drop in systolic blood pressure by 5mmHg reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by eight to twenty per cent," said Dr Ried.<br />According to the researchers, garlic is thought to have an antihypertensive effect as it stimulates production of certain chemical substances called nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S), which helps relax blood vessels.<br /><br />Pills containing extract of aged garlic were used in the trials because they were produced in controlled conditions for consistent strength.<br /><br />The researchers, whose study published in the medical journal Maturitas, did not believe raw or cooked garlic would be as effective -- when garlic is heated much of the active ingredient called allicin is destroyed.<br /><br />Garlic tablets are licensed as a drug in Germany and widely prescribed to combat atherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.<br /><br />It has long been a mainstay for herbalists and was known for fending off the plague during the Middle Ages. <br /><br /></p>
<p>Researchers at the University of Adelaide, Australia, have developed a garlic tablet which they said helped patients reduce their blood pressure significantly in just 12 weeks, slashing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.<br /><br />The researchers carried out a trial of 50 people with high blood pressure who were taking prescription drugs for it.<br /><br />Dr Karin Ried, who led the research, said: "There is a large proportion of people out there who are on medication and some people are on four different types but they still have high blood pressure -- it is uncontrolled.<br /><br />"When we gave them this garlic supplement we were able on average to reduce their blood pressure under the hypertension threshold -- so garlic might be a good complementary treatment option to control hypertension."<br /><br />In the trial, researchers from the university's general practice department gave capsules containing 960mg of aged garlic extract to patients with high blood pressure.<br /><br />Those who took the supplements every day had much lower readings after 12 weeks, the Daily Mail reported.<br /><br />A high blood pressure reading is one that exceeds 140/90 millimetres of mercury. The first figure, the systolic pressure, corresponding to the 'surge' that occurs with each heart beat. It is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.<br /><br />Patients in the trial who had a systolic reading above 140mmHg saw it drop 10.2 lower on average than a control group on a placebo or dummy pill. This reduced the blood pressure of some patients down to healthy levels.<br /><br />"This reduction is clinically significant, as a drop in systolic blood pressure by 5mmHg reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by eight to twenty per cent," said Dr Ried.<br />According to the researchers, garlic is thought to have an antihypertensive effect as it stimulates production of certain chemical substances called nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S), which helps relax blood vessels.<br /><br />Pills containing extract of aged garlic were used in the trials because they were produced in controlled conditions for consistent strength.<br /><br />The researchers, whose study published in the medical journal Maturitas, did not believe raw or cooked garlic would be as effective -- when garlic is heated much of the active ingredient called allicin is destroyed.<br /><br />Garlic tablets are licensed as a drug in Germany and widely prescribed to combat atherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.<br /><br />It has long been a mainstay for herbalists and was known for fending off the plague during the Middle Ages. <br /><br /></p>