Garlic for Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes And Antioxidant Status

May 15, 2008

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Garlic has long been known to be good for you. In the last few years it has been demonstrated that it may play a beneficial role in many aspects of health including lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, and improving antioxidant status.

Garlic has been shown recently to decrease blood pressure and to help lessen the risk of heart attack. The decrease in blood pressure is due to widening of the inside of blood vessels which makes the pressure drop.

There are several reasons why garlic may reduce both stroke and heart disease risk. One potential reason is that the antioxidant properties may reduce the oxidation of blood lipids, leading to a reduction in the rate of development of atherosclerosis (blocking of arteries). We are all developing atherosclerosis, so the aim is to make it slow enough that it never has any health impact. Garlic has also been shown to lower the level of platelet aggregation. Platelets are cells that circulate in the blood that are involved in clot formation, by sticking together and to cells in the walls of blood vessels. Lowering the level of platelet aggregation reduces the formation and growth of clots, which in turn lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Garlic has several other suggested health benefit including reducing inflammation, neurodegeneration (including possibly Alzheimer’s), diabetes and cancer. It has been suggested that garlic can reduce blood sugar levels.

To get the most benefit from garlic it should be “aged”. This means that garlic should be crushed and then left for 10 to 15 minutes before use. The reason for this is that when the garlic cells are broken by crushing, an enzyme is released that converts alliin to allicin. Leaving the crushed garlic for a while gives the enzyme time to work. It is allicin that our body uses either directly or indirectly for most of the health benefits.

Eat more garlic!

photo credit: -Marlith-