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Can Garlic Lower Blood Pressure? A Pilot Study
Author(s) -
McMahon F. Gilbert,
Vargas Ramon
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
pharmacotherapy: the journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.227
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1875-9114
pISSN - 0277-0008
DOI - 10.1002/j.1875-9114.1993.tb02751.x
Subject(s) - blood pressure , lower blood pressure , medicine , environmental science
A popular garlic preparation containing 1.3% allicin at a large dose (2400 mg) was evaluated in this open‐label study in nine patients with rather severe hypertension (diastolic blood pressure ≥ 115 mm Hg). Sitting blood pressure fell 7/16 (± 3/2 SD) mm Hg at peak effect approximately 5 hours after the dose, with a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure (p<0.05) from 5–14 hours after the dose. No significant side effects were reported. Our results indicate that this garlic preparation can reduce blood pressure. Further controlled studies are needed, particularly with more conventional doses (e.g., ≤ 900 mg/day), in patients with mild to moderate hypertension and under placebo‐controlled, double‐blind conditions.