Lower Blood Pressure Naturally with Garlic
(Page 2 of 3)
October/November 1997
By Christopher Nyerges
Various studies reported in the Indian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics concluded that both onions and garlic in the diet lowered blood cholesterol levels. Studies in Germany and in the United States have produced similar results.
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Cholesterol builds up in fatty plaques on the artery walls, and so it is believed to be a major factor in the onset of heart disease. Anything that reduces high cholesterol levels helps to keep the heart healthy.
Dr. Truswell, professor at the Queen Elizabeth College of London University, conducted research by feeding human subjects high-fat meals with and without onions. He found that blood platelets stuck together faster after the high-fat, no-onion meal, whereas the effect was neutralized when onions were included. Platelets are a compound in the blood which is an important aid in coagulation, but when they "malfunction," they form clots which can lead to thromboses in the arteries to the heart and brain, which can result in strokes and heart attacks. Dr. Truswell believes that by simply including onions in the diet, the chances of having a stroke or heart attack are reduced.
Though there are countless studies pertaining to the effects of garlic and onions on the human body, it may still be some time before doctors make conclusive statements. Again, this is due to the complexity of high blood pressure, its various causes, and the fact that no two people are alike. Still, I eat garlic every day. Russian folk healers and herbalists the world over have been suggesting that garlic be used to reduce high blood pressure and a host of ailments for centuries.
We do know that garlic contains small amounts of selenium and germanium. Selenium is believed to prevent abnormal blood clotting, to normalize blood pressure, and to prevent infections. Germanium is being investigated for its reputed ability to retard or prevent the growth of some cancers. Garlic also contains a number of biochemical compounds, such as allicin (considered to have antifungal and antibiotic properties), alliinase, allyls, allithiamine (this makes vitamin B1 more effective), and alliin (this makes proteins easier to digest). Allicin, left alone, turns into a substance that some researchers have called "ajoene," believed to be responsible for garlic' s ability to inhibit blood clotting as effectively as aspirin.
Enough books and research papers have been written about garlic, onions, shallots, leeks and that entire Allium genus to fill a small library. There are two other good sources of herbal information which I want to share.
Herbalist Michael Moore has written several good books on medicinal plants. In his book, Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West (Red Crane Books, 1993), he lists Hawthorn (Craetaegus Douglasii and C. columbiana) as beneficial in cases of hypertension. He writes, "Hawthorn is a heart tonic — period. First of all, it is a mild coronary vasodilator, increasing the blood supply to the heart muscles and lessening the potential for spasms, angina, and shortness of breath in middle-aged or older individuals ... I have seen it help the middle-aged mesomorph, with moderate essential hypertension, whose pulse and pressure are slow to return to normal after moderate exertion and whose long, tiring days leave the pulse rapid in the evening. It will gradually help to lower the diastolic pressure and quiet the pulse ... The benefits take weeks or even months to be felt, but are well maintained, not temporary."
