Melbourne, Australia—The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently published a study that highlighted the effects of aged garlic extract on reducing blood pressure in hypertensive adults.

Three University of Adelaide researchers gathered together 79 general practice patients that were diagnosed with uncontrolled systolic hypertension and asked them to participate in a double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week trial. The participants were divided into three groups, each assigned to take a specific amount of aged garlic extract (either one, two or four capsules daily with each capsule containing 240 mg of the extract, includung 0.6 mg of s-allylcysteine) or placebo. At weeks four, eight and 12, the patients’ blood pressure was evaluated and compared with the baseline.

The patients who took one daily dose of aged garlic extract saw no significant reduction in blood pressure compared to placebo. Those who consumed two capsules per day saw an 11.8 mm Hg reduction in blood pressure at 12 weeks. The four capsules- a- day group saw their blood pressure decrease by 7.4 mm Hg from the baseline at the eight week mark. Thus, the research team concluded that aged garlic extract has the ability to benefit those with uncontrolled hypertension.

The study was inconclusive when it came to measuring the effect that aged garlic extract has on patients who are already taking other antihypertensive medications. The supplement used in the study was Kyolic aged garlic (High Potency Everyday Formula 112, from Wakunaga). 

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, May 2013 (online 3/28/13)