The review focused on 12 clinical trials involving 553 people with high blood pressure. It confirmed earlier findings that AGE lowers systolic blood pressure an average of 8.3 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure an average of 5.5 mmHg. A press release notes that these findings are linked to a 16 to 40 percent drop in the risk of having a heart attack or stroke—comparable to the benefits provided by standard blood pressure drugs.
Another finding: AGE acts like a prebiotic, feeding beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, the release notes. High blood pressure has been linked to a bacterial imbalance in the gut; AGE, according to this review, can help correct that imbalance, markedly increasing numbers ofLactobacillusandClostridia.
Related: Keys to a Healthy Heart Study: Aged Garlic Extract May Improve Microcirculation in At-Risk Patients Study: Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract Effectively Reduces Blood Pressure
“Simply increasing the amount of garlic in your diet does not provide the same results that you would get from AGE,” notes Karen Ried, Ph.D., M.Sc., G.D.P.H., of the National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Melbourne, Australia, author of the study. “This is because cooking destroys S-allyl cysteine, the bioavailable and active compound in garlic that provides these benefits.”Jay Levy, Director of Sales for Wakunaga of America, makers of Kyolic AGE, added: “This study review confirms AGE’s ability to support healthy blood pressure levels and highlights a new way it can benefit both cardiovascular and gut health. Because AGE is both safe and effective with few, if any, side effects, it’s an easy addition to a healthy lifestyle for anyone concerned about supporting a healthy cardiovascular system.”