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Herbs / Immune CareBlood Pressure - Garlic and Vitamin C ResearchA recent study shows that the combination of garlic and Vitamin C can help lower blood pressure. "Combinations of garlic and vitamin C are an effective alternative in the control of marginally high blood pressure," wrote the authors of the study in the journal Nutrition Research. "Garlic ingredients or garlic extract alone increased endothelial cell NO production, an effect that was shown to be enhanced by the combination with antioxidant vitamins," the paper reported. There are many studies showing the benefits of garlic for cardiovascular health. With the advent of odorless garlic products, widespread usage is more plausible. Six subjects with mildly high blood pressure (140/90 mmHg) were chosen and assigned to take a placebo for 10 days; followed by one-week washout, then vitamin C (2000 mg) for 10 days, a further week of wash-out period, then garlic tablets (650 mg of bulb powder) for 10 days. Finally, after the last washout, garlic and vitamin C were given together for 10 days. The daily vitamin C by itself did not have any effect on blood pressure, and garlic by itself turned out a decrease in systolic but not diastolic blood pressure. When the supplements were given together mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures reduced to reference values of 110-120 and 75-80 mmHg, respectively. Blood pressure increased when the combined supplement was stopped. The mechanism of action may be due to effects of garlic on the production of nitric oxide in endothelium cells (the cells that line the walls of blood vessels). Nitric oxide is used by the endothelium to signal surrounding muscle to relax, dilating the blood vessels and increasing blood flow. Further studies are needed to confirm these results. Nutrition Research
Herbs / Immune CareBlood Pressure - Garlic and Vitamin C Research |