Garlic and Vitamin C Duo Helps Reduce Blood Pressure

Research recently conducted by the Pharmaceutical Research Institute at the Albany College of Pharmacy, Albany, NY, has shown that a combination of garlic and vitamin C might prove an effective method of controlling moderately high blood pressure. The authors of this study, Adam Mousa and Shaker Mousa, published their findings in the Feb. 2007 issue of Nutrition Research (doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2007.01.001).

Previous research has shown that garlic, by itself, has a positive effect on cardiovascular health. In this research, the authors sought to determine the effects of garlic and antioxidants on marginally high blood pressure.

The researchers administered either the antioxidant vitamin C alone (2.0 grams per day), garlic alone (2.5 grams per day), or a combination of the two for a period of 10 days in human subjects with marginally high blood pressure. They also studied the effects of garlic extract and garlic ingredients (including alliin, allyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide); various antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, and a combination of vitamins C and E); and combinations of these on human endothelial cell nitric oxide production.

Results showed that vitamin C alone did not result in any changes in systolic or diastolic blood pressure, while garlic alone resulted in a significant lowering of systolicbut not diastolicblood pressure. However, administration of both garlic and vitamin C caused a distinct lowering of both systolic and diastolic blood pressures.