Can Garlic Reduce High Blood Pressure?

By Ray Sahelian, MD

Did you know that if you have hypertension and eat garlic or perhaps take garlic pills, your blood pressure could be slightly reduced? Doctors at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, CT reviewed several studies with garlic done in the last few years and concluded that the use of this herb, on average, can help systolic blood pressure drop by 16 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 9 mmHg.¹ The use of garlic apparently did not reduce blood pressure in those with normal blood pressure.

A review by another team of researchers at the University of Adelaide in South Australia found garlic reduced systolic blood pressure by 8 mmHg on average, and diastolic blood pressure by 7 mmHg.² Although the actual mg of pressure reduction is still not clear, it does appear that garlic consumption is of benefit to those with blood pressure problems.

The amount of garlic used in the studies was about a gram, providing about 5 mg of allicin, one of the active ingredients in this herb. Sulfides present in garlic are converted by red blood cells into hydrogen sulfide which helps to dilate blood vessels. If you have hypertension, you may consider eating more garlic or taking a garlic supplement. An average garlic clove weighs about 3 to 5 grams.

Those who are already on blood pressure medications are not likely to have significant side effects when adding fresh garlic to their diet. However, do discuss with your doctor that you are planning to take garlic and initially use only a small clove once a day.

Over time you can gradually increase the amount of garlic you use while you monitor your blood pressure. Hopefully, it may be possible to reduce the dosage of BP medications if the garlic helps reduce BP by a few points. Those concerned about garlic breath may consider taking odorless garlic pills.

References

1. Published Online, 18 November 2008, www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1L319.
2. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2261/8/13/abstract

[Ed. Note: Ray Sahelian, M.D. is a practicing physician and the best-selling author of Mind Boosters. He is a leading authority on natural supplements and nutrition. For the latest research on organic ways to improve your health and well-being, click here.]

Healthy Nutrition: 13 Eating Tips for a Healthier New Year By Candace Booth, ND, PhD, CNC, SHC

Whether you need to de-stress from too much holiday partying, or simply want to kick off the New Year right, these 13 healthy nutrition tips are a great way to start.

1. Drink warm water with lemon in the morning. A cup of warm water first thing in the morning goes right through the bowels and cleans out mucus from the day before.
   
2. Lubricate, don't flood. Your stomach needs to be lubricated, not flooded. When you drink fluids with meals, it means you drown or destroy digestive enzymes which in turn inhibit or strain digestion. Therefore, drink fluids, juices, or preferably water, 20 to 30 minutes away from meals.
   
3. Chew slowly. Chewing slowly gives the food in your mouth a chance to become liquefied as a result of mixing with enzymes from the saliva. Really learn to savor each mouthful. Feel the texture of the food and capture the flavor. The digestive process begins when your saliva comes in contact with your food as it is being chewed. The chewed food will pass more easily through the digestive tract for maximum nutrient uptake.
   
4. Eat when calm. Stress eating causes you to physically not be able to digest your food properly.
   
5. Not too hot -- not too cold. The temperature of food and drink entering your body affects the strength of your spleen, your energy battery, and other organs too. Ice cold drinks weaken the organs. Eating foods that are too hot (burn your palate) aren't much better, since they injure your mouth membranes, damage gastric stomach lining, and degrade taste buds. Room temperature water is best to drink.
   
6. Decorate your plate. Try and prepare meals that are attractive to your eyes -- this causes your brain to spur into action sending a message to salivary glands to secrete saliva which contains digestive enzymes.
   
7. Rotate your foods. Don't eat the same things every day. You don't need too much of one single food and it can often lead to food intolerance, allergies, or sensitivities. You will also nourish your body with a wider range of nutrients.
   
8. Listen to your body. Take note of the foods you crave. If you really want a specific food because of its color, smell, or feel, just enjoy and go with the attractions. It may be that your body needs something nutritionally contained within that food. We aren't talking chocolate cookies here! We are referring to all those healthy whole foods such as fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables, seasonings, etc. that are available at health food markets. Walk the produce aisle slowly and imagine your taste buds enjoying the flavor of each food. What looks good? What smells good? Which foods look healthy and robust? Savor the produce instead of looking at the high sugar/fat foods. Then make your choices. Notice how much difference there is in the foods you are buying compared to the week before.
   
9. Enzymes! Enzymes! Enzymes! Sprouted seeds, raw vegetables, raw fruits, nuts, and seeds are loaded with live enzymes, which are the key to feeding your body with living nutrition and assuring better nutrient absorption.
   
10. Break the fast. Always eat something healthy and substantial for breakfast. This is the time period when your stomach energies are at their strongest and your digestive juices are raring to go.
    
11. Don't sleep on a full stomach. Eat your last meal of the day at least 3 hours before bedtime. Try not to eat after 7 PM as a rule. When you eat too late, you stress your digestive system -- you cannot digest as effectively when you go to sleep on a full stomach. It's bad for your digestive organs, heart, and liver not to mention the sugar that will get stored as fat because you aren't burning off what you ate.
    
12. Choose as many colors as you can. Every color in the vegetable/fruit family -- red, orange, purple, green, yellow, dark green, etc. -- plays a role in building or detoxing the body/blood.
    
13. Drink your greens. Once a week, have a green juice drink made from a variety of vegetables and/or fruits. This drink will have a rejuvenating effect on your body -- it is a power surge for the blood because it will be rich in chlorophyll. It will purify the blood, build red blood cells, detoxify the body, and provide fast energy. Green juice is the perfect fuel for the body. Its high water content means it is easily assimilated, and it contains the whole vegetable except for the fiber, the digestible part of the plant.

[Ed. Note: Candace Booth has a natural health practice in Mt. Dora, Florida where she offers consultations in nutrition and overcoming disease symptoms with natural healing remedies. Her new book, How Much Fat Are You Carrying - The Ultimate Fat Loss Guide For People Who Are Sick of Diets is available on her website, www.Destinationhealthplus.com.]

Healthy Recipes: Hot Spinach Dip By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

This dip is a wonderful twist on a traditional recipe. The added chicken makes it higher in hunger-satisfying protein, while the water chestnuts add a great crunch. This is a great dip to offer your guests this holiday season. Try it out!

Time to table: 45 minutes

Serves: 12

Healing Nutrient Spotlight:
Excellent Source of vitamin A
Good source of vitamin C, calcium, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, manganese
Wheat, Dairy, and Egg Free

Ingredients*

1 10-oz. package frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and chopped
1 cup water chestnuts, chopped
2 3-oz. cooked chicken breasts, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 10-oz. package Vegan Gourmet brand mozzarella cheese
1 cup Follow Your Heart brand Grapeseed Oil Veganaise
1 tsp. liquid smoke flavoring (choose a gluten-free version and one that's been scrubbed and filtered to remove impurities; or you can add a few pieces of crumbled, pre-cooked nitrite-free bacon for a wonderful smoky flavor)

*Choose organic ingredients for optimal nutrition

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine spinach, water chestnuts, chicken, mayonnaise, cheese, onions, garlic, and liquid smoke in a large bowl. Mix well. Spoon mixture into a shallow glass baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until dip is bubbly and the edges turn golden brown. Serve with rice crackers, tortilla chips, or veggies.

Nutrition

225 calories, 6 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 20 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 4 g monounsaturated fat, 2 g polyunsaturated fat, 12 mg cholesterol, .6 g sugar,
2.4 g fiber, 1840 IU vitamin A, 2.06 mg niacin, .17 mg pantothenic acid, .13 mg vitamin B-6, 30 mcg folate, 6 mg vitamin C, 65 mg calcium, .7 mg iron,19 mg magnesium, .20 mg manganese, 125 mg potassium, 4.35 mcg selenium,
240 mg sodium, .26 mg zinc

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute (formerly part of Living Longer Institute). She offers personal nutritional counseling at LMI for clients who need help with their diet in relation to illness or disease. Laura also provides educational services in the areas of health promotion, wellness, and disease prevention. To learn more click here.]

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 12-23-08] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/