A new Australian study (Dec 2018) published in Frontiers of Nutrition found Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract significantly reduces blood pressure in hypertensive patients similar to first-line standard anti-hypertensive medications ⁱ, but cautioned increasing garlic in your diet does not have the same benefitsⁱⁱ.

Researchers were also surprised to observe that the Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract patient group also experienced positive changes in pulse wave velocity, arterial stiffness, inflammatory markers and gut microbiota.

Associate Professor Karin Ried, research director at the National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Melbourne said the reduction in blood pressure was significant across the uncontrolled hypertensive patients, in both the patient groups on standard hypertensive medications and those on no medication.

“The mean blood pressure in patients taking 2 capsules a day, was reduced by 10 mmHg systolic and 5.4 mmHg diastolic, which is the same as standard hypertensive medications; we also observed individual patients whose blood pressure reduced by 40mmHg systolic from 160 to 120 mmHg, which is very significant,” said A/Prof Ried.

“More than 60 percent of patients on standard anti-hypertensives report adverse side effects ⁱⁱⁱ and doctors often find it difficult to balance their medications, but Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract can be used in combination with standard medications only producing minor side effects such as feeling bloated during the first week.”

“Unfortunately, increasing the amount of garlic in your diet does not lower blood pressure, because when you cook garlic it loses the active component, allicin,” she said.

A breakthrough finding researchers didn’t expect to find during the study was a marked improvement in gut health, which is correlated to cardiovascular health^iv.

“What we found amazing in this study was the patient group on Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract also had a marked increase in Lactobacillus and Clostridia, the good bacteria in the gut,” she said.

“While it wasn’t part of the study, we also found the gut health of patients was maintained after the study, indicating intake of Kyolic Aged Garlic, a prebiotic, has a sustained impact on gut health, compared to probiotics which need to be taken daily,” A/Prof Karin Ried said.

The study also found an improvement in arterial stiffness, which can benefit everyone.

“As we age our arteries stiffen, making it harder to oxygenate our blood and for our heart to function, but effectively Kyolic Aged Garlic made arteries more flexible, in the three month study, arteries became younger and rejuvenated by five years on average,” A/Prof Karin Ried said.

About Dr Ried 

Dr Karin Ried is an Associate Professor at the National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Melbourne. An adjunct A/Prof at Bond University on the Gold Coast and an honorary Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide. Learn more about Dr Ried: https://www.niim.com.au/research/academic-staff/aprof-dr-karin-ried.

The Study 

Ried, K, Travica, N & Sali, A, “Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract Improves Gut microbiota, Inflammation and Cardiovascular Markers in Hypertensives: The GarGIC trial”, Frontiers of Nutrition, 11 December 2018. (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2018.00122/full?utm_source=F-NTF&utm_medium=EMLX&utm_campaign=PRD_FEOPS_20170000_ARTICLE) (accessed online December 12, 2018).

About hypertension

• High blood pressure (140/90) is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease ^vi.
• Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke or kidney disease ^vii.
• Close to six million Australian adults have hypertension, representing 33.7% of adults ^viii.
• Approximately 25 percent of hypertensives are uncontrolled ^ix.
• Approximately 60 percent of patients on standard blood pressure medications have adverse side effects. ^x

J Nutr. 2006 Mar;136(3 Suppl):716S-725S. doi: 10.1093/jn/136.3.716S. Clarifying the real bioactive constituents of garlic.

References:

i. Ried, K, Travica, N & Sali, A, “Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract Improves Gut microbiota, Inflammation and Cardiovascular Markers in Hypertensives: The GarGIC trial”, Frontiers of Nutrition, 11 December 2018. (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2018.00122/full?utm_source=F-NTF&utm_medium=EMLX&utm_campaign=PRD_FEOPS_20170000_ARTICLE) (accessed online December 12, 2018).

ii. Amagase, H, “Clarifying the real bioactive constituents of garlic”, Journal of Nutrition, 2006 March; 136 (3 Suppl): 716S-725S. doi: 10.1093/in/136.3.716S.https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/136/3/716S/4664285 (accessed online December 13, 2018).

iii. Olsen, Harald, “Adverse Drug Reactions in Current Antihypertensive Therapy: a General PracticeSurvey of 2586 Patients in Norway”, Blood Pressure, Vol 8, July 8, 1999, Issue 2.  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/080370599438266 (accessed online December 5, 2018).

iv. Howitt, MR & Garrett, WS, “A Complex Microworld in the Gut: Gut Microbiota and Cardiovascular Disease Connectivity,” Nat Med, 2012: 18 (8):1188-9.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22869188 (accessed online December 5, 2018).

v. Ried, K, Fakler, P, “The Potential of Garlic (Allium sativum) in lowering high blood pressure: mechanisms of action and clinical relevance”, Integrat Blood Press Control 2014, 7, 71-82.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4266250/ (accessed December 5, 2018).

vi. Heart Foundation, ‘Get the Facts on Hypertension’,https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/images/uploads/main/HeartWeek_fact_sheet_for_professionals.pdf(accessed online December 5, 2018).

vii. ibid.

viii. ibid.

ix. Vital Signs: Awareness and Treatment of Uncontrolled Hypertension Among Adults – United States, 2003-201 CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 2012/61(35); 703-709.

https://www.cdc.gov./mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6135a3.html (accessed online December 12, 2018.)

x. Olsen, Harald, “Adverse Drug Reactions in Current Antihypertensive Therapy: a General Practice Survey of 2586 Patients in Norway”, Blood Pressure, Vol 8, July 8, 1999, Issue 2.  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/080370599438266 (accessed online December 5, 2018).