Doctors have claimed through new study that garlic can tackle modern day epidemic of heart disease. Just twelve weeks of treatment with garlic tablets significantly reduce the blood pressure and cut the risk of heart attack and stroke. Doctors claimed that people with hypertension could manage their state better by adding garlic to conservative medication.
In a study trail researchers from the university’s general practice department gave capsules of garlic to patients suffering hypertension. Patients who took garlic supplement daily had shown much lower reading after the period of twelve weeks. When blood pressure reading surpasses 140/90 millimeters of mercury, is considered as hypertension.
Patients whose reading was above 140mmHg had shown a drop in 10.2 lesser on as normal than a control group who took a dummy pill. Garlic supplement had reduced the level of blood pressure of some patients down to a healthy level.
The reduction is significant clinically because drop in systolic blood pressure by 5mmHg decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease by eight to twenty percent, said lead researcher Dr Karin Ried from the University of Adelaide, Australia. Garlic is believed to have an antihypertensive effect as it triggers the production of certain chemical matters known as nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S).
The two chemicals help to relax blood vessels. Supplement pill containing extract of garlic were used in trails as they were made in proscribed conditions for reliable strength. Researchers thought that cooked garlic did not as effective as raw because when heated much the active constituent called allicin of garlic is destroyed.
Tablets of garlic are certified as medicine in Germany and are prescribed extensively to combat atherosclerosis. It is the hardening of arteries that escort to heart attack and stroke. Since long garlic has been a foundation for herbalists and was presumed to ward off the plague in the Middle Ages.