Fans of traditional medicine have heard a lot about the beneficial properties of garlic. The root vegetable is used to treat and prevent colds, increases the body's defenses, fights parasites and helps normalize blood pressure. The prevalence of diseases such as intracranial hypertension and arterial hypertension, every year more and more people are diagnosed with such diagnoses.
In this regard, many patients are interested in herbal medicine methods and ask whether garlic increases or decreases blood pressure. How to use this useful product to stabilize blood pressure levels, what recipes and contraindications exist. These questions will be answered today.
The benefits of garlic for hypertension
Many people know about the medicinal properties of garlic, but do not even realize that it is not only a spicy seasoning that can be used in the preparation of main courses and sauces. The effect of garlic on blood pressure was noted in ancient times by the famous physician Avicenna - he used it to treat not only hypertension, but also inflammatory and infectious diseases.
Eating large amounts of root vegetables is not always beneficial. To prevent possible complications and side effects, you must first learn about the beneficial properties of garlic. The use of the product in folk remedies recipes is due to its wide influence on the human body:
- improvement of digestive function;
- diuretic effect;
- elimination of bloating and colic in the intestines;
- eliminating spasms, relaxing smooth muscles;
- stimulation of sweat glands;
- disinfectant and antiseptic properties;
- vasodilation;
- use for high blood pressure (hypotensive effect);
- cleansing the body of parasites.
Eating garlic is good for people with diabetes, skin pathologies, anemia, atherosclerosis, dysentery.
The product increases the body's defenses and stimulates it to independently fight infectious agents.
Despite the fact that the smell of garlic is very pungent, its use in cooking and traditional medicine recipes brings excellent results.
Beneficial features
This plant contains more than 400 useful vitamin and mineral components that help fight viruses and various types of bacteria, and also strengthen the immune system.
By interacting with red blood cells, garlic releases a microscopic amount of hydrogen sulfide, which expands the lumen of blood vessels, making them elastic. As a result, blood flow improves and blood pressure decreases.
Eating it daily can help lower cholesterol levels. Therefore, garlic is deservedly considered an effective remedy for high blood pressure. To normalize high blood pressure, it is enough to add 500-900 milligrams of fresh product to the diet.
Chemical composition
Vitamins - B1, B6, B2, B5, B9, B12, C, E, PP, K, A and D;
- macroelements - potassium, calcium, silicon, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine;
- trace elements - aluminum, boron, vanadium, germanium, iron, iodine, cobalt, lithium, manganese, copper, molybdenum, rubidium, selenium, fluorine, chromium, zinc;
- proteins and amino acids;
- fats and fatty acids;
- carbohydrates;
- sterols;
- purine bases.
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How does the product affect blood pressure?
Many hypotensive people are interested in whether they can eat healthy root vegetables, how garlic affects blood pressure, whether it raises it or not. Naturopathic doctors answer that the product has rather hypotensive properties, that is, for patients with low blood pressure, consuming large amounts of garlic will not give the desired effect and this will not affect the increase in blood pressure. The hypotensive effect of garlic is explained by the presence of allicin essential oil in the root vegetable - thanks to the substance, hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide are produced.
These compounds play a leading role in relieving spasms from blood vessels and expanding the lumen of the arteries.
As a result of capillary expansion and tissue relaxation, it is possible to lower blood pressure by 8–10 mmHg. To achieve a hypotensive effect, it is not necessary to eat garlic in large quantities; it is enough to consume a clove in the morning and evening every day - such a dose of the product, consumed for two months in a row, is enough to eliminate the signs of hypertension.
We must immediately make a reservation - despite the fact that garlic reduces blood pressure, the effect of using folk remedies with the inclusion of spice in the composition does not always guarantee a cure for hypertension. Thus, the root vegetable will be practically powerless against a persistent increase in blood pressure levels, which is observed in a person for many years or throughout his life. A prerequisite is complex therapy of the disease, which includes the following points:
- following a diet with limited amounts of fatty, spicy and smoked foods;
- reducing the daily amount of salt consumed;
- taking medications for high blood pressure prescribed by your doctor;
- physiotherapeutic procedures.
Treatment of hypertension with garlic will be more successful if the patient follows the doctor’s instructions, takes antihypertensive medications and at the same time uses the root vegetable as an additional method of traditional therapy. It is not necessary to eat the root vegetable raw, if someone is not satisfied with its taste and smell, you can add spice to stewed and boiled dishes.
During heat treatment, garlic releases adenosine and achoene, substances that prevent the formation of blood clots in blood vessels and have an anticoagulant effect. Garlic for high blood pressure should be consumed simultaneously with an increased amount of apples, lemons, beets, milk, pumpkin, and grapefruit. All these products help saturate the body with vitamins, increase immunity, make capillaries more elastic and prevent their fragility.
A little about fat
Very often we think that fatty foods are harmful to us, that fats are the main sources of cholesterol, so we refuse fatty foods. But this is a mistake.
Saturated fats and trans fats are really harmful to our body. These are margarine, palm oil, cream sauces. But unsaturated fats in the form of vegetable oils or fish oil, on the contrary, are beneficial. They are found in sea fish, nuts, avocado, olive, rapeseed and other unrefined vegetable oils.
Fats are involved in the synthesis of hormones and the construction of cell membranes, so it is impossible to severely limit or exclude them from the diet, this will lead to a decrease in immunity and disruption of the process of cell renewal. But it is important to consume organic oils and avoid processed, refined oils and foods fried in them.
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Scientific research results
Adherents of alternative medicine claim that eating root vegetables reduces the risk of thrombosis, heart attack, and stroke; the same results are confirmed by reviews of people who used garlic to treat diseases of the cardiovascular system and to normalize blood pressure. However, this fact has not been scientifically confirmed.
Not long ago, scientists became interested in whether garlic really helps reduce blood pressure, improves circulatory function, and has a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels.
To find out whether many lovers of traditional treatment are justified in using garlic for hypertension, a cross-sectional study was conducted, which involved more than three hundred patients with severe signs of jumps in blood pressure levels. A large group of volunteers was divided into two parts. The first 150 people received 800 mg of garlic powder daily, which is 2.5 g in terms of fresh product. The second 150 people took a placebo without knowing it.
As a result, after a month the results were summed up:
- in patients taking garlic powder, systolic pressure levels decreased by 8–10 mmHg after a month;
- patients who took a placebo and convinced themselves that at the end of the experiment their blood pressure would drop actually showed results - their blood pressure dropped by 2-3 mmHg.
As it became clear, garlic affects blood pressure not only in its fresh form - for the complex treatment of hypertension, you can consume the root vegetable in boiled or stewed form, but also in the form of dry powder and garlic oil. The product is harmless to the body; in the initial form of hypertension, patients can get rid of it only with the help of garlic, and the medium and severe stages of the pathology require an integrated approach - traditional medicine alone will not be enough.
Reviews
Dmitry, 48 years old: “Work raises my blood pressure so much that I suffer all night. I started asking on forums who had tried natural remedies for blood pressure. They recommended garlic, but I thought, what benefit could there be? The doctor explained that this is also useful for lowering cholesterol - it won’t get any worse. I started using fried garlic according to the rules of an Uzbek cardiologist professor - now I feel much better!”
Olga Sergeevna, 63 years old: “I always approach folk remedies with caution, but I wanted to improve my body’s health. I have been suffering from hypertension for 10 years. I asked my neighbors whether garlic could increase blood pressure, how and what to use, because it was a long way to go to the doctor. My daughter explained something about cleansing blood and plaques. I eat this delicious spice every day, add it to salads and spread it on bread. I don’t know what he adds or subtracts there, but I noticed that I take pills only on rare occasions. I recommend it to everyone!”
Marina Ivanovna, 65 years old: “I have been suffering from hypertension for a long time, so I tried a lot of folk remedies for this scourge. Beetroot helps me to reduce blood pressure, but cooking garlic is much faster and more convenient. Onions cooked with medicinal herbs are also useful, but the taste is not very pleasant. Cranberries also help, but they are expensive. Therefore, garlic is my salvation throughout the year. I was able to switch to light medications.”
Recipes for lowering blood pressure
The consequences of hypertension, which is not treated in a timely manner, can be sad - such patients have an increased risk of developing heart attacks and strokes, blockage of blood vessels with atherosclerotic plaques, and increased cholesterol levels in the blood. To avoid complications and eliminate signs of hypertension, along with taking medications, it is recommended to consume fresh garlic and in traditional medicine recipes.
Garlic and beet salad
Few people realize that such a simple dish, often present on the dinner table, has a positive effect on the condition of the heart and blood vessels and helps lower blood pressure. Preparing the salad is simple - you need to boil a large beetroot until tender, grate it, season with a little salt, add chopped garlic. If desired, add sour cream or vegetable oil to the salad. Hypertensive patients are advised to prepare the dish at least 2-3 times a week.
Garlic broth
Preparing garlic broth is the easiest way to normalize blood pressure and ease the well-being of hypertensive patients. You need to take 20 g of peeled root cloves and pour 250 ml of boiling water. It is better to place the composition in a glass jar, which is then covered with a lid; the raw material should be infused for at least 6 hours in a row, after which the decoction can be taken orally, a tablespoon in the morning and evening.
Tincture
A medicinal tincture to combat blood pressure and hypertension is very easy to prepare at home. To do this, you need to prepare the following ingredients:
- 3 heads of medium-sized root vegetables;
- 3 medium-sized lemon fruits;
- liter of boiled water.
The lemons are ground together with the zest, the garlic should be peeled before chopping, and the ingredients are mixed. Then the composition is poured with the prepared liter of water and left in a dark place for 24 hours. After infusion, the composition must be filtered and poured into a clean container, take 2 tablespoons twice a day before meals, the course of treatment is 20–30 days.
Garlic with milk
The recipe for garlic with milk for blood pressure has been known for a long time - both components have a positive effect on the human body (strengthens blood vessels, prevents the formation of plaques on the walls of capillaries, tone, increases vitality).
Milk and garlic are also effectively used for blood pressure if the desired composition is prepared correctly. To do this, take a head of root vegetable, pour a glass of cow's milk and cook until the garlic is noticeably softened. Then the medicine is filtered. Garlic, softened and boiled in milk, is not used; it has already given all its beneficial properties to the drink.
But the strained composition must be taken before each meal, a tablespoon. The course of treatment with garlic milk is 2–3 weeks. The medicine may have a strange taste, but patients who have tried it to treat hypertension say that the remedy is very effective.
Garlic with lemon
This composition will not only normalize blood pressure, but also has a rather pleasant taste and smell. Take two medium-sized lemon fruits, a head of garlic and 200 g of natural liquid honey. First, all the juice is squeezed out of the lemon fruits, the squeezed pulp is not useful in the recipe, it can be thrown away, then chopped garlic is added to the juice (you can grate it, put it through a meat grinder or blender).
Then prepared honey is added to the resulting mixture and everything is thoroughly mixed, after which the container with the mass is hermetically sealed and sent to a cold place for a week. After 7 days, the composition is taken orally in a teaspoon at least 4 times a day.
Alcohol tincture
An alcoholic tincture of garlic allows you to gently reduce blood pressure; there is no need to fear the opposite effect. So, 40 g of fresh root vegetables are cleaned, then filled with pure 96% medical alcohol. In a hermetically sealed container, the composition should stand for at least a week, preferably in a cool, dark place. Periodically shake the container with the mixture to ensure uniform mixing.
The finished composition is filtered through cheesecloth and sung in a monthly course of 10-30 drops per dose, diluted in a third of a glass of boiled water.
An increase in blood pressure after consuming these compounds is not observed; on the contrary, its indicators gently decrease, especially while following a diet and taking antihypertensive drugs prescribed by a doctor. People with the initial form of hypertension after a course of treatment with garlic compounds note normalization of their condition, relief from headaches and a general improvement in well-being.
Three main microelements
Micronutrients are essential for heart health. The most important of them are potassium, magnesium and calcium.
Magnesium and potassium are trace elements that, together with the main inorganic chemical elements (calcium, sodium, chlorine, phosphorus, fluorine, sulfur, carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen) determine the ionic composition of the human body; without them, no chemical process can take place .
Magnesium and potassium control the electrical activity of the nervous tissue and conduction system of the heart, thereby ensuring the normal functioning of all cells, especially cardiac muscle cells, which determines the versatility of their effects on the body.
Potassium and magnesium are found in carrots, pumpkin, beets, parsley, spinach, walnuts, figs, dried apricots, and prunes. Calcium is found in milk, cheeses, beans and other legumes, nuts and dried fruits. In modern cities, it is impossible to obtain the required amount of potassium, magnesium and calcium from food from ordinary store products. Therefore, doctors recommend including supplements containing these microelements in your diet.
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Contraindications
Despite the undeniable benefits of the aromatic spice, not all hypertensive patients can use garlic. Like any product used for medicinal purposes, the root vegetable has its own contraindications.
So, you should not experiment with garlic formulations for patients with the following problems:
- peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;
- heart disease occurring against the background of increased heart rate;
- advanced gastritis with high acidity;
- pathologies of the renal system.
People with low blood pressure should also use garlic with caution, although the root vegetable does not pose any particular danger. Since it lowers blood pressure by only 10 mmHg, the condition of a hypotensive patient will not worsen sharply; weakness, drowsiness and dizziness may only appear.
Don't forget about the squirrels
Another very important component of our diet is proteins. This is the building material for all cells of the body, these are enzymes, these are hormones, and ultimately, this is life. As Friedrich Engels , life is a way of existence of protein bodies.
We can get proteins by eating eggs, poultry, veal, fish, soy and dairy products.
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Additional recommendations
Doctors say that not only pure garlic and tinctures on it help hypertensive patients normalize their well-being. Considerable benefits will come from consuming juices and dishes with the addition of a small amount of chopped root vegetables. The juices of carrots, beets and cucumbers are considered the most beneficial - they, like spices, help lower blood pressure, prevent heart and vascular diseases, and tidy up the walls of capillaries.
Juices and vegetable salads should be flavored with fresh herbs, such as parsley or spinach.
A person prone to surges in blood pressure can drink at least a liter of medicinal vegetable-garlic mixtures per day. A good effect for lowering blood pressure levels is provided by adding kiwi fruit to juices - if you add fruit pulp, a spoonful of squeezed garlic juice and chopped parsley to beet syrup, this composition will saturate the body with vitamins, strengthen the immune system and lower blood pressure. You can drink it 1/3–1/2 glass before meals twice a day.
As it became clear, garlic is not only an aromatic spice that gives dishes a piquant taste and smell, but also an effective medicine for gently lowering blood pressure. However, like any other product from the collection of folk recipes, garlic requires proper preparation and proportions. Before starting therapy, you should consult with your doctor about possible contraindications and allergic reactions to the ingredients of garlic formulations - this will avoid complications and increase the effectiveness of treatment.
Fast carbohydrates
The second important limitation is harmful carbohydrates: products made from white flour, white bread, pastries, cakes, pastries, cookies, waffles. If your diet is dominated by fast carbohydrates, this is a quick path to the development of atherosclerosis of blood vessels, including heart vessels.
When there are a lot of carbohydrates and they are not used as energy sources, the body begins to store them in reserve in the form of not only glycogen, but also cholesterol. Therefore, your daily diet should not contain more than 20% of fast carbohydrates. You can eat whole grain bread, high-fiber cereal products, buckwheat, millet, and barley.
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