All(ium) Hail Garlic for Treatment of Hypertension!
Garlic (Allium sativum) is touted as a safe and effective treatment for hypertension, believed to have cardioprotective properties and antihypertensive effects. But is this true? This short article will examine the medical evidence and draw some conclusions.
Hypertension 101
Hypertension (or high blood pressure) is a serious medical condition that affects an estimated 1.4 billion adults worldwide in 2024 – 33% of the population in this age range. Furthermore, of those with the condition, an estimated 600 million adults (44%) are unaware that they have it, and only 23% of those who are aware and undergoing treatment have their condition under control. In the UK, an estimated 1 in 3 adults don’t know that they have this serious condition – and in some cases will only find out after they suffer a major health event, such as heart attack or stroke. By this point, it may be too late, as irreparable damage could already have been done.
Risk factors for hypertension include age, ethnicity, excess dietary salt, being overweight, smoking, excess alcohol and stress. Interestingly, research is emerging that suggests having severe PMS could be a factor as well. Although treatments may range from lifestyle changes to taking medication, the old adage that ‘prevention is better than cure’ rings true. In this case, following a healthy lifestyle can have a significant impact when it comes to managing risk.
Garlic: useful against vampires and hypertension
Recent analysis of clinical trials data has shown that when taking garlic supplements, hypertensive subjects saw an average decrease in systolic blood pressure of 8.7 mmHg alongside an average decrease of diastolic BP by 6.1 mmHg.
Kyolic garlic is an aged garlic extract prepared by soaking slices of garlic in ethanol for up to 20 months, which is then filtered and concentrated. This garlic extract is generally considered safe to consume, although there are some questions around its interaction with blood thinners such as aspirin and warfarin, and the possibility of mild gastrointestinal side effects in some individuals. The good news is, it doesn’t smell.
Various clinical trials have been undertaken with Kyolic garlic to ascertain its antihypertensive effects.
- A trial from the University of Adelaide published in 2010 showed Kyolic garlic to be a useful treatment for patients with uncontrolled hypertension, who were taking antihypertensive medication.
- Another trial by the same group showed that a dose of 2 capsules/day (or 480mg) was sufficient to achieve an average blood pressure-lowering effect of 10 mmHg systolic, within 2–3 months. Higher dosing had no additional effects.
- On the non-Kyolic side, treatment of patients with time-released garlic powder pills was compared with regular garlic ones. The time-released garlic powder pills was deemed more potent in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension than regular garlic supplements, but both offered reduction in systolic blood pressure.
- Finally, Kyolic garlic has been shown to be effective at reducing arterial stiffness, which in turn reduces blood pressure, positively impacting other key cardiovascular biomarkers as well.
In addition to the reported antihypertensive effects, many preclinical studies suggest that aged garlic extract may be beneficial for Alzheimer’s disease, although it should be noted that no robust human trials have been conducted. Finally, there have been reports of Kyolic garlic extract having positive benefits on the gut microbiome, improving microbial richness and diversity, which itself has been suggested to have a beneficial effect on your BP.
This article is for educational purposes only and does not contain, nor replace, medical advice. Consult your physician before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
FAQs
Can garlic help me lower my blood pressure?
Yes – the data certainly seem to suggest that it does. It also indicates that aged garlic extracts are the best, the hypothesis being that the (S)-allylcysteine present interacts with various vasodilator pathways (which makes blood vessels wider).
Will I smell terrible?
Not if you take aged garlic extracts. Again, this is due to the presence of (S)-allylcysteine. The allyl group on the sulphur makes the molecule less volatile, meaning it’s less likely to smell.
How can I monitor my blood pressure to see if garlic extracts has an effect?
There are two ways you can monitor your blood pressure at home: through using either an inflatable cuff or wearable technology. While inflatable cuffs are widely-used, there are some drawbacks in that data collection can be slow, and only shows a snapshot in time. Once set-up, the Hilo Band allows cuffless, continuous monitoring all day, every day, without any additional input from the user. Data are processed in the Hilo App and presented in an easy-to-read fashion, allowing you to quickly see if extra garlic shifts your blood pressure trends and patterns for the better.
Sources
Potential benefits of garlic and other dietary supplements for the management of hypertension (Review) (2019). T. Matsutomo, Exp. Ther. Med., 1479. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2019.8375
High blood pressure. National Health Service (NHS), UK. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-blood-pressure/ (Accessed May 2026)
Hypertension. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension (Accessed May 2026)
Blood pressure facts and figures. Blood Pressure UK. https://www.bloodpressureuk.org/news/media-centre/blood-pressure-facts-and-figures/ (Accessed May 2026)
Premenstrual Syndrome and Subsequent Risk of Hypertension in a Prospective Study (2015). E. R. Bertone-Johnson, B. W. Whitcomb, J. W. Rich-Edwards, S. E. Hankinson, J. E. Manson, Am. J. Epidemiol., 182, 1000. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwv159
Garlic Lowers Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Individuals, Regulates Serum Cholesterol, and Stimulates Immunity: An Updated Meta-analysis and Review (2016). K. Ried, J. Nutr., 146, 389S. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.114.202192
Aged garlic extract. Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. https://www.alzdiscovery.org/uploads/cognitive_vitality_media/Aged_Garlic_Extract.pdf (Accessed May 2026)
Aged garlic extract lowers blood pressure in patients with treated but uncontrolled hypertension: A randomised controlled trial (2010). K. Ried, O. R. Frank, N. P. Stocks, Maturitas, 67, 144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2010.06.001
Aged garlic extract reduces blood pressure in hypertensives: a dose–response trial (2012). K. Ried, O. R. Franks, N. P. Stocks, 67, 64. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2012.178
Time-released garlic powder tablets lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure in men with mild and moderate arterial hypertension (2009). I. A Sobenin, I. V. Andrianova, I. V. Fomchenkov, T. V. Gorchakova, A. N. Orekhov, Hypertens. Res., 32, 433. https://doi.org/10.1038/hr.2009.36
The effect of aged garlic extract on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors in uncontrolled hypertensives: the AGE at Heart trial (2015). K. Ried, N. Travica, A. Sali, Integr. Blood Press. Control, 9. https://doi.org/10.2147/IBPC.S93335
Does the Composition of Gut Microbiota Affect Hypertension? Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Increasing Blood Pressure (2023). J. Tokarek, E. Budny, M. Saar et al., Int. J. Mol. Sci., 24, 1377. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021377
Hilo. Hilo. https://hilo.com/en-gb/products/blood-pressure-monitor (Accessed May 2026)
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About the medical reviewer
Dr Sarah Skennerton
GP, United Kingdom
About the author
Piotr Kudela
Website Editor, Growth Marketing by Aktiia