Benefits of garlic for the heart

Garlic contains active compounds that can reduce blood pressure

Cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke are responsible for more deaths than other conditions (1).

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the most critical factors that may lead to these diseases.

Human studies have found garlic supplements to significantly reduce blood pressure in people with high blood pressure (2, 3, 4).

In one study, 600–1,500 mg of aged garlic extract was just as effective as Atenolol at reducing blood pressure over 24 weeks (5).

Supplement doses must be pretty high to have the desired effects. The amount needed is equivalent to about four cloves of garlic per day.

It helps in reducing stress

Garlic includes antioxidants that are helpful for the body and the heart. A high intake of garlic increases the antioxidant enzymes in the body and reduces oxidative stress, which also causes hypertension. So including garlic in your diet can help cleanse the body and relieve hypertension.

Garlic improves cholesterol levels

Garlic can lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

For those with high cholesterol, garlic supplements appear to reduce total and LDL cholesterol by about 10–15% (6, 7, 8).

Looking at LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol specifically, garlic appears to lower LDL but has no reliable effect on HDL (9, 10, 11, 12, 13).

The best drink to support the heart

This section will show you how to make garlic water at home. What you do is:

· Crush one clove of garlic

· Put the crushed garlic in 8–12 ounces of water.

· Add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil.

· Allow the whole mixture to sit for about 15 minutes because you want all the phytonutrients released from the garlic after you crush it.

The extra virgin olive oil helps to facilitate the absorption of some of these nutrients since they are fat.

· Drink up your garlic water.

Here’s an important point to note. Garlic water isn’t just meant for drinking. You can add it to your food or take it as a supplement. There are probably more than 100 ways to take garlic.

However, ensure that you don’t take the Chinese version of garlic because they grow with chlorinated chemicals and sometimes use sewage as their fertilizer.

You’re better off getting them locally, or you grow them yourself.

Takeaway

For thousands of years, garlic was believed to have medicinal properties. Finally, science is now beginning to confirm it.

If you’re taking blood-thinning medications, talk with your doctor before drastically increasing your garlic intake.

If you’re looking to reap the beneficial effects of garlic, first, you can increase your garlic consumption by adding more raw garlic to your diet. For example, you can add fresh garlic to salads, egg scrambles, healthy dressings and sauces, and meat dishes. Or, if you’re feeling hardcore, you can eat whole garlic cloves.

Disclaimer: Dr. Berner does not diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical diseases or conditions; instead, he analyzes and corrects the structure of his patients with Foundational Correction to improve their overall quality of life. He works with their physicians, who regulate their medications. This blog post is not designed to provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment, or services to you or any other individual. The information provided in this post or through linkages to other sites is not a substitute for medical or professional care. You should not use the information in place of a visit, consultation, or the advice of your physician or another healthcare provider. Foundation Chiropractic and Dr. Brett Berner are not liable or responsible for any advice, the course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services, or product you obtain through this article or others.