Dr. Mercola April 23 2005 18,736 views
Bad breath may be the price to pay for warding off high blood pressure in the lungs. According to research on rats, an ingredient in garlic was found to prevent pulmonary hypertension, a potentially deadly type of high blood pressure in the arteries that bring blood to the lungs.
The magic ingredient: Allicin.
Researchers explain the garlic ingredient allicin likely prevents pulmonary hypertension by causing the constricted blood vessels to relax, and by preventing damage to the blood vessels.
Positive, Preventative Effects of Allicin
To determine the ingredient's preventative effects, scientists first increased the risk of pulmonary hypertension in rats using a drug that triggers the constriction of the arteries feeding the lungs.
Some of the rats were given a powdered form of garlic that contained allicin; others ate boiled garlic that was void of the ingredient (it dissipates when exposed to heat through boiling). After three weeks, researchers found:
High blood pressure in the lungs was prevented in the rats that received allicin. Rats that ate the boiled garlic developed pulmonary hypertension, proving allicin as the key ingredient.
How Will These Findings Affect Humans?
For humans, pulmonary hypertension can lead to potentially fatal complications in the heart and blood vessels. And while consuming two cloves of garlic every day would equal that of the rats' dosage in the experiment, additional research needs to be done before doctors are able to recommend garlic to patients who have an increased risk of pulmonary hypertension.
Forbes.com April 3, 2005
Garlic is truly one of nature's most impressive foods and I am a big fan of it. Having antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties, along with a host of additional health-promoting characteristics, the benefits you can gain from garlic seem quite profound.
A great deal of research has been done on garlic, but the findings summarized in this research are new and provide some exciting news for those of you who may be suffering from pulmonary hypertension. If you are not familiar with the symptoms of this condition, they include:
Although primary pulmonary hypertension is a rare disorder with no known cause, secondary pulmonary hypertension (hypertension in the lungs caused by another problem in the body) is fairly common.
Secondary pulmonary hypertension is caused by a number of different lung disorders, including congestive heart failure, emphysema and sleep apnea.
Conditions such as these are often related to poor dietary and lifestyle choices, and thus are largely preventable.
Eating fresh garlic on a regular basis and following my Total Health Program would provide a powerful combination in the prevention and treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
Fresh Garlic--The Best Form to Use
Perhaps the most important notion supported by the research reviewed here is that only fresh garlic works.
Allicin, the active ingredient in garlic discussed here, is destroyed within one hour of smashing the garlic. This means that garlic pills are virtually worthless and should not be used.
Instead, when you use the garlic, compress it with a spoon prior to swallowing it, or put it through your juicer to add to vegetable juice. Just be careful not to put too much as raw garlic has a powerful flavor and can cause some unpleasant surprises. A single medium size clove or two is usually sufficient.
I am not a big fan of supplements, as I believe nutrients found in their natural state, i.e. food, are more beneficial to us than supplements containing isolated or synthetic nutrients.
It seems as if everyday new research comes out proving food is better, and the study discussed here continues that trend.
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Chicago, I'd like to know the answer to that one also.
I want to know the answer to roasted garlic also ? I love roasted garlic.
What about roasted garlic? Is the allicin destroyed when it is roasted?
Thank you.
i have read your article ,i dont know if it is hypertention that i was suffering from or not. when ever i speak on the phone,speak to someone about a certain subject, i would feel like my head would burst,behind my ears it would start bumping,i would get a pain in my left arm, and my heart would race.when i read this article, i immediatly took 2 cloves of garlic,today will be the third day i am taking garlic, i spoke on the phone today, and i did find a differince,but the feeling is still slightly there, i hope with time it will go away completely.this article was of great help to me.thank you veeeery much Dr Mercola
Dr Mercola,
i think i suffer from hypertention, ever since i started taking 2 cloves of garlic a day i feel more relaxed. i would like to know for how long should i take the garlic,and if the garlic cures the hypertention.i was reaching a point where i think i was going to die.this article has realy saved and helped me.i would realy appreciate an answer from you. thank you veeeery much Dr Mercola.
from, Rasheeda.
Can pulmonary hypertension be reversed?
I have had symptoms for over ten years - swollen ankles, pains in my thighs and legs, joint pain, severe chest pains right above the breast area, pain in my arms. And when I go for walks not only do I get out of breath quickly i begin to experience pain on the top of my shoulder and it radiates to my kneck. We have always been a one income family and never have health insurance. At one point we were really struggling financially and qualified for medicaid. I was then able to get an ekg, a stress test (I drank a solution and then went on a tread mill)and a check-up. All my tests came back "normal". Unbelievable. I know that I have suffered for over ten years. I have three beautiful children and a wonderful husband who takes great care of us. I am at the start of a change of diet and an exercise program. I know I've got to loose weight. The only news the doctors gave me was that I have high blood pressure and prescribed high blood pressure meds which don't lower my blood pressure. I wonder if it is pulmonary hypertension? I do have the swollen ankles and am thick around my middle. I also have a wheezing sound when I laugh. Any advice that I can follow at home?