Fact Check: Can Garlic help cure hypertension?

Claim: A social media post on Pinterest claims that Garlic can help cure Hypertension. The post mentioned several other health benefits of Garlic, such as relief from acne, lowering cholesterol, and curing earaches, colds and coughs. Among several benefits mentioned, one was a claim that it helps cure hypertension. The link to the claim can be accessed here.

Fact Check:

The claim is mostly false.

Demystifying Hypertension:

According to the American Heart Association, High blood pressure, or Hypertension, is when your blood pressure, the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels, is consistently too high. (1)

Hypertension, or high blood pressure may be classified as Primary and secondary. According to data provided by the World Health Organization, An estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30–79 years worldwide have Hypertension, most (two-thirds) living in low- and middle-income countries. Less than half of adults (42%) with Hypertension are diagnosed and treated. Approximately 1 in 5 adults (21%) with Hypertension have it under control. (2)

Causes of Hypertension:

There is no clear, precise cause of high blood pressure. However, some things may increase the risk. Things that can increase your risk of getting high blood pressure include being overweight, overeating salt, not eating enough fruit and vegetables, less physical activity, consuming too much alcohol or coffee (or other caffeine-based drinks), smoking, stress, and old age. (3)

Can Garlic help cure Hypertension?

There is presence of many scientific evidence that shows that garlic can be helpful in lowering blood pressure. A study by Karin Ried showed that a meta-analysis of 12 trials involving 553 hypertensive participants showed that garlic supplements could lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) by an average of 8.3 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 5.5 mmHg. These reductions are comparable to those achieved with standard anti-hypertensive medications, indicating that garlic supplements may reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients. (4)

Another study by Ried et al mentioned that while garlic supplementation reduced BP significantly in hypertensive patients, it did not appreciably affect patients with normal BP.45, 47–49 In addition, response to and effectiveness of garlic supplementation appears to be dependent on individual genetic and dietary factors, with SBP (systolic blood pressure) reductions of up to 40 mmHg in responders and a proportion of 25%–33% non-responders, independent of garlic dosage, in a 3-month trial. (5)

While these findings suggest garlic can be a valuable non-pharmacological intervention for hypertension, it's important to remember that "cure" might be too strong a term considering the complexity of hypertension management.

Can Hypertension be cured?

No, hypertension can't be cured. American Medical Association stated, " While there is no cure for high blood pressure, it is essential for patients to take steps that matter, such as making effective lifestyle changes and taking BP-lowering medications as prescribed by their physicians." (6)

Expert Opinion:

On speaking to the Medical Dialogues team, Dr Amit Patil, consultant cardiologist Apollo Spectra Mumbai, clarified," According to studies, Garlic tends to carry properties that reduce Hypertension. The evidence suggests that Garlic contains allicin, a compound known to have blood pressure-lowering effects. Garlic supplementation is known to lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure in individuals with Hypertension. However, taking Garlic in controlled quantities is essential as it can do more harm than good. Overconsumption of Garlic can lead to side effects, and one will have heartburn, gas, and diarrhoea. It is better to speak to an expert who will guide you regarding the quantity in which you need to have it. Though, try to include it in soups, sabzis, curries."

Dr Rishi Bhargava, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Medicover Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, further  clarified, "Garlic cannot 'cure' Hypertension. There's some evidence to suggest that Garlic can lower your blood pressure. However, the data comes from studies with small sample sizes. Another important aspect is that Garlic needs other factors like vitamin B12 to work for the intended benefit of Hypertension and is not solely responsible for BP-lowering effects. Also, there is no adequate data about garlic supplements' recommended quantity and safety. So it better to continue using Garlic in our diet as usual and not try to replace medicines for BP till adequate data about the safety and efficacy of Garlic is available in the treatment of Hypertension."

Medical Dialogues final take:

There is evidence that suggests the potential benefit of Garlic in reducing blood pressure, however the word cure has to be taken seriously as there is no cure for hypertension. Hence, the claim that Garlic can help cure Hypertension is mostly false.

REFERENCES:

1. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure/what-is-high-blood-pressure.

2. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension.

3. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/causes/.

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6966103/.

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3561616/.

6. https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/hypertension/patients-can-take-these-steps-lower-their-high-blood-pressure#:~:text=While%20there%20is%20no%20cure,as%20prescribed%20by%20their%20physicians.