Circulation

Nutrients improved blood pressure, arteries and gut balance

Garlic, vitamin B12, improved blood pressure and circulation Aged garlic extract (AGE) is as beneficial as blood pressure medication, and improves heart and circulatory health, according to this review of 12 clinical trials covering 553 participants with high blood pressure. AGE lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 8.13 and 5.5 mmHg, respectively, a finding similar to standard medications. Doctors also found new evidence that adequate levels of vitamin B12 improved blood pressure response to garlic extract. AGE also lowered blood pressure in the aorta, the large heart artery that pumps blood to the body; reduced artery stiffness; and increased levels of the probiotics lactobacillus and clostridia in the gut after three months on AGE. In a separate study of 104 men and women who took a placebo or 2,400 mg of AGE per day, after 12 months, calcification in the coronary artery was 8 percent lower in those taking AGE compared to placebo. AGE also significantly lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Reference: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies; April, 2020, Vol. 20, Article No. 132 Cinnamon improved systolic & diastolic blood pressure

In earlier studies, cinnamon reduced blood pressure, but results have been inconsistent. Here, doctors reviewed nine random controlled clinical blood pressure trials covering 641 participants. Overall, there was a general trend for cinnamon to lower blood pressure, with the most significant benefits in obese participants with body mass index scores of at least 30, who took a cinnamon supplement of up to 2,000 mg per day, for longer than eight weeks. In this group, those taking cinnamon saw an average decline in systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 5.17 and 3.36 mmHg, respectively. Doctors said cinnamon appears beneficial to blood pressure and suggest larger studies in those with high blood pressure. Reference: Clinical Nutrition ESPEN; April, 2020, Vol. 36, 10-16