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Alpine wild garlic & blood pressure

We all know about the healthy properties of garlic. That it is an immune booster, that it may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

High blood pressure is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and some 20 percent of the population suffers from it. Alpine wild garlic—Allium ursinum—may be a natural way to help you “relieve the pressure.”

According to author and nutritional researcher Dallas Clouatre, Ph.D., garlic is generally recognized as effective in cases of mild hypertension (high blood pressure), and alpine wild garlic may be the top garlic in this respect. Clouatre notes that “apline wild garlic reduces blood pressure through three different mechanisms. It contains twice the content of ajoenes and gamma-glutamyl peptides—two sets of blood pressure-lowering compounds—as regular garlic.”

Alpine wild garlic’s blood pressure lowering properties are born out in animal studies. Harry Pruess, M.D., who does research at George Washington University, has looked at garlic and blood pressure. Speaking of alpine wild garlic, Pruess comments, “The wild garlic had a dramatic response on the blood pressure. In rat studies, we saw a 20- to 30-millimeter drop in blood pressure, which is very significant. It is comparable to what we would see by using standard pharmaceuticals.”

How does this stack up to other garlic on the market? Pruess has also conducted studies comparing different concentrations of alpine wild garlic with regular garlic that are either high or low in allicin content. Allicin is thought by many to be the major “health-giving” substance found in garlic.

He says, “All types of garlic lowered blood pressure, but on a weight basis, the alpine wild garlic did a better job—it was definitely better than the two other garlic that we examined.”

Other alpine wild garlic benefits

Blood sugar

According to Clouatre, both garlic and onion have long been known to lower elevated blood sugar levels while improving insulin levels and increasing liver glycogen levels. This effect in regular garlic is usually attributed to the allicin content. However, it has been shown that S-methylcysteine sulphoxide—which is three times as common in alpine wild garlic as in regular garlic—is one of the active hypoglycemics found in onions.

Cholesterol

Much has been made of the ability of garlic to lower elevated serum cholesterol levels. Contemporary studies have indicated that the effects of allicin in lowering cholesterol are highly dependent on the availability of adenosine to the system (Nutrition 13 [1997]). Alpine wild garlic is quite high in biologically active adenosine, containing 20 times as much as regular garlic. Does this mean anything? Again according to Pruess, “There was also evidence that the alpine wild garlic raised the HDL cholesterol, the ‘good cholesterol,’ and on a weight basis.”

Odorless

When you take regular garlic, the oil-soluble principles cause an accumulation of odorous elements within the body, and eventually the body is saturated and the odors seep out through the pores and breath. According to Clouatre, alpine wild garlic is naturally odorless when taken by mouth. This is partially because it contains natural chlorophyll, while regular garlic contains none. This chlorophyll helps eliminate breath odor.