Garlic prevents pulmonary hypertension, study finds

Rats treated with allicin did not develop hypertension, while those that did not receive allicin did develop the condition. Researchers say that garlic is non-toxic and so adding it to a human diet is a reasonable approach. A human would have to eat two cloves of raw garlic daily to match the dose used in the study.

• An ingredient in garlic has been shown to be effective in preventing rats from developing a severe form of pulmonary hypertension, a kind of lung disease.
• Consuming garlic or even supplements, has long been asssociated with medicinal properties, such as reducing blood pressure and cholesterol to treating different types of cancer.
• The new study, by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers suggests small daily doses of allicin, the active chemical ingredient in garlic, appears to improve blood circulation in the lungs of rats and assist breathing.
• The team reported their findings Saturday at the Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego.
• For their study, researchers gave rats a chemical known to induce a form of high blood pressure in the lungs.
• Within three weeks half the rats had developed chronic pulmonary hypertension, with increased pulmonary arterial pressure.
• However, the half that received small daily doses of allicin, experienced no such increase.
• Study co-author David Ku said garlic isn't toxic, so adding it to one's daily diet is a reasonable approach, especially for people with respiratory and pulmonary ailments.
• Humans would have to eat two cloves of raw garlic a day to obtain the equivalent amount of allicin given to rats in the study.