Garlic trials reported lower blood pressure, with unclear effect-size units
A review of hypertension trials reported blood pressure reductions and some adverse effects, but the abstract does not explain the numerical scale well enough to judge their size.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The pooled trials reported statistically significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure with garlic interventions compared with controls. However, the abstract labels the estimates only as effect sizes, leaving their clinical magnitude unclear. Adverse reactions were slightly more frequent with garlic, but that difference was not statistically significant; stomach discomfort and bad breath were commonly reported.
This abstract-based account cannot translate the unspecified effect-size scale into blood-pressure units. Duration reporting across trials is incomplete, and participant numbers and detailed comparisons are missing. Subgroup findings cannot establish an optimal dose or duration.
What the review compared
Eligible trials enrolled people with hypertension and tested garlic products against medication or placebo. The abstract lists these control types without separate results, so it does not show how garlic performed against each option.
Interpreting subgroup results
The authors examined whether results varied with participant characteristics, formulation and duration. Statistical significance within selected subgroups does not demonstrate that those subgroups benefited more than others or that a particular regimen was superior.
The original publication
Meta-analysis on the safety and efficacy of long-term garlic consumption as an adjunctive treatment for hypertension.
Tang Y, Lei Y, Xu M et al.
Front Nutr · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41393949
- Record checked
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