This balmy beverage is a part of the Amish (Christian group in North America) culture. According to their words, it treats many diseases and strengthens the immune system. The combination of its ingredients is very strong, and those who have tried it say the drink has a very strong effect.
This is the recipe they shared:
You need:
- 1 clove of grated garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- grated fresh ginger (1 piece)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 15 g of honey
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients, put them in a blender and blend them. Before use, leave the drink in the refrigerator for several days.
Use:
This natural remedy reduces cholesterol and acts against hypertension. Effects are best when the drink is consumed before breakfast and before dinner. This remedy can be consumed three times a day in equal doses.
You will experience the first results in a week.
What’s with the main ingredients?
Garlic
A recent journal article has claimed that taking garlic supplements can significantly reduce blood pressure in people who have high blood pressure.
The article did not publish new research but was a “meta-analysis” of previous research. That is, it compiled and analyzed previous studies to see if an overall conclusion could be drawn from their individual results.
The analysis identified 11 previous studies on garlic supplements and blood pressure. In most of these studies, participants took the garlic in powdered form, in doses ranging from 600 mg to 900 mg daily. The length of the studies ranged from 12 to 23 weeks.
Taken together, the various studies showed that garlic reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 4.6 mmHg. In people with high blood pressure, the average reduction in blood pressure was 8.4 mmHg systolic and 7.3 mmHg diastolic. The higher the person’s blood pressure at the beginning of the study, the more their blood pressure was reduced.
A 600mg dose of garlic powder contains 3.6 mg of allicin, garlic’s active ingredient. 900 mg contains 5.4 mg of allicin, whereas a fresh clove of garlic can contain anything from 5 mg to 9 mg of allicin.
This analysis makes interesting reading, as it certainly indicates that garlic can have an effect on blood pressure, even in people who have high blood pressure. The value of a meta-analysis is that it pulls together the results of different smaller studies to give an overall picture of what research is saying about a particular topic.
However, there is a lot more research that needs to be done before garlic could be recommended as a treatment for high blood pressure. Firstly, although the various studies lasted over periods of up to 23 weeks, there is no evidence to show that the effects of the garlic powder would last over the long term. Blood pressure medicines continue to have an effect for years, but at the moment, we do not know if daily garlic would have the same effect over a longer period.
Secondly, although this study shows that garlic can reduce blood pressure, it does not show whether this reduction in blood pressure leads to a reduction in heart attacks and strokes. Again, research has shown blood pressure medicines to be very effective in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. As the authors of this paper state, more research needs to be done to find out if garlic has the same effect.
Finally, the study looked at daily supplements of garlic powder, but the authors also show that garlic supplements contain less of the active ingredient, allicin, than a fresh clove of garlic. There is therefore a question about whether powdered garlic is the best option. Fresh garlic is an excellent flavoring for meals like pasta sauces, for example. If you are trying to reduce the amount of salt you eat, garlic can really help to boost the flavor of your food. So adding fresh garlic to meals may have been a cheaper, and possibly more effective way of getting the effects of allicin than paying for garlic supplements.
Source: Ried K et al., Effect of garlic on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis, BMC Cardiovascular Disorders 2008, 8: 13 (www.biomedcentral.com)
Lemon Juice
High blood cholesterol is a relatively common condition and one that is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and heart attack. Lemons are cholesterol-free — like all fruit — but they also contain various natural compounds that can help reduce the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice with lots of pulp likely has the most impact on cholesterol levels.
Like all citrus fruit, lemons are a very good source of vitamin C — also called ascorbic acid — which partially explains why they taste so tart. Vitamin C can help reduce the number of lipids and cholesterol in the blood, at least in test animals, according to a study published in a 2006 edition of the “Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences.” The researchers found that feeding vitamin C to rats for 30 days significantly reduced their total blood cholesterol, including “bad” LDL cholesterol. On the other hand, vitamin C did not increase “good” or protective HDL cholesterol in the blood. Regardless, the researchers concluded that administration of moderate to high doses of vitamin C may protect against atherosclerosis and hypertension. An 8-ounce glass of unpasteurized lemon juice contains about 94 milligrams of vitamin C, which is more than the recommended daily amount for adults.
Lemons contain numerous flavonoids, particularly eriocitrin and limonin, which are compounds that taste bitter and display some interesting health properties. According to a study published in a 2006 edition of the “Journal of Food Science,” daily consumption of eriocitrin significantly reduced total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids in the blood serum of rats. In a human study published in a 2007 edition of “Alternative Therapies,” men and women with high blood cholesterol were given flavonoids and vitamin E daily for four weeks and their total cholesterol levels were reduced between 20 and 30 percent. The researchers theorized that limonin reduces the production of apolipoprotein B, a substance in the liver associated with higher cholesterol levels.
Dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber such as pectin, is also associated with lowering blood cholesterol levels. A study published in the journal “Clinical Cardiology” found that people given daily amounts of citrus pectin — derived from grapefruit pulp and peel — for 16 weeks showed an average total cholesterol reduction of 7.6 percent and an average LDL reduction of approximately 11 percent. Whole lemons are a good source of citrus pectin, but lemon juice without any pulp doesn’t contain much of it — a little less than 1 gram per 8 ounces of juice.
Ginger
In a 2014 study, it is showed that ginger can lower your total cholesterol and triglycerides levels. A study from 2008 also showed that it can reduce LDL cholesterol levels and boost HDL cholesterol.
Reminder: It is best to always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard the advice of a medical professional.