The short answer
Possibly, as an added fall in blood pressure. In a 12-week placebo-controlled trial, people whose blood pressure stayed high despite their medicines took aged garlic extract capsules alongside them. In those who started with a systolic pressure of 140 or more, it fell about 10 mmHg more than with placebo.
The trial had 50 people and does not show how often pressure drops too low. We found no study of garlic changing the levels of telmisartan, amlodipine or any other blood pressure drug. If you take a blood pressure medicine and want to take garlic supplements, tell your prescribing doctor, and keep a home blood pressure record.
Sold in India as Telma (telmisartan), Amlong (amlodipine), Cardace (ramipril), Met XL (metoprolol) and Aquazide (hydrochlorothiazide), among others.
At a glance
| What was seen | How it may work | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systolic pressure about 10 mmHg lower than placebo in people starting at 140 or above (aged garlic extract)[1] | Added blood pressure lowering | More lowering on top of blood pressure medicines | RCT |
No listing is not a clearance. A missing interaction here never means a combination is safe.
The evidence, study by study
Placebo-controlled trial in treated hypertension, 2010 RCT
Fifty people whose blood pressure was not controlled by their medicines took aged garlic extract (960 mg a day, with 2.4 mg S-allylcysteine) or placebo for 12 weeks, without stopping their usual drugs. In those who started with a systolic pressure of 140 or more, it ended 10.2 mmHg lower than in the placebo group; below 140 there was no significant difference. Ninety-two percent found the capsules acceptable. The trial was small, and it tested one aged extract, not garlic in food.[1]
What your doctor may watch for
- Home blood pressure readings.[1]
- Light-headedness or dizziness, which your doctor may want to know about.[1]
What to tell your prescribing doctor
You can read this out, or show them this page:
“I take a blood pressure medicine (name and dose), and I am taking, or planning to take, garlic (capsules, oil, extract or raw cloves, and how much). In a trial, aged garlic extract lowered blood pressure further in people on medicine. Should I check my blood pressure at home more often, and what reading should make me call you?”
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Is garlic in my food the same as garlic capsules?
No. The trial used capsules of aged garlic extract, not raw or cooked garlic. Nobody has measured whether garlic in everyday food adds to blood pressure medicines in the same way.[1]
Would taking garlic at a different time from my BP tablet help?
No study has tested a time gap. The trial measured the combined effect on blood pressure over 12 weeks, so ask your doctor rather than relying on timing.[1]
Related
Garlic and blood thinners (warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel)
Health agencies warn garlic supplements may raise bleeding risk. Two small studies on warfarin found no effect, but they cannot rule out rarer bleeding.
InteractionGiloy and blood pressure medicines
No study has tested giloy with blood pressure medicines. Giloy has its own, separate risk of liver injury, documented in Indian patients.
InteractionArjuna and blood pressure medicines
Arjuna capsules lowered blood pressure further in people taking telmisartan, in one small 28-day trial. Other BP drugs are untested.
InteractionAshwagandha and blood pressure medicines
We found no study of ashwagandha with a named BP medicine. A US health agency lists BP drugs among those it might interact with.
Sources
Awaiting review by The Good Vaidya Medical Board. Prepared from the sources below and checked against each one.
Published 4 November 2026 · Last updated 4 November 2026
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