Email a Friend
Print ArticleCholesterol Management Health Center
This article is from the WebMD News Archive
Garlic May Not Lower Cholesterol
Feb. 26, 2007 -- Garlic may not improve the cholesterol profiles of people with moderately high levels of "bad" cholesterol, a new study shows.
The researchers tested raw garlic and two different garlic supplements on nearly 200 adults with moderately high levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
After six months, the patients showed no improvements in their average cholesterol or other blood fats (lipids), no matter what kind of garlic they had consumed.
"Garlic supplements or dietary garlic in reasonable doses are unlikely to produce lipid benefits" in people with moderately high LDL cholesterol levels, write the researchers.
But "the jury is still out" about whether garlic prevents heart disease, states an editorial published with the study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Too Much 'Bad' Cholesterol
Poor cholesterol levels are among the risk factors for heart disease.
Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Here are the optimal levels of cholesterol, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute:
- Total cholesterol should be below 200 mg/dL.
- LDL ("bad") cholesterol should be below 100
- HDL ("good") should be 60 or higher
The 192 people who took part in the garlic study had less-than-ideal cholesterol profiles:
- LDL levels ranged from 130-190. Average total cholesterol: about 227.
- Average LDL cholesterol: about 150.
- Average HDL cholesterol: about 55.
None had heart disease or diabetes. They didn't smoke and weren't taking any drugs to treat cholesterol or blood pressure.
Don't know your cholesterol level? A simple blood test can show you where you rank. Diet, exercise, and medications can help control cholesterol.
Garlic Study
The researchers included Stanford University's Christopher Gardner, PhD.
They gave participants sandwiches to eat and pills to take six days per week for six months.
Participants were split into four groups. One group got sandwiches that included four to six cloves of crushed raw garlic. They took sham supplements containing no garlic or other active ingredients (placebo pills).
Another group got garlic-free sandwiches and took Garlicin, a powdered garlic supplement.
The third group got garlic-free sandwiches and took Kyolic, an aged garlic supplement. The fourth group got garlic-free sandwiches and placebo pills.
Extensive tests show that all three forms of garlic contained comparable amounts of allicin, a compound studied for possible anticholesterol effects.
Participants had their cholesterol checked monthly throughout the six-month study.
del.icio.us
Research shows high cholesterol can lead to strokes for women in their 50's and even younger.
