More Evidence In Favor of Garlic’s Cardiovascular Benefits

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More Evidence In Favor of Garlic's Cardiovascular Benefits

JoAnn Guest

Apr 06, 2007 14:06 PDT

 

More Evidence In Favor of Garlic's Cardiovascular Benefits

http://www.herbs.org/current/garliccardio.html

 

In the May 26 issue of Atherosclerosis, researchers reported on the

results of a four-year clinical study which found that garlic helps

prevent and, in some cases, even reverse plaque build-up in the

arteries. Arterial plaque is known to be a risk factor for heart

disease

and stroke. The study, which took place in Berlin, Germany, is the

longest ever to be conducted on heart attack risk reduction using a

dietary supplement. Based on the `heartening' results of this study

and

more than 20 others, researchers believe that powdered garlic may

have

both a preventative and a curative role to play in cardiovascular

disease.

 

During the 48-month treatment period, 152 men and women were

randomly

assigned to take either 900 mg of garlic powder or placebo each day.

From the beginning, all participants had advanced plaque

accumulation,

in addition to at least one other established risk factor for heart

disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes

mellitus, or a history of smoking. Researchers used high-resolution

ultrasound to measure the progression and regression of plaque

volume in

both the common carotid and femoral arteries.

 

At the end of the study, those who took garlic demonstrated a 2.6

percent reduction in plaque volume, compared to a 15.6 percent

increase

in the placebo group. When the effects were analyzed by gender, the

results for women initially took researchers by surprise. While

women in

the garlic group experienced a modest 4.6 percent decrease in plaque

volume, those taking placebo demonstrated a massive 53.1 percent

increase. Researchers attributed the striking difference to a higher

rate of dropouts from the female garlic group, due to " annoyance by

odor. " This led to a predominance of younger women in the placebo

group,

and more older women in the garlic group. Despite this unseen event,

researchers maintained that the 4.6 percent decline in plaque volume

seen in the female garlic group remains a " genuine garlic effect. "

 

Krista Morien, Herb Research NewsMore Evidence In Favor of Garlic's

Cardiovascular Benefits

 

 

JoAnn Guest

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