Dr. Christopher D. Gardner and his team of researchers found that adults who had higher levels of LDL cholesterol (fats 'bad') above normal and a drink or a garlic supplement every day for 6 days per week within 6 months showed no change in LDL cholesterol or other blood fats significantly.
Garlic supplements or natural garlic in small doses showed no benefit in lowering blood lipids.
Garlic triggers the release of allicin, a chemical that inhibits the formation of cholesterol in a petri dish being examined in the laboratory. Many of the studies conducted on animals that show that garlic can lower cholesterol, but similar studies conducted on humans showed different results. Recent research using the allicin in higher doses than those used in previous research, and engage participants in greater numbers than almost all the studies that have been conducted
The biological activity of garlic may vary according to the formulation. Dr. Gardner and his team of researchers make comparisons between the three types of garlic (raw garlic, powdered garlic supplement, and garlic extract) with placebo in 192 men and women who had elevated LDL cholesterol levels are. The researchers took blood samples of participants every month for 6 months, and found no reduction in LDL cholesterol levels significantly in all groups.
However, Dr. Gardner added that garlic may help lower cholesterol levels in patients with more severe hypercholesterolemia than their research participants.
Additionally, garlic also has cardiovascular benefits, such as slow hardening of the arteries (arterioslerosis) or reduce the formation of blood clots.
Drs. Mary Charlson and Marcus McFerren of the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York wrote in an editorial that the study, "The results of this study did not demonstrate that garlic is beneficial in the prevention of heart disease and blood vessels." Besides, they add that further research is needed to find a protective effect against heart disease, which may be owned by the garlic.
