High Cholesterol Drugs and Supplements Part 7 - Garlic

Jun

6

High Cholesterol Drugs and Supplements Part 7 - Garlic

≡ Category: Aging Problems, Cholestoral, Diet, Practice, Practice, Supplements, Theory, Theory |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

GARLIC & CHOLESTEROL

Believe it or not, garlic has a substantial effect on cholesterol levels, but you would need between 1 to 4 cloves of fresh garlic a day to achieve a significant therapeutic result. Fortunately, the compounds in garlic responsible for its therapeutic benefit can be isolated in pill form.

However, in order to be effective, the supplement must supply the equivalent of 4,000 mg of fresh garlic, not aged garlic. Aged garlic has been proven not to be as effective (A double-blind crossover study in moderately hypercholesterolemic men that compared the effect of aged garlic extract and placebo administration on blood lipids, Am J Clin Nutr. 1996 Dec;64(6):866-70).

On the other hand, a study done at the Clinical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana showed that treatment with standardized fresh garlic of 900 mg a day resulted in a drop of 11% in LDL (the bad cholesterol) (Can garlic reduce levels of serum lipids? A controlled clinical study, Am J Med. 1993 Jun;94(6):632-5).

So, if you wanted similar results, you could either take 900 mg a day of a standardized fresh garlic supplement or 1 to 4 cloves or fresh garlic a day.