Healthy Living
New Study Shows Garlic Helpful In Reducing Cholesterol
By David Perlmutter, MD, FACN
It is now certainly common knowledge that elevated serum cholesterol represents an important and modifiable risk factor for the development of cardiovascular as well as cerebrovascular disease. Attention to cholesterol through dietary modification, the use of nutritional supplementations, behavioral changes, and drug intervention is likely responsible for a significant decrease in incidents and mortality from these forms of vascular disease.
Garlic certainly represents one of the most commonly recommended nutritional supplements to help lower cholesterol and thus likely lessen the incidence of cardio and cerebrovascular disease. In an attempt to fully quantitate garlic's ability to lower cholesterol, researchers recently performed a double-blind study evaluating the effectiveness of aged garlic extract (Kyolic® garlic) compared to placebo in lowering serum cholesterol. The study group was comprised of 41 men with moderate elevations of cholesterol (220 - 290). After a four-week baseline period during which the subjects adhered to the National Cholesterol Education Program, Step One Diet, they were started on either 7.2 grams of Kyolic® garlic or an equivalent amount of placebo as a dietary supplement for a six month period of time. Serum cholesterol levels as well as blood pressures were followed during the entire study period.
The remarkable findings of this study, published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Neurology, revealed a reduction of total cholesterol of approximately 7% in the group receiving Kyolic® garlic. LDL (bad cholesterol) was reduced by 4.6% in the treated group compared to those receiving placebo. Further, another statistically significant finding was a 5.5% decrease in systolic blood pressure with a modest reduction of diastolic pressure in the group receiving the garlic extract. The authors concluded "our results show that aged garlic extract (Kyolic® garlic) is a safe supplement over extended periods of time and that it does not alter blood counts or change blood chemistry or thyroid function. Furthermore, our double-blind crossover study showed that garlic supplementation can produce significant reductions in total as well LDL cholesterol, but did not change HDL cholesterol and triaicylglycerol concentrations. In addition, blood pressure is beneficially affected by garlic administration."
Aged Garlic Extract (Kyolic® garlic) is by far the most widely studied garlic preparation available. Its beneficial effects on cholesterol as well as blood pressure are the reasons we utilize Kyolic® garlic exclusively at the Perlmutter Health Center.
For more information about Kyolic® garlic, contact Wakunaga of America at (800) 421-2998, or online at www.kyolic.com.