High levels of cholesterol are a major risk factor for heart disease. There is interest in using natural remedies to help lower cholesterol, including taking garlic. There are many types of garlic tablets available, but the research is inconclusive as to which garlic supplement is best for lowering cholesterol.
History
Garlic has been used for thousands of years as a spice, but it has also been used as a medicinal herb for nearly as long. Garlic was mentioned as a heart remedy as early as 2000 years ago in India and Rome, and has been a staple of herbal medicine since ancient times. In ancient and medieval times doctors prescribed garlic for improving circulation and cardiovascular function, and for treating heart disease.
Research
Research has shown that garlic supplements can lower cholesterol levels as well as affect other risk factors of heart disease. A 1994 article in the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London reported that garlic supplementation could reduce undesirable cholesterol levels by 12 percent over placebo, but more recent results have been mixed. A 2008 study published in the Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis found that 600 mg of daily garlic supplementation significantly decreases LDL ("bad") cholesterol and increases HDL ("good") cholesterol within 12 weeks of treatment.
Active Ingredients
There are a many active components in garlic. However the main ones seem to be allicin and aliin. Uncertainty exists about what amounts of these active components should be present in a good-quality garlic tablet supplement.
Controversy
Part of the disagreement about garlic's effectiveness in lowering cholesterol is due to the wide variety of supplements used in the studies. The components of various liquids, aged extracts, fresh extracts and time-release capsules can be different. Some are standardized to allicin content and some are not. Consequently, there is no consensus on which type of garlic is best for lowering cholesterol.
Recommendations for Use
Tablets are a popular alternative to high-dose garlic in the diet due to their ease of use and the development of odorless garlic supplements. These are significantly different from adding large amounts of raw garlic to the diet. However, experts disagree about which type of garlic--and what dosage--is best. For cholesterol-lowering effects, it is likely that a dose of at least 500 mg per day of a good-quality garlic supplement is necessary. Standardization to a content of allicin of anywhere from 2 to 5 percent may also be a useful indicator of quality.
Supplementing your diet with a known garlic product that has been studied in the research--examples include Kyolic or Kwai--may be better than unknown brands that may not have enough of the active ingredient to lower cholesterol.
Odorless Garlic
One of the most popular forms of garlic tablets is odorless garlic, which claims to have the same health benefits as other garlic supplements without causing any unpleasant odors. Yet some medical practitioners believe that if there is no scent, those components that provide the greatest health benefits are also absent. One way to get around the smell but keep the effectiveness may be to use enteric-coated capsules. These pass through the stomach intact, lessening undesirable odors and tastes.
Considerations
Garlic is a well-tolerated spice and its main undesirable effect is the powerful, lingering odor on the breath. Because garlic may cause gastric discomfort in some people after use, you might find it more tolerable to take a garlic supplement with food. There may be an interaction when taking garlic with blood thinners. If you have any concerns about contraindications heart medication, consult your doctor or pharmacist prior to taking any garlic supplements.
References
- "Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London"; Garlic as a lipid lowering agent - a meta-analysis; C. Silagy and A. Neil; January-February 1994
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; Garlic for Treating Hypercholesterolemia-- A Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials; C. Stevinson et al.; September 2000
- "Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis"; Lipid-lowering Effects of Time-Released Garlic Powder Tablets in Double-blinded Placebo-controlled Randomized Study; I.A. Sobenin et al.; December 2008
- "Natural Therapeutics Pocket Guide, 2nd Edition"; Daniel L. Krinsky et al.; 2003
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