Garlic Benefits - Can Garlic Lower
Your Cholesterol?
If you are
wondering how to lower cholesterol
naturally, you may not be aware of how garlic benefits your cholesterol levels.
Garlic (Allium
sativum) is a plant closely related to the leek and the onion. Known for its
distinctive odor, it has also been designated the name “the stinking
rose." Garlic has a variety of useful purposes. It is mostly known for the
flavor it adds to a variety of foods. Additionally, garlic contains the
chemical allicin, which has been shown to kill bacteria and fungi, and
alleviate certain digestive disorders. It also lowers the clotting properties
of blood. But the most notable attention garlic has received over recent years
is its possible usefulness in lowering cholesterol levels.
Does Garlic Actually Work?
Garlic is
one of the most widely purchased herbal supplements used to lower cholesterol
levels. So, does it work? Yes and no. Most of the research studies involving
both animals and humans suggest that garlic can lower cholesterol levels. In
most of the studies that produced cholesterol lowering results, about one-half
gram or one gram of garlic was consumed a day. Additionally, it seemed that the
garlic lowered total cholesterol and triglyceride levels by up to 20 mg/dL in
humans. LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) levels were very modestly lowered
(if at all) whereas HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) was not affected by
the administration of garlic. The cholesterol-lowering abilities of garlic
appear to be dose-dependent. That is, the more garlic you take, the lower your
cholesterol will drop. In the very few studies that looked at the long-term
effects of cholesterol, it appears that the cholesterol-lowering effect of
garlic may be only temporary.
Additionally,
there is some debate as to which form (powder, extract, oil, tablet, raw) of
garlic is the best in lowering cholesterol levels. Some studies suggest that
garlic powder may have lower amounts of allicin, one of the active ingredients
in garlic. This, too, remains under debate.
It is
important to note that these studies are very conflicting. While there are many
studies that conclude garlic works well to lower cholesterol levels, there are
also other studies that conflict with this, contending garlic is ineffective in
lowering cholesterol. Therefore, until more studies are performed, garlic may
not be the best choice for you if you are solely relying on it to lower your
cholesterol.
What Should I Know About Taking Garlic?
Most of the
studies that examined the effectiveness of garlic on cholesterol used anywhere
from 500 –1000 mg of cholesterol in their study. The garlic preparations vary
widely, from powders used in tablets to raw garlic used in cooking.
- Be sure to tell your health
care provider that you are taking garlic supplements to lower your
cholesterol, since they may interact with certain disease conditions or
medications you are taking.
- The most notable side effect of
garlic is the presence of its persistent, distinctive odor being present
on your breath and body. Some commercial preparations may boast of
lowering this side effect, but you should still be aware that this
undesirable side effect might occur.
- Additionally, if you are taking
any type of blood thinner (anticoagulants like Coumadin®, warfarin) or need
surgery soon, you should not take garlic without first consulting your
health care provider because this may lower your ability to clot your
blood.
- Although there is not a
definite limit on how much garlic you can consume a day, some studies have
suggested that too much garlic may be harmful to your liver. One study
concluded that doses of garlic above 0.25 g/kg and above per day may harm
your liver. For instance, if you weighed 150 lbs, this would roughly equal
to consuming 70 grams of garlic today. This would be equivalent to eating
18 cloves of garlic or taking over 100 commercially available tablets (1
tablet = 400 mg).
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