US Researchers Say Garlic Does Not Lower Cholesterol

Cholesterol is essential for healthy cells, it keeps cell membranes pliable which helps nutrients, hormones and waste products to pass in and out of cells.

A new US research study shows that garlic does not lower cholesterol, contrary to popular belief.

The study is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The scientists, led by Dr Christopher Gardner at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, California, tested raw garlic and two well known garlic supplements in adults with moderately elevated levels of LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

They found that despite the widespread claims, none of the three forms of garlic lowered cholesterol.

Dr Gardner said that the only way to lower bad cholesterol is to maintain a good diet. Pills and herbs can't undo the damage of unhealthy eating.

Previous studies on the efficacy of garlic have given conflicting results. Some claim it lowers cholesterol, others say it has no effect.

The Stanford researchers used raw garlic and two kinds of garlic supplement because the phytochemical composition of garlic varies widely.

Phytochemicals are compounds in edible plants that are not essential nutrients for the body to function but have a beneficial effect, particularly for relieving symptoms of illness and fighting disease.

Garlic contains the chemical compound alliin which on crushing becomes allicin, a non-essential amino acid, with antibiotic and antifungal properties that has been shown to dissolve cholesterol in test tubes.

Allicin is unstable and degrades on cooking, which is one reason garlic is often available as supplements.

Gardner and colleagues recruited 192 adults with slightly elevated LDL cholesterol levels, classed as "moderate hypercholesterolemic". The concentrations of LDL in their blood ranged from 130 to 190 mg/dL. Patients with higher LDL levels would be on cholesterol-busting drugs like statins.

The participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups. One group was tested with raw garlic, another with powdered garlic supplement, a third with aged garlic extract supplement, and the fourth group took a placebo.

The garlic consuming participants took a dose equivalent to an average 4 gram clove of garlic for 6 days a week for 6 months. In the raw garlic group the garlic was in a sandwich.

Their blood was tested every month for LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, as was the chemical stability of the study materials, which was maintained at a high level throughout the trial.

The study showed no statistically significant effect of any of the 3 forms of garlic at the stated doses on any of the cholesterol or triglyceride readings.

LDL stands for low density lipoprotein, a cholesterol and triglyceride transporter that has been linked to cardiovascular disease. It is not the cholesterol itself that is bad, but the way it is moved around the body that causes problems. LDL delivers cholesterol to arteries which can get clogged up by too much LDL.

HDL stands for high density lipoprotein. HDL also carries cholesterol but mainly from various parts of the body to the liver. It is labelled "good" cholesterol because it transports it away from arteries to the liver.

Cholesterol is essential for healthy cells, it keeps cell membranes pliable which helps nutrients, hormones and waste products to pass in and out of cells.

http://www.nutritionhorizon.com/newsmaker_...O545&next=1

In another year or so it will, according to another group of scientists.

So you mean I've been chewing this for nothing? *spits out clove of garlic*

I'd just heard that it cleans the blood....helps detox... reduces plaque.. and keeps away the vampires... lol..

http://www.pectin-plus.com/

I too am wary of all the hype about cholesterol

http://www.newstarget.com/001268.html

and that cholesterol lowering drugs are the biggest money spinner for the drug companies

http://www.ravnskov.nu/Pilgrim.htm

Cinnamon joins cholesterol battle

"
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_sc...esterol_battle/
A small study completed last year on the possible health benefits of cinnamon was "very exciting and promising," according to Dr. Andrew Greenberg, director of the obesity metabolism laboratory at Tufts University, who is so intrigued he has begun studying it himself.

The 40-day study, of 60 people in Pakistan with Type 2 diabetes, found that one gram a day of cinnamon -- one-fourth of a teaspoon twice daily -- significantly lowered the subjects' blood sugar, triglycerides (fatty acids in the blood), LDL (or "bad") cholesterol, and total cholesterol."

"Finally, there may be an indirect health benefit to be had from cinnamon, according to Taiwanese scientists writing in the July 14 issue of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. Cinnamon oil, they found, kills mosquito larvae more effectively than DEET, a common pesticide and mosquito repellent. The next step is to test it against adult mosquitoes.

There are alot of cholesterol lowering products abhailable in supermarkets now like spreads and cooking oils but are there any real tests done on these products?

It's the reducing of plaque that is important... is it not???



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...p;dopt=Abstract

"We conclude that, with respect to LDL cholesterol lowering, "lower is better" is not supported by changes in calcified plaque progression."


Nattokinase

Nattokinase is a systemic (works through the whole body) enzyme that is created when boiled soybeans are fermented with the probiotic bacteria Bacillus subtilis natto to create the traditional Japanese soy food called natto. Nattokinase supports the fibrinolytic clearing system in the body which is responsible for healthy circulation, by helping to break down fibrin protein deposits in the bloodstream to promote and enhance healthy blood flow.



http://www.springerlink.com/content/r3m3r920k86g46m1/

1, 3, Lixin Zhang1, 4, Jin Zhong1 Contact Information and Liandong Huan2 Contact Information
(1) Center for Metabolic Engineering of Microorganisms, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, People’s Republic of China
(2) State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resource, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, People’s Republic of China
(3) Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, People’s Republic of China
(4) South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, People’s Republic of China

Received: 13 September 2006 Revised: 4 December 2006 Accepted: 11 December 2006 Published online: 16 January 2007
Abstract Nattokinase has been reported as an oral health product for the prevention of atherosclerosis. We developed a novel strategy to express a nattokinase from Bacillus subtilis in a live delivery vehicle, Lactococcus lactis. Promoter P nisZ and signal peptide SPUsp were used for inducible and secretory expression of nattokinase in L. lactis. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that nattokinase was successfully expressed, and about 94% of the enzyme was secreted to the culture. The recombinant nattokinase showed potent fibrinolytic activity, equivalent to 41.7 urokinase units per milliliter culture. Expression and delivery of such a fibrinolytic enzyme in the food-grade vehicle L. lactis would facilitate the widespread application of nattokinase in the control and prevention of thrombosis diseases.



Stir fry it with a little garlic... and.....

http://www.gaia21.net/natto/natto.htm

Thanks for the links crystal sage

It may not lower cholesterol but it makes you smell wonderful.

It seems to enter the blood stream quickly and out the lungs quite fast.

So it must be going through the heart.

Lets say if your heart can survive its passage then you'll be ok.

Lol That is so true, SilverCougar

I watch the evening news, and over the years I've heard the following:

1. Chocolate is bad for you; chocolate is good for you.

2. Eggs are bad for you; eggs are good for you.

3. Coffee is bad for you; coffee is good for you.

4. Tea is bad for you; tea is good for you.

5. Tomatoes are bad for you; tomatoes are good for you.

6. Soy is bad for you; soy is good for you.

7. Fish is bad for you; fish is good for you.

8. specifically; tuna is bad for you, tuna is good for you.

and the list goes on and on and on and on. lol

I eat lots of garlic 'cause it adds a wonderful flavor if properly done.
But, of course, so does my lady.

i LOVE garlic. it may not lower cholesterol, but i love it anyway. you put a whole clove in a cast iron skillet, pour in enough oil to cover the bottom and fry it until it caramelizes the garlic inside. then you spread it on crackers with salt.. MMMMMMM...tasty.
and as for cinnamon, that just means i can eat more cinnamon buns from cinnzeo o.0

Hi Undersquiggle:

Have you ever tried garlic butter? I saw a recipe not long ago. After you make the butter, you can spread it on french rolls, bread, or anything else you like. Supposedly, you put the whole head of garlic in the oven first. Well, I'm still gonna eat garlic regardless of what benefits they say it does and doesn't have. I think it was Eleanor Roosevelt who used to eat chocolate covered garlic. Hmmmm....

That's because artherosclerosis has already "happened". Lower IS better if you want to prevent it. I thought you were all for prevention...

If you guys think something is completely good or bad for you, you are wrong. Like the old addage goes, "Always in moderation,"

I know why it wouldn't lower cholesterol in my case, I love it sprinkled on fried mushrooms LOL