by Playfuls Staff |
27th February 2007
Stanford University researchers in California have determined eating garlic has little or no effect on [more] lowering LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, in humans.
In a study published in Tuesday's Archives of Internal Medicine, the study's lead author, Christopher Gardner of Stanford's Prevention Research Center, said he was surprised at the findings, as garlic was known to be effective at inhibiting cholesterol synthesis in a test tube.
"I really thought the raw garlic was going to work," Gardner said.
Over a six-month period, 192 adults with moderately high cholesterol were divided into four groups and ate the equivalent of one medium-size clove six days a week and had their blood tested monthly.
The results showed no significant effects on LDL cholesterol concentrations or in triglyceride levels, another indicator of heart-disease risk, USA Today reported.
Previous studies on raw garlic and various derivatives have shown mixed results but there was evidence in animal studies that garlic could lower LDL cholesterol, Gardner said.
© 2007 UPI
