Garlic Extract May Help Lower Heart Disease Risk

Could garlic extract help in reducing the risk of heart disease?

Researchers at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
found that taking a daily supplement of Aged Garlic Extract helped in reducing the amount of low-attention plaque, or "soft plaque," in the arteries of patients with metabolic syndrome.

"This study is another demonstration of the benefits of this supplement in reducing the accumulation of soft plaque and preventing the formation of new plaque in the arteries, which can cause heart disease," said LA BioMed researchers Dr. Matthew Budoff, in a news release.

Researchers recruited 55 patients between the ages of 40 and 75-all of whom had been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome and had the beginnings of heart disease.

Researchers randomly gave participants either a 2,400 milligram dose of aged garlic extract or a placebo to take daily. Meanwhile, participants were measured for calcium deposits and plaque buildup. 

A follow-up screening one year later showed that those who had taken garlic showed a slowing of plaque accumulation in their arteries by about 80 percent.

The study is published in the Journal of Nutrition.

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