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May 31, 2006
Lower dose of garlic extract more effective
In a report published in the May 31, 2006 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Shela Gorinstein and her colleagues in Israel and Poland revealed that a lower dose of a garlic extract appears to be more effective than higher doses to lower cholesterol and help protect against excessive blood clotting. Garlic extract has been found to be helpful for several conditions, but the odor it imparts to its users has made taking higher doses undesirable for some people.
Dr Gorinstein's team fed rats diets containing 1 percent cholesterol to four groups of rats. Three groups also received a commercial garlic extract equal to 500, 750 and 1000 milligrams raw garlic per kilogram body weight. A control group was provided with a diet to which cholesterol and garlic were not added. The polyphenols and antioxidant potential of the extract were evaluated prior to its administration. Plasma lipids, fibrinogen (involved in blood clotting), clotting time, and antioxidant capacity were measured before and after the four week treatment period.
At the end of the study, all of the rats on the diets to which cholesterol was added experienced a decrease in plasma antioxidant activities, yet the decrease among rats who received the 500 mg/kg garlic-enhanced diets was not considered significant compared to the control group. Only the rats who received 500 mg experienced a significantly reduced rise in plasma lipids. The same group also showed a significant decrease in plasma fibrinogen and an increase in clotting time.
The amount of fresh garlic that a human would need to consume to be equivalent to the 500 milligram dosage is 1.25 ounces per day for a 150 pound person, which would be supplied by eating about 12 cloves. The authors concluded that "commercial garlic could be a valuable component of atherosclerosis-preventing diets only in optimal doses."
Lower dose of garlic extract more effective
In a report published in the May 31, 2006 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Shela Gorinstein and her colleagues in Israel and Poland revealed that a lower dose of a garlic extract appears to be more effective than higher doses to lower cholesterol and help protect against excessive blood clotting. Garlic extract has been found to be helpful for several conditions, but the odor it imparts to its users has made taking higher doses undesirable for some people.
Dr Gorinstein's team fed rats diets containing 1 percent cholesterol to four groups of rats. Three groups also received a commercial garlic extract equal to 500, 750 and 1000 milligrams raw garlic per kilogram body weight. A control group was provided with a diet to which cholesterol and garlic were not added. The polyphenols and antioxidant potential of the extract were evaluated prior to its administration. Plasma lipids, fibrinogen (involved in blood clotting), clotting time, and antioxidant capacity were measured before and after the four week treatment period.
At the end of the study, all of the rats on the diets to which cholesterol was added experienced a decrease in plasma antioxidant activities, yet the decrease among rats who received the 500 mg/kg garlic-enhanced diets was not considered significant compared to the control group. Only the rats who received 500 mg experienced a significantly reduced rise in plasma lipids. The same group also showed a significant decrease in plasma fibrinogen and an increase in clotting time.
The amount of fresh garlic that a human would need to consume to be equivalent to the 500 milligram dosage is 1.25 ounces per day for a 150 pound person, which would be supplied by eating about 12 cloves. The authors concluded that "commercial garlic could be a valuable component of atherosclerosis-preventing diets only in optimal doses."