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MSM

Health News Archive 132 - Atherosclerosis
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Aged Garlic Helps Prevent Atherosclerosis

Research at the UCLA Medical Center has further confirmed the power of using garlic extracts to help prevent heart disease.

In a double-bind study, 19 patients were given either aged garlic extract or a placebo for one year.  Researchers wanted to see if the garlic alone, without any dietary changes, could change the rate at which atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries) occurred.

At the end of the new year, patients supplementing their diet with the garlic extract showed only about one-third as much vascular calcification as those individuals taking a placebo.

Earlier in 2005, researchers from around the world presented research at the American Heart Association meeting in Washington, DC that showed that garlic powder not only reduces calcification of the arteries, but also reduces plaque formation by up to 40 percent.  However, the FDA still won't allow manufacturers to state that garlic powder can be effective in the prevention of cardiovascular disease - the number one killer in the U.S.

Plaque in the lining of blood vessels impedes blood flow and can result in heart attack and stroke.  As the plaque increases, it impedes blood flow and can result in heart attack and stroke. 

The garlic used in the UCLA study was the Kyolic brand of aged garlic extract, and the dosage was 1,200 mg per day. 

Source:

Prev Med 04;39(5):985-91.