Garlic and the Heart

Garlic is a proven herbal remedy that has been used since ancient times. At first glance, garlic may seem like an ordinary herb that can help aid digestion, but recent studies show that garlic has the ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition, garlic also has been touted for its antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer characteristics.

It is unfortunate that despite garlic’s seemingly huge potential, the evidence of its effectiveness is mixed. In a 2007 study, three garlic formulations were tested and compared to see which was most helpful in lowering cholesterol levels. The researchers concluded that none of the three were effective enough in lowering cholesterol levels.

However, it is important to take note that this recent study contradicts earlier ones that prove garlic can lower cholesterol over the short term and that it might have potential heath benefits, including slowing the advancement of coronary artery disease and even lowering blood pressure. The benefits of garlic are still being hotly debated because of the conflicting test results. Therefore, there is no consensus as to whether garlic supplements should be prescribed.

Despite that lack of concrete research study, a lot of people have testified to the benefits of garlic. It is a good thing that garlic has no known side effects, so patients who want to try this herbal alternative may do so without any problems. But similar to any other herb or food supplement, the patient needs to be sure that garlic will not interact adversely with other prescription drugs.