There has been much interest in the past concerning the value of garlic in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. It has been suggested that studies have produced conflicting results regarding garlic as a cholesterol-lowering agent because of the different forms of garlic used. The investigators in a study published in Archives of Internal Medicine chose to address this by looking at the effects of raw garlic and two commonly used garlic supplements on LDL cholesterol levels in patients with moderate hypercholesterolaemia.

The study enrolled 192 patients with baseline LDL cholesterol levels of 3.36-4.91mmol/l. They were randomised to one of four therapies: raw garlic, powdered garlic supplement, aged garlic extract supplement or placebo. The garlic doses were matched to ensure that the treatment arms received the equivalent of six average-sized cloves per week. The study continued for six months. A fasting lipid profile was performed every month.

The study found no statistically significant effect on LDL cholesterol concentrations for any of the three forms of garlic. Furthermore there were no significant effects seen on other components of the lipid profile (HDL cholesterol and triglycerides) and no significant changes observed in the total cholesterol to

HDL cholesterol ratio. Impressively, very few participants dropped out of the study, despite having to consume almost four grams of garlic a day for six months.

So eating lots of garlic will not lower cholesterol. However, this study did not address other potential modes of action, such as blood pressure lowering or anti-inflammatory activity; there may still be some hope for garlic in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.