Cholesterol and Garlic

This article comes from a personal experience that I think might be worth sharing.

Several years ago, I went for a thorough check-up at our local hospital, and part of the associated blood work was a cholesterol level check - something I had never had before.

When I returned for the reports, everything was fine. But one thing stood out. My doctor commented that my HDL / LDL levels were perfect - picture book, in fact. She seemed surprised, and so was I. Though I live as healthily as possible, and was certainly getting plenty of exercise at the time, it surprised me to have such a noteworthy report. I concluded that I might be fortunate in having a good HDL / LDL balance genetically.

You probably know that the balance of these two lipoproteins - high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein - is an indication of coronary health. Lipoproteins are formed in the liver by the binding of fats to proteins, to enable cholesterol to be carried in the bloodstream, which is water-based.

When too much low-density lipoprotein circulates in the blood, it allows cholesterol to build up as plaque on the arteries that feed the heart and brain, and the individual is at risk of coronary heart disease or a stroke. On the other hand, higher levels of high-density lipoprotein in the blood lower the risk of coronary heart disease, possibly by carrying cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it is processed for excretion from the body.

The more LDL-cholesterol you have in your blood, the greater your risk of heart disease. The higher your level of HDL-cholesterol, the better your prognosis is.

Some time later, I was researching garlic and had bought "Garlic for Health" by Benjamin Lau, MD, PhD, (1988 ISBN 0-941524-32-9), which deals specifically with research on aged garlic. One of the areas he researched was the effect of aged garlic on regulating lipid metabolism. Perhaps the best way to make my point is by a brief quote from his text:

"In this part of the study, we differentiated between low-density lipoproteins, considered to be detrimental to health, and high-density lipoprotein, known to protect against heart-attack and stroke. Those taking garlic experienced an initial rise in the level of LDL and VLDL. The initial rise was followed by a significant drop beginning in the third month. As the study progressed, subjects experienced an increase in HDL (high-density lipoprotein) (see Figure 6). In other words, garlic can reduce the levels of "bad" cholesterol while increasing the levels of "good" cholesterol." (Pp. 13-14).

Reading this gave me one of those "light-bulb" moments, because I regularly take aged garlic capsules, and was certainly taking them at the time I had the cholesterol level check. I was already a fan of aged garlic, for its antibacterial and antifungal effects - now it appeared there was another very good reason to take it in one's diet.

For anyone trying to achieve a good HDL / LDL balance, exercise, weight-reduction and stopping smoking are the prescribed methods. All of these are vital to good health and should be implemented. But it's nice to know you can support your dietary and exercise measures by taking an herb that was initially proved to work in at least 65% of cases.

What about the other 35%? This is where it gets interesting. I quote Dr Lau again:

"Reviewing their dietary history, we discovered that they were heavy meat-eaters with diets consisting regularly of steak, pastries, and ice-cream, particularly during the evening meals. When we incorporated dietary modification for these individuals, lowering of lipids was then observed in those who were able to follow the recommended dietary changes. Our conclusion is that garlic should be used together with a good diet to achieve the best result." (Pp. 15-16).

Remember: In these tests, Dr Lau reported an initial "modest rise in cholesterol and triglycerides" in the first 2 months of the test as the aged garlic moved lipid deposits from the tissues into the blood. Normal serum lipid values were reached by 6 months. Be aware that this temporary rise in blood lipids is to be expected if you have high LDL levels and are considering using aged garlic.

Note: The above information is offered not as a prescription or in place of proper medical care, but as a report on research findings which may be of interest. In cases of sickness, the attention and care of a nutritionally aware health professional are essential.

Patricia Howitt
Webmistress, Web and Graphic Design, Author
Patricia's career has been as a government lawyer working on the medico-legal field. She now indulges her passions for art and writing as a graphics and web designer.

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