Garlic's health benefits minimized

Sorry garlic lovers. Looks like the data that lots of it could actually lower your cholesterol isn't as solid as it used to be.

Garlic doesn't do much for the breath and it stinks for lowering cholesterol. That's the conclusion of the most rigorous study of raw garlic and garlic supplements, despite promoters' claims to the contrary. Whether it was eaten raw in heart-healthy sandwiches, or in pills made of powdered or aged garlic, the strong-smelling herb had no effect on cholesterol in people whose levels were already elevated, the government-funded study found.

While not having any effect on cholesterol, bad breath and body odor were reported by more than half the raw garlic eaters, and a handful of people in the supplement groups reported flatulence, but there were no major side effects. Still, Robert Borris, a scientist with the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade group for nutritional supplement makers, said the study doesn't answer whether garlic might help regulate cholesterol levels in healthy people. According to him, the results also don't refute scientific evidence suggesting that garlic can reduce the tendency of blood platelets to build up and form clots that could block arteries. Full article here.

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Posted by Michael Dupuis at February 27, 2007 7:40 AM