Garlic cardiovascular effects

Garlic (Allium sativum) is thought to have several beneficial cardiovascular effects, such as lowering blood pressure and serum lipid, and antithrombotic activity. Garlic oil has been reported to interrupt thromboxane synthesis, thereby inhibiting platelet function. 

Ernst E (1987) Cardiovascular effects of garlic (Allium sativum) a review. Pharmather-apeutica 5 83-89... 

Fresh garlic may have some cardiovascular benefits, but it is unclear whether it lowers blood lipids or blood pressure as much as originally thought. Aged preparations and cooked garlic are likely to be less effective despite being better tolerated. 

D. Kava is often recommended for anxiety, and it appears significantly more effective than placebo for this condition. Garlic is used for cardiovascular benefits, saw palmetto for prostatic hypertrophy, and ginkgo as a cerebral vasodilator. Echinacea is considered an immunomodulating herb with potential benefit in viral illnesses. 

Kritchevsky, D. 1991. The effect of dietary garlic on the development of cardiovascular disease. Trends Food Sci. Technol. 2, 141-144. 

Garlic has been shown to have significant effects on the cardiovascular system. Such areas include improvement in lipids, modest effects on blood pressure, platelet inhibition, antioxidant effects, and a decrease in fibrinolytic activity. In vitro studies have shown garlic possesses specific antiatherosclerotic effects such as reducing inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression (10), inhibition of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and inhibition of oxidized LDL-induced depletion of glutathione (11). 

Many of the cardiovascular trials reported side effects of garlic use, with the most frequently reported being GI symptoms and garlic breath. In addition, rash and prolonged oozing from a razor cut were reported in one of these studies (86). Other commonly described side effects associated with garlic use include GI effects such as abdominal pain, fullness, anorexia, and flatulence. 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Garlic effects on cardiovascular risks and disease, protective effects against cancer, and clinical adverse effects. Summary, evidence report/technology assessment, www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/ garlicsum.htm. Date accessed June 11,2006. 

Steiner M, Li W. Aged garlic extract, a modulator of cardiovascular risk factors a dose-finding study on the effects of AGE on platelet functions. J Nutr 2001 131 980S-984S. 

Industrial hazard. Used to blue the barrels of guns. Effects breath smells of garlic/rotten onions, gastrointestinal disturbance, spasms of limbs, peripheral cyanosis, death due to depression of CNS cardiovascular and respiratory centres. Lethal at 4 mg/kg in man. Dimercaprol enhances toxicity. 

One of the important virtues of garlic is its strengthening of the immune system, essential for fighting cancer. Garlic also showed protective effects on the cardiovascular system, and it is a potent natural antibiotic. ... 

Garlic (Allium sativum) has been nsed for both cnlinaty and medicinal purposes. Recent studies have revealed that garhc is effective in preventing many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, and cancer. " Garlic preparations are used as over-the-counter herbal medicines in the Western conntries. The chemopreventive activity of garlic has been well docnmented. " ... 

Evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies support the beneficial effects of garlic consumption in various preparations in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The raw garlic and AGE are the most important among the available preparation and showed maximum pharmacological effect in low dose. The present report suggests that garlic has the ability to prevent excess free radical production, maintain the oxidative balance via increase in antioxidant status and increase in bioavailability of nitric oxide, prevent vascular inflammation, reduce cholesterol content and plaque formation, and inhibit platelet aggregation. 

The cardiovascular diseases and thrombotic diseases, which would be attributed more or less to the atherosclerosis, have been increased recently, and are the leading cause of death especially in the industrialized countries. The intake of garlic and onion is supposed to benefit in lowering the mortality and morbidity rates of these diseases by their antithrombotic, lipid-lowering, and hypoglycemic effects. In this section, antithrombotic and anticardiovascular effects of garlic and onion are described. 

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