Stanford University researchers crush garlic claims
Dated: 27 February 2007
Garlic does very little to counteract rising cholesterol levels, concludes a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.
The research, published in the 26 February 2007 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, followed 192 patients with moderately elevated LDL cholesterol levels.
The study participants were randomly assigned to ingest raw garlic, an aged garlic supplement, a powdered garlic supplement or a placebo six days a week for six months. Fasting blood cholesterol levels were assessed monthly, and the chemical composition of the supplements was checked regularly.
Most of the medicinal claims about garlic are based on the sulfur-containing substance allicin, which is produced when raw garlic is chopped or crushed. While allicin has demonstrated cholesterol-inhibiting properties in the lab and in animal models, there has been an ongoing dispute about its ability to react inside the human body.
The researchers say they have "convincingly demonstrated that raw garlic and two popularly used supplements do not reduce LDL cholesterol more than 10 milligrams per deciliter when used for six months versus a placebo for six months.”
"It just doesn't work," says senior author Christopher Gardner, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. "There's no shortcut. You achieve good health through eating healthy food. There isn't a pill or an herb you can take to counteract an unhealthy diet."
However they are quick to add, “the results do not demonstrate that garlic has no usefulness in the prevention of cardiovascular disease."
(3 October 2008) Martek Biosciences Corporation says its life'sDHA is featured in the new Live Bright Brain Health Bar, the latest offering from Kellogg. Each bar contains 100 mg of life'sDHA and w...
(1 October 2008) Givaudan Flavours is launching its new ByNature program for the European market with a series of natural culinary profiles for meat flavours. The Givaudan ByNature culinary meat ra...
(1 October 2008) Royal DSM N.V. has inaugurated its new polymer plant in Jiangyin (Jiangsu province, China). The plant produces high viscosity grades of Akulon polyamide 6 (PA6) aimed at the fast ...
(1 October 2008) McNeil Nutritionals has launched Splenda No Calorie Sweetener with Fiber, a no-calorie sweetener for foods and beverages with one gram of fiber in each packet. The product answers ...
(1 October 2008) ‘Super grains’ might take flight, albeit gradually, in the region. White bread remains largely popular in the market, although unpolished rice is a staple food in some Asian regio...
(1 October 2008) Martek Biosciences Corp says revenues for the third quarter of the fiscal year 2008 were $88.4 million, up 14% from $77.8 million in the same period last year. Net income was $9.3...
(1 October 2008) GLG Life Tech and Weider Global Nutrition (WGN) say they have signed a definitive agreement to set up a venture, GLG Weider Sweet Naturals, to sell dietary and tabletop supplement...
(1 October 2008) A recent clinical study shows NAT’Life’s Powergrape is a natural ingredient that promotes efficacy in physical performance and cell oxygenation in humans. Powergrape maximizes phy...
While Tesco had previously resisted offering mortgages on the grounds that the margins were so tight that they were unprofitable, finance director Andrew Higginson said that the credit crunch seems to have created an opportunity. Tesco may begin offering home mortgages to compete with the major lenders.
In response to consumer research and the global trend for convenience, South Africa's Pick n Pay has opened its first small format convenience store in Fairland, Johannesburg.
Marks & Spencer has opened its first store in mainland China with hopes that it might lift flagging results. As the flagship store opened on West Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s premier shopping street, the UK retailer reported its worst performance for three years with like-for-like UK sales down by over six per cent over the last three months.
Sorin Minea, chairman of the Romanian Federation of Food Industry Business Owners (Romalimenta) says the food industry is currently overdeveloped in Romania and explains that the weight of current expenses...
US grocers including Whole Foods Market, Kroger and Stop & Shop have had to hire third party verifiers to root out produce that contains pesticide residue despite organic seals. Some supposedly organic producers are certifying conventionally-grown produce in order to increase the price.
Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer, has shown it operates best in tough markets, racking up a 10.3 per cent increase in profit of €1,824 billion for the first six months of 2008 to 23 August. Total sales rose 13.8 per cent to €32.1 billion.
