We’ve all heard that garlic is beneficial for heart health, but can you explain why?
A study on garlic extract (published in 2018) gives us insight into why it’s so good for us -- both for the heart, as well as for overall health.
Many studies backup the claims of garlic's health benefits. What's unique about this study is that it investigated several markers related to endothelial (blood vessel) function.
Garlic extract, or allicin, was shown to have a statistically significant benefit on plasminogen activator inhibitor (a risk factor for thrombosis and atherosclerosis), LDL cholesterol, total antioxidant status, and hsCRP (an inflammatory marker).
Many of our patients at Sound Medical Weight Loss have high LDLs (the bad cholesterol) and high hsCRP (inflammation). The first step to improve these biomarkers is to make adjustments in diet, exercise, sleep, and stress. The current research is making it more clear that adding garlic to your cooking or an extract (in supplement form) to our daily routines may be a very beneficial next step.
Always check with your doctor before adding any supplement to your routine.
Reference
Szulińska M, Kręgielska-Narożna M, Świątek J et al. Garlic extract favorably modifies markers of endothelial function in obese patients -randomized double blind placebo-controlled nutritional intervention. Biomed Pharmacother. 2018; 102: 792-797.
