Herbs for Cholesterol: Curb Cholesterol With Garlic

Enlarge Image Image Gallery About 30 percent of Americans have blood cholesterol levels elevated enough to warrant changes in life­style and diet. Another 7 percent have levels so high that they must take medication ranging from aspirin to estrogen-replacement therapy.

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Twenty years ago, it seemed as if only athletes and health fanatics understood the relationship between low cholesterol and good health. Today, many of us are as familiar with our cholesterol count as we are with our Social ­Security number, and some of us have had to face the daunting task of watching our cholesterol intake.

About 30 percent of Americans have blood cholesterol levels elevated enough to warrant changes in life­style and diet. Another 7 percent have levels so high that they must take medication ranging from aspirin to estrogen-replacement therapy. These treatments can have unwanted side effects, and some are quite expensive. According to researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco, however, six to eight million people could use alternative treatments, including lifestyle changes, that would save them $3 to $4 billion a year in drug costs. Scientists are discovering and documenting that garlic packs a powerful punch in the fight against high cholesterol and heart disease.

The Culprit

The human body requires cholesterol to build cell walls and manufacture vital substances such as vitamin D and hormones, and the liver makes all that we require for normal cell functions. Dietary cholesterol is a fatty substance found in foods of animal origin such as beef, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. After it is consumed, it combines with proteins to form particles called lipoproteins, which carry it through the bloodstream. High levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), commonly called “bad” cholesterol, can cause cholesterol to be deposited as plaque on artery walls, diminishing blood flow and increasing the likelihood of blood clots, which can cause heart attack or stroke. High-density lipoproteins (HDL), or “good cholesterol”, on the other hand, scavenge cholesterol from the bloodstream and carry it to the liver for excretion.

The ratio of LDL to HDL is an indication of related health risks: an adult with an LDL level above 160 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) of blood and an HDL level below 35 mg/dl is five times as likely to develop coronary artery disease (a buildup of plaque in the arteries) as an individual with an LDL level of 160 or below and an HDL level 35 or higher.

Garlic’s Role

Garlic (Allium sativum), either fresh cloves or standardized garlic preparations, can lower LDL levels. Studies have shown that people who regularly consume relatively large amounts of garlic and onions have lower cholesterol levels than people who don’t.

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