Traditional hormone-replacement therapy (HRT), once touted as helpful to the heart health of aging females entering midlife, has come under fire of late, causing many women to actively search for drug-free alternatives.
"Menopausal women undergo certain hormonal changes that can make them more susceptible to arterial plaque build-up than at any other time in their lives," says Dr. Budoff, who led investigators at the Research & Education Institute (REI) at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in one of the studies.
Dr. Budoff continues, "If you, or someone you know, are taking statin drugs to reduce cholesterol, are a woman entering menopause, or are otherwise at high risk for a heart attack, adding garlic to your diet could help save your life." He explains that aged garlic extract may not only reduce or inhibit plaque formation in the heart's arteries, but may also lower homocysteine levels in the blood - now considered a major risk factor for heart attacks.
"Females, as they mature, face an increased danger of cardiac disease, especially after menopause. Aged garlic extract worked as well in women as in men in our study, and most likely provides a cardiovascular benefit in this population," the doctor stated.
In several double blind, randomized clinical studies, investigators tested the efficacy of aged garlic extract (AGE) on the atherosclerosis in cardiac patients. The studies ranged in duration from three months to one year. Results demonstrated the various robust abilities of AGE preparation to inhibit the rate of progression of coronary calcium - suggesting that AGE may be useful and beneficial for the treatment and prevention of cardiac atherosclerosis. In several double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, patients given Kyolic® Aged Garlic Extract showed significant reduction of LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase of HDL (good cholesterol).
"News of these results can have an important impact on public health, particularly for those people already on statin therapy," say Dr. Budoff. "This work clearly shows that aged garlic extract (AGE) inhibited the rate of progression of coronary plaque formation, as compared to placebo. The studies suggests that AGE may be a useful and beneficial dietary addition for the people who have high cardiovascular risk or who have undergone heart surgery," he added.
More than 350 scientific studies have been completed on aged garlic extract, done in major universities. These studies have focused on aspects such as cholesterol, high blood pressure, homocysteine levels, inhibiting LDL oxidation, anti-platelet aggregation and adhesion (blood thinning effect), stimulating blood circulation, immune stimulation, cognitive effects, liver function and anti-tumor features, among many.
that AGE may be useful and beneficial for the treatment and prevention of cardiac atherosclerosis.