Garlic Extract 'Reverses Build-Up Of Deadly Plaque That Clogs Arteries And Triggers Heart Attacks'

Garlic is perhaps best known for the stench it can leave on a person’s breath.

But now, a new study suggests garlic should be recognized for its life-saving attributes.

Aged garlic extract reduces dangerous plaque buildup in arteries, according to the study from Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

That helps prevent the progression of heart disease – which is the leading cause of death worldwide.

Lead study author Dr Matthew Budoff said: ‘This study is another demonstration of the benefits of this supplement in reducing the accumulation of soft plaque and preventing the formation of new plaque in the arteries, which can cause heart disease.’

The study involved 55 patients between the ages of 40 and 75, each of whom were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

The participants were screened at the beginning of the study to measure their total coronary plaque volume.

Their dense calcium, non-calcified plaque and low-attenuation plaque were also screened.

The screenings were conducted through cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA), an imaging technology that measures deposits and build up in arteries.

After being evaluated, the participants were either given a placebo or a dose of 2,400 milligrams of aged garlic extract each day.

One year later, a follow-up screening was conducted.

The study determined those who had taken aged garlic extract had slowed the total plaque accumulation by 80 per cent.

Furthermore, they reduced soft plaque and demonstrated regression for low-attenuation plaque.

Dr Budoff said: ‘We have completed four randomized studies, and they have led us to conclude that aged garlic extract can help slow the progression of atherosclerosis and reverse the early stages of heart disease.’

The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition.

The findings fall in line with a study last year from the University of Missouri.

That study revealed garlic offers the brain protection against ageing and disease.

It also suggested garlic could even prevent age-related neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

The researchers found a carbohydrate in the superfood is key.

'Garlic is one of the most widely consumed dietary supplements,' said Zezong Gu, associate professor at the MU School of Medicine and lead author of the study.

'Most people think of it as a superfood, because garlic's sulfur-containing compounds are known as an excellent source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection.

'Scientists are still discovering different ways garlic benefits the human body,' he said.