The beneficial effects of garlic acts as a natural therapy in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, says a detailed review published in the Journal of Phytotherapy Research.
Sai Kumar Gadidala and team performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to check the effects of garlic powder tablets and aged garlic extract (AGE) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). They focused mainly on blood pressure, coronary artery calcification, lipid profile, and inflammatory markers. The researchers searched through PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Google Scholar to identify trials with CAD patients which examined the effect of garlic.

The key highlights of the study were:
Garlic provided statistically significant changes of C-RP (SMD = −0.59; 95% CI = −0.92 to −0.25; p = .0007), HDL (SMD = 0.18; 95% CI = −0.00 to 0.37; p = .05); apolipoprotein-A (SMD = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.24 1.13; p = .002), LDL (SMD = −0.27; 95% CI = −0.46 to −0.08; p = .004), homocysteine (SMD = −0.66; 95% CI = −1.04 to −0.28; p = .0007), IL-6 (SMD = −1.08; 95% CI = −2.17 to 0.01; p = .05), and CAC score (SMD = −1.61; 95% CI = −2.66 to −0.57; p = .003).
In subgroup analysis, they found the overall effect was significantly effective in reducing Total Cholesterol, LDL levels and improving HDL levels in patients with cardiovascular risk.
In conclusion, the Authors suggest that the findings provide strong and consistent evidence regarding the intake of garlic and its effect as reducing risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Garlic might be considered a safe natural therapy to nullify inflammation in CAD patients.
Source:
Gadidala, S. K., Johny, E., Thomas, C., Nadella, M., Undela, K., & Adela, R. (2023). Effect of garlic extract on markers of lipid metabolism and inflammation in coronary artery disease ( CAD ) patients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. In Phytotherapy Research. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.7729