TABLE 1.

Clinical studies of dietary garlic on cardiovascular risks¹

Study design	Intervention/control groups	Sample size	Type of garlic preparation: dosage, duration	Effects of garlic intervention	Reference
Randomized, observer-blinded, crossover, placebo controlled	Raw garlic/placebo	18 Healthy volunteers	Raw garlic: 4.2 g	No significant change	(23)
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled	Garlic oil/placebo	27 Healthy male long-distance runners	Garlic oil: 12.3 mg/d, t.i.d., 16 wk	LDL-C: 0.0019-g/mL reduction in TGs: 0.20-mmol/L reduction	(24)
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled	Garlic oil/garlic powder/placebo	51 Normal subjects	Garlic oil: 8.2 mg/d b.i.d.; garlic powder: 7.8 mg/d b.i.d., 3 mo	Males: No significant change; females: HDL-C increase and total cholesterol reduction	(25)
Randomized, single-blinded, placebo controlled	Garlic powder tablets/anethum/placebo	150 Hyperlipidemic patients	Enteric-coated garlic powered tablets: 400 mg garlic + 1 mg allicin b.i.d., 6 wk	Total cholesterol: 12.1% reduction; LDL-C: 17.3% reduction	(26)
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled	TR garlic tablets, low dose/TR garlic tablets, high dose/garlic tablets/ placebo	84 Newly diagnosed mildly to moderately hypertensive patients	TR garlic tablets (Allicor): 600 or 2400 mg b.i.d.; Kwai: 900 mg daily, 8 wk	Antihypertensive Allicor: 7 mm Hg SBP decrease and 3.8 mm Hg DBP decrease; Kwai: 7 mm Hg SBP decrease	(27)
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled	TR garlic tablets/placebo	51 CAD patients	TR garlic tablets: 150 mg/d b.i.d., 12 wk	LDL-C reduction: males, 32.9 mg/dL; females, 27.3 mg/dL	(28)
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled	AGE + S-allylcysteine/placebo	50 Patients with uncontrollable hypertension	AGE: 960 mg b.i.d.,12 wk	Antihypertensive: 10.2 mm Hg SBP decrease	(29)
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled	AGE + vitamin B-12 + folic acid + vitamin B-6 + l-arginine/placebo	65 Intermediate CAD risk patients, CAC >30	AGE: 250 mg, 1 y	CAC progression: 29% reduction, LDL-C: 13.6% reduction, anti-inflammatory markers: 41% mean annual change	(30)
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled	AGE/placebo	79 Patients with uncontrollable hypertension	AGE: 240/480/960 mg b.i.d., 12 wk	Antihypertensive: 11.8 mm Hg SBP decrease	(31)
Randomized, double-blinded, crossover	AGE/placebo	34 Normal healthy adults	AGE: 2.4–7.2 g/d t.i.d., 44 wk	Antiplatelet aggregation and adhesion	(32)
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled	AGE + Co Q10/placebo	65 Intermediate CVD risk firefighters	AGE: 1200 mg, 1 y	CAC progression: 3.99% reduction anti-inflammatory; 7.67% decreased CRP	(33)
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled	AGE + Co Q10/placebo	65 Asymptomatic firefighters with CAC >20%	AGE: 300 mg, 1 y	Improved vascular reactivity: 1.2 m/s decreased PWV anti-inflammatory; 1.31 g/L decreased CRP	(34)
Randomized	AGE + vitamin B-12 + folic acid + vitamin B-6 + l-arginine/placebo	65 Asymptomatic patients with CAC >30%	AGE: 250 mg, 1 y	CAC progression: 65% reduction	(35)
Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled	AGE/placebo	19 Patients taking statin therapy	AGE: 4 mL, 1 y	CAC progression: 7.5% reduction	(36)

¹AGE, aged garlic extract; b.i.d., twice daily; CAC, coronary artery calcification; CAD, coronary artery disease; Co Q10, coenzyme Q10; CRP, C-reactive protein; CVD, cardiovascular disease; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HDL-C, HDL cholesterol; LDL-C, LDL cholesterol; PWV, pule-wave velocity; SBP, systolic blood pressure; t.i.d., three times daily; TR, time-released.