Garlic for heart disease: prevention or treatment
What it found
Garlic may help treat mild high blood pressure, lower high cholesterol and prevent hardening of the arteries.
The authors say more studies in people are needed.
What they found
Mild high blood pressure
Garlic has the potential to treat mild high blood pressure, according to the authors.
High cholesterol
Garlic has the potential to lower high cholesterol, according to the authors.
Hardening of the arteries
Garlic has the potential to prevent atherosclerosis, the narrowing of arteries, according to the authors.
How garlic might work
The authors also examined the molecular mechanisms behind these effects.
What the authors conclude
“This review supports the notion that garlic has the potential to treat mild hypertension, to decrease hypercholesterolemia, and to prevent atherosclerosis.”
Also in their conclusions
- They support the idea that garlic has the potential to treat mild hypertension, to decrease hypercholesterolemia, and to prevent atherosclerosis.
- They say more clinical studies are essential to unequivocally understand the mechanisms underlying treatment or prevention of these cardiovascular conditions.
How it was done
Heart and blood vessel disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and deaths are expected to rise over the next decade. Many people take dietary supplements, including garlic, hoping to lower their heart risk.
The authors gathered and reviewed the available evidence on garlic and heart and blood vessel conditions, including hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. They also looked at how garlic might work in the body.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This is a review of existing evidence, not a new study in people.
- It cannot show that garlic causes these effects or how well it works compared with standard treatments.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Qatar University, P.O. Box . Qatar; Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid . Jordan; Qatar University, Doha. Qatar
The paper
- Title
- Garlic for Cardiovascular Disease: Prevention or Treatment?
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Alali FQ, El-Elimat T, Khalid L, Hudaib R, Al-Shehabi TS, Eid AH (2017). Garlic for Cardiovascular Disease: Prevention or Treatment?. Current pharmaceutical design. doi:10.2174/1381612822666161010124530PubMed 27748188DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error