Trial Information

Summary: Comparing Effects of Three Sources of Garlic on Blood Cholesterol Levels : The study will investigate whether fresh garlic compared with the effect of two, commonly used, commercially available garlic supplements can positively affect cholesterol levels in adults.

Stanford University announces its Garlic Study of the decade. Garlic supplements are the most consumed herbal products in the United States. The main health claim made on these products is that they improve blood cholesterol levels. Recent clinical studies demonstrate a marginal to negligible cholesterol lowering effect attributed to some garlic preparations. New commercial garlic formulations have been designed to enhance the yield of bioavailable allicin, the active compound in garlic. The research is funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Each participant will consume daily study tablets and gourmet sandwiches (with or without garlic, 6 days/week) for 6 months. Blood and urine sampling will be conducted at Stanford Hospital at various time-points during the study. Participants will receive a personal assessment of blood cholesterol levels, antioxidant status, clotting factors, blood pressure and nutritional analysis of their diets during the study. All services provided during the study are offered at no cost to the participants.

For further information visit: http://nutrition.stanford.edu.

Patient Inclusion / Exclusion Criteria:
Adults are invited to participate if they are:

• Non smokers between 30-65 years of age
• With mildly elevated cholesterol levels
• Not pregnant or lactating
• Not taking prescribed cholesterol-lowering or blood pressure lowering medications
• Local residents since it is required to visit Stanford Hospital twice/week for 6 months to pick up study sandwiches

If you would like to learn more about participating in this study, please send an e-mail message using the form below.