The current analysis combined results from 29 studies, totaling more than 1,500 participants. Alyssa Kwan, RD, a registered dietitian who works with people in the cardiovascular intensive care unit, says the researchers only included randomized control trials comparing garlic to a placebo control, which is the gold standard for any study design and means the meta-analysis is of high quality. Surgical units at Stanford Health Care in California.
Abundant Evidence Confirms the Benefits of Garlic
Overall, the findings agree with what previous studies have shown: Garlic led to some reduction in A1C levels and a small reduction in LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol, says Matthew Badgett, MD, an integrative health physician at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. who was not involved in the research.
Dr. Badgett says all included studies that examined A1C levels found a reduction in the group taking garlic, and the average LDL cholesterol reduction across studies was 8.2 points.
This is a modest benefit when it comes to lowering “bad” cholesterol, he says, but many studies are too short to show garlic’s full benefit.
“We often need to lower LDL from 150 to 200, and in high-risk patients to less than 70, sometimes even more,” says Badgett.
Garlic Has a Long History in Traditional Medicine
Elisabetta Politi, MPH, RD, a certified diabetes educator at Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina, says garlic has been used for its medicinal properties for thousands of years, long before studies like this were conducted.
The plant is part of the allium family, which also includes onions, green onions, shallots, chives, and leeks. Vegetables in this family contain high concentrations of sulfur compounds, including allicin, alliin, and methyl allyl trisulfide, which contribute to their health benefits.
The Study Had Some Limitations
Overall, the analysis has some strengths and weaknesses that should be considered when viewing the findings, Badgett says.
The number of participants for a meta-analysis was small; This is often a problem with supplement studies because they don’t usually enroll very many people.
Additionally, the garlic supplements studied in different trials were highly variable, weakening the analysis and possibly understating garlic’s benefit, Badgett says.
Garlic May Help as Part of a Plan That Includes Lifestyle Changes and Medications
There is clear evidence that garlic is safe, healthy and provides some benefits. Badgett says this is unlikely to have a significant impact on your health without larger lifestyle changes.
“But it can also be a small part of an effective plan,” he says.
Kwan acknowledges that although the analysis suggests garlic may be beneficial in improving cholesterol and blood sugar levels, more evidence, including larger studies, is needed to show that garlic induces these benefits.
What’s Better: Taking Garlic Supplements or Eating Garlic Foods?
Badgett says there are many types of garlic, including garlic extracts, garlic compounds, garlic powder, raw garlic and cooked garlic.
Participants consumed between 300 and 22,400 milligrams of garlic powder tablets. He says that if we love garlic enough, we can eat it in our meals within this range.
“But the problem with eating garlic is that the study looked at daily consumption, and I rarely see people eating garlic consistently every day,” says Badgett. He adds that people will be more likely to see consistent results by taking daily supplements.
“I recommend supplements for clients who cannot digest garlic well or do not like its taste. However, due to differences in supplement quality and expense, I think it may be preferable to use garlic powder in foods to achieve the equivalent amount; if you like the taste and can tolerate it,” says Politi.
Expert Tips for Adding More Garlic to Your Diet
To reap the health benefits of garlic, you need to eat about 3 to 6 ounces each day, or one to two cloves if you prefer fresh, says Brogan Taylor, RD, a registered dietitian at Banner Health in Phoenix, Arizona.
Taylor recommends adding chopped or crushed fresh garlic to foods to reap all the potential benefits for her clients.
He adds that garlic is also a great way to spice up foods if you’re trying to reduce sodium.
Here are a few ideas for adding more garlic to your diet.
Chili, Soups and Stews Add garlic to give it extra flavor and provide more health benefits, says Taylor.
Proteins and Vegetables Cook proteins, such as chicken or lean meat, with garlic and while roasting or sautéing vegetables, says Taylor. “It’s also a good sweetener to add to salad dressings and marinades.
Bread Who doesn’t love garlic bread? You can also add crushed tomatoes or your favorite marinara to make bruschetta, says Politi.
pesto Raw garlic is essential in pesto sauce made with olive oil, basil, Parmesan cheese and nuts (usually pine nuts). Politi says it’s a heart-healthy, simple and delicious Mediterranean pasta sauce.