Eating garlic may lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels

Many people feel energized when they eat garlic. A research team from Southeast University in China conducted a comprehensive analysis of past research results on garlic, and found that garlic may also have the effect of lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Nutrients | Free Full-Text | Effects of Garlic on Glucose Parameters and Lipid Profile: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Randomized Controlled Trials
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/11/1692

Garlic is used not only as a food ingredient but also as a traditional Chinese medicine. The research team focused on the possibility that garlic could be used as a treatment for glucose metabolism disorders and lipid disorders, and decided to analyze the relationship between garlic and blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

The research team extracted 2,553 papers on garlic from a research paper database and classified those that included measurement results such as blood glucose and cholesterol levels. In addition, they evaluated the completeness of the data and the reliability of the experiments, and finally selected 22 research papers containing 29 experimental data for analysis.

The research papers analyzed included data from experiments conducted in the United States, Israel, Iran, India, Canada, Denmark, Pakistan, Brazil, Poland, Russia, and South Korea, with a total of 1,567 subjects, ranging in age from 18 to 80 years old. In addition, each paper analyzed fasting blood glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin levels, total cholesterol levels, HDL cholesterol levels, LDL cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Garlic was administered to the subjects in the form of raw garlic, garlic powder, garlic oil, aged garlic extract, and enteric-coated garlic supplements.

A comprehensive analysis of each paper revealed that subjects who were administered garlic had significantly lower fasting blood glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin levels, total cholesterol levels, and LDL cholesterol levels, and a significant increase in HDL cholesterol levels. On the other hand, no significant increase or decrease in triglyceride levels was confirmed. Incidentally, the 'LDL cholesterol' that was confirmed to be significantly lower is commonly known as 'bad cholesterol,' which promotes arteriosclerosis, while 'HDL cholesterol' is known as 'good cholesterol,' which suppresses arteriosclerosis.

Based on the results of the analysis, the research team concluded that 'garlic may be beneficial for patients with diseases related to glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism.' However, they also pointed out that separate studies with a large number of subjects are needed to verify the effect of garlic on triglycerides.