title: Limitation of the deterioration of lipid parameters by a standardized garlic-ginkgo combination product. A multicenter placebo-controlled double-blind study.
abstract: The efficacy of a garlic-ginkgo combination product (Allium plus) was analyzed in a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study under extreme dietary conditions. The Christmas/New Year's season was chosen for this 2 months lasting investigation analyzing whether the known cholesterol lowering effect of garlic was even effective during the period of the year with the most cholesterol-rich meals. 43 patients with elevated total cholesterol levels ranging between 230-390 mg/dl completed the study. There were no significant changes of the total cholesterol values in both treatment groups. Nevertheless the analysis of improvement or deterioration of total cholesterol values revealed a clear difference between verum and placebo. 20% of the patients in the placebo group showed an improvement of their total cholesterol level, while there was a significant greater improvement rate of 35% in the verum group (p < 0.05). The responders of the verum group showed a reduction in the total cholesterol values from 298.5 +/- 53.8 to 293.0 +/- 56.4 mg/dl after 1 month and a total reduction of 10.4% after 2 months to 267.6 +/- 44.4 mg/dl. The difference after 2 months of treatment was significantly different from the starting value (p < 0.05). After the 2 months treatment phase there was a 2 weeks wash-out period. During this period the total cholesterol value returned to 293.5 +/- 90.1 mg/dl showing the effectiveness of garlic treatment, but indicating the need for a continuous long-term therapy.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Research, Gümlingen Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kenzelmann
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kade
mesh_terms: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005737:Garlic; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D002784:Cholesterol; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004338:Drug Combinations; D008055:Lipids; D010936:Plant Extracts; C063170:Ginkgo biloba extract; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract