title: Effect of garlic powder on C-reactive protein and plasma lipids in overweight and smoking subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidemiologic studies suggest that garlic may have beneficial effects on risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, these findings are not unambiguously supported by randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to investigate the effects of a chemically well-characterized garlic preparation on biomarkers for inflammation, endothelial function, and lipid metabolism in subjects with risk factors for CVD.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 90 overweight [body mass index (in kg/m2) > 24.5] subjects aged 40-75 y who smoked >10 cigarettes/d. The subjects were randomly assigned to 3 parallel treatment groups: garlic powder (2.1 g/d), atorvastatin (40 mg/d), or placebo. Duplicate measurements were performed at baseline and after 1 and 3 mo of treatment. Treatments were compared with analysis of covariance with baseline as the covariate, and differences between the treatments were reported as mean percentage difference and corresponding 97.5% CI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the variables showed significant differences between the garlic-treated and the placebo groups. In contrast, compared with the placebo group, atorvastatin treatment resulted in significantly lower plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein (20.2%; 1.7%, 35.3%), total cholesterol (37.2%; 33.1%, 41.1%), LDL cholesterol (52.7%; 47.9%, 57.1%), triacylglycerols (31.9%; 20.8%, 41.5%), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha; 41.9%; 19.0%, 58.3%) and increased the ratio of ex vivo whole blood lipopolysaccharide-stimulated to nonstimulated TNF-alpha concentrations (109.7%; 37.9%, 218.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that a chemically well-characterized garlic preparation has no significant effect on inflammatory biomarkers, endothelial function, or lipid profile in normolipidemic subjects with risk factors for CVD.
authors.affiliation: TNO Prevention and Health, Gaubius Laboratory, Leiden, Netherlands. mdoorn@chdr.nl
authors.forename: Martijn B A
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: van Doorn
authors.forename: Sonia M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Espirito Santo
authors.forename: Piet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: Ingrid M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Kamerling
authors.forename: Rik C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Schoemaker
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dirsch
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vollmar
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haffner
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gebhardt
authors.forename: Adam F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Hans M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Princen
authors.forename: Jacobus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burggraaf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004727:Endothelium / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005737:Garlic / Q000737:chemistry*; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000502:physiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011208:Powders; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology; D012907:Smoking; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D008055:Lipids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011208:Powders; D011758:Pyrroles; D014280:Triglycerides; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol; D000069059:Atorvastatin