Garlic extract
Garlic extract improved circulation and reduced chronic inflammation in obese individuals. In this study, 88 obese men and women, aged 25 to 60, with no history of high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, stroke, or congestive heart failure, took 400 mg per day of garlic extract, or a placebo.
After three months, while there was no change for placebo, arterial stiffness had improved, becoming more flexible and lowering chances for a circulatory event. Also for garlic, levels of high- sensitivity C-reactive protein—an inflammatory factor—declined, as did LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, while total antioxidant capacity increased.
Discussing the findings, doctors said the results show, in obese individuals, garlic extract may improve arterial flexibility, reduce chronic inflammation, and lower chances for heart and circulatory events.
Selenium and CoQ10
This report is a follow-up two years after the end of a 10-year study published earlier. The initial trial followed 443 Swedish men and women, aged 78 to 85 at the start, who took 200 mg of CoQ10 plus 200 mcg of selenium per day for the first four years. Doctors also followed a similar group of 222 individuals who did not take supplements.
After 12 years, chances of having died from a heart or circulatory event were 41 percent lower for the CoQ10 selenium group compared to the non- supplement group.
Discussing the findings, doctors said the results at 12 years validate the findings at 10 years; that even eight years after stopping supplementing, people who had taken CoQ10 and selenium were much less likely to have died from heart and circulatory factors.
Reference: Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy; 2018, Vol. 102, 792-7
Natural Insights for Well Being September 2018
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