Future prospect of garlic usage in clinical practice of hyperlipidemia: A review

Abstract

Garlic is an important universal dietary and medicinal plant which is being used as food and herbal medicine since ancient times. Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor in the atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular disease. The medicinal importance of garlic is attributed to its lipids lowering and antiatherogenic effects. Being important spice in human food, garlic can contribute its lipids lowering and anti –atherogenic effects. So it has been evaluated so far by several clinical trials in hyperlipidemia. Most of the studies on the effect of oral garlic on serum lipids have shown positive results within the low range of hyperlipidemia. The lipids lowering effect of garlic remains for a few months only. So there is need of further planned clinical trials to evaluate its qualitative and quantitative aspect of hypolipidemic effect in clinical practice.