Knoflook vermindert kans op hartproblemen flink*

Weer een studie, zij het nog laboratoriumproeven, over de grote voordelen van knoflook tegen hartproblemen. De vorming van bloedstolsel en het dichtslibben van aders wordt door de allicine in de knoflook fors afgeremd.

Garlic Cuts Heart Risks, Research Finds

Garlic supplements appear to dramatically cut the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries, new German research claims.

In laboratory tests, the formation of early deposits, or "nanoplaques," was cut by up to 40 percent and the size of existing deposits was cut by 20 percent after exposure to a powdered garlic supplement, according to news reports.

The findings were presented Friday at the American Heart Association meeting in Washington DC.

Prof. Gunter Siegel, from the University of Medicine in Berlin, who led the study, said the results would have to be confirmed in a clinical trial. But, he added, "We expect this research to further garlic's role as significant in helping medical professionals develop effective natural therapies for reducing cardiovascular risk."

Garlic contains allicin, which is known to thin the blood, inhibit clotting and reduce levels of the harmful form of cholesterol, Nanoplaque formation, the first stage of the deposit build-up that leads to narrowing of the arteries, is triggered when LDL or "bad" cholesterol binds to the cells lining blood vessel walls.( Mei 2005)

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