Garlic oil protects against heart disease in diabetes patients

Eating garlic may help prevent cardiomyopathy, a form of heart disease that is a leading cause of death in people with diabetes, a new study in a recent issue of Journal of Food and Agricultural Chemistry suggests.

Hsiu-Chung Ou from China Medical University and colleagues fed diabetic rats garlic oil or corn oil for a period and found animals given garlic oil experienced changes, which were protective against heart damage.

The researchers speculated that antioxidant properties of garlic oil may be responsible for this protective effect.  According to the study report, as many as 20 substances have been found in garlic oil that may be beneficial.

People with diabetes are twice as likely to die from cardiomyopathy than others and heart disease is responsible for 80 percent of diabetic deaths, according to the background information in the study report.

Previous studies showed garlic might protect against heart disease and help control abnormal levels of blood sugar in diabetes patients.

In addition to having a protective effect against heart disease, garlic may help high blood pressure.  Garlic compounds can help dilate blood vessels and they along with other foods like salmon, vitamin C, peanuts may boost a man's sexual desire and performance and pleasure.

David Liu

Photo credit: wikipedia