U.S. Edition Good studies haven't consistently shown that garlic lowers cholesterol, blood pressure, or blood sugar, or that it prevents heart attacks, cancer, or blood clots. Garlic supplements appear to be safe, but regular users who take prescription blood-thinning medications should let their physicians know.
Many garlic pills release only small amounts of their active ingredients.
None of these typical claims from garlic supplement labels are backed by good scientific evidence, according to a recent review commissioned by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In some studies, garlic supplements lowered high cholesterol levels by about ten percent. But the reduction was seen mainly in studies that lasted three months or less. The disappointing news about cholesterol shouldn't have surprised the garlic-supplement industry. Take Lichtwer Pharma.