The Functional Role of Garlic and Bioactive Components in Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Health: What We Do Know

Cardiovascular disease is a complex and multifactorial disease strongly associated with hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, reduced fibrinolysis, increased blood-clotting time and increased platelet aggregation. Among other confounding factors, oxidative damage is a major factor in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The use of garlic in folkloric medicine highlights the potential role in either preventing or delaying cardiovascular disease. Contemporary research reveals how garlic and bioactive components modulate the risk factors of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases thus tending towards validating a measure of folkloric claims concerning the functional efficacy of garlic. This review seeks to elucidate contemporary research attempt towards the validation of the role of garlic and bioactive components, mechanisms of action involved and to define its ultimate role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Some contradictory claims exist possibly due to the use of different experimental protocols/formulations/dosages of garlic. Overwhelming commonality of positive cardiovascular and cerebrovascular responses reside among research studies thus offering compelling evidence in supports of the beneficial health effects of garlic and components.