Daily supplementation with aged garlic extract, but not raw garlic, protects low density lipoprotein against in vitro oxidation.

The oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) is believed to be an important process in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. In this study, human subjects were supplemented daily with one of: 6 g raw garlic; 2.4 g aged garlic extract (AGE); or 0.8 g DL-alpha-tocopherol acetate for 7 days to determine the effect on the susceptibility of LDL particles to Cu2+-mediated oxidation. LDL isolated from subjects given either alpha-tocopherol or AGE, but not raw garlic, was significantly more resistant to oxidation than LDL isolated from subjects receiving no supplements. These results suggest that if antioxidants are proven to be antiatherogenic, AGE may be useful in preventing atherosclerotic disease.