A promising 2016 study by Iranian researchers at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences looked at the combined effect of garlic and lemon juice on a group of people with mild hyperlipidaemia, or high levels of fats in their blood.
While the study was small, the results definitely point to the need for ongoing study of this potentially powerful nutritional option.
Lemon & Garlic
Numerous prior studies have pointed to the potential for garlic to have a number of benefits for human health.
- Reduced blood pressure;
- Lowered cholesterol levels;
- Lowered triglycerides.
Lemons and other citrus fruits contain polyphenols, plant compounds that have also shown a protective effect on the cardiovascular system in research studies.
- Lower blood pressure;
- Protective effect on blood vessels;
- Lower systolic blood pressure.
What action would they have when taken together?
The Study
The randomized clinical trial had specific parameters. The study included a total of 112 hyperlipidemic patients between the ages of 30 and 60. They were divided into four groups.
- Group 1 got 20g of garlic daily, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice;
- Group 2 received 20g garlic daily;
- Group 3 drank 1 tablespoon of lemon juice daily;
- Group 4 received neither garlic nor lemon juice.
- 20g of garlic amounts to about 2 1/2 tablespoons
Records were kept of diet and physical activity, and the results measured in blood samples before and after 8 weeks of following the regimen.
The Results
The researchers called the results “significant” across a number of measures, with the results from Group 1 far ahead of the others.
- A decrease in total cholesterol;
- A decrease in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol;
- A decrease in fibrinogen;
- A reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure;
- A reduction n body mass.
Lemon and garlic are often used together as a delicious flavor combination in cooking. The clinical trial suggests that the advantages of eating them together
