It’s always important to make your heart health a priority. In addition to eating a range of antioxidant-rich foods, getting regular exercise, and managing your stress levels, you may also choose to take a supplement in order to keep your cardiovascular health in good shape. However, it’s important to keep in mind that many supplements are not as effective as their marketing may make them seem. In these instances, it helps to save your money and skip them altogether. As it turns out, this may be true for a few supplements out there that are meant to target heart health.
To discover one of the possibly ineffective heart health supplements on the market, we spoke to Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of the Candida Diet. She told us there is little evidence to prove that garlic supplements can support a healthy heart. Read on for all of her expert insight on the matter.
Why garlic supplements may be useless for heart health
You may have heard that regularly taking garlic supplements is a good way to keep your heart health in check. Unfortunately, though, Richards tells us that it may not be as effective as it's made out to be.
"Garlic is often touted as a natural remedy for promoting heart health, but the scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness as a heart supplement is limited and inconclusive," she explains.
On one hand, consuming garlic certainly seems promising, as it "contains certain compounds that may have potential cardiovascular benefits, such as allicin." (It offers a fair share of other potential benefits too, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.) However, Richards notes that "research findings have been inconsistent" as to whether or not garlic supplements are a truly effective option for greater cardiovascular health.
She goes on to say that "some studies suggest that garlic may have a modest effect on lowering blood pressure and reducing cholesterol levels, while others have found no significant cardiovascular benefits."
Richards notes that this inconclusive evidence could be due to a number of factors, from variations in study designs to garlic preparations and dosages. It's also important to note that garlic supplements vary widely in quality, potency, and composition, which makes it even more difficult to come to standard conclusions.
All in all, your best option is to speak to a health professional in order to treat any concerns about your cardiovascular health—and to add heart-healthy foods to your diet, of course.
The bottom line
While garlic supplements are safe to consume and may even be beneficial in the long run. However, as Richards says, "it should not be relied upon as a sole means of preventing or treating heart conditions."
Ultimately, she concludes, "It is crucial to prioritize established heart-healthy lifestyle choices, such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, and medical interventions as advised by healthcare professionals." Got it!
