| Jim Chinnis 2005-07-20, 2:08 pm |
| "Juhana Harju" <shantigiri@despammed.com> wrote in part:
>Jim Chinnis wrote:
>:: "GaryG" <sorrynoemail@NOSPAMX.com> wrote in part:
>::: "PeterB" <pkm@mytrashmail.com> wrote in message
>::: news:1121434910.905366.32290@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>:::: GaryG wrote:
>::::: "Dr. Jai Maharaj" <usenet@mantra.com> wrote in message
>::::: news:qoaPe2380oVVso@PyiUc...
>:::::: In article <e5DBe.171202$sy6.62304@lakeread04>,
>:::::: " dwacon" <ronald.mcdonald@supersize.me> posted:
>::::::: Dr. Jai Maharaj posted:
>:::::::
>:::::::: GARLIC - BETTER THAN STATIN DRUGS FOR PREVENTING HEART ATTACKS
>::::::
>::::::: So what if you take both?
>::::::
>:::::: Consult, in person, a duly trained and licensed health
>:::::: professional in your jurisdiction. It will be better if
>:::::: he or she is also trained in the use of herbs and wholistic
>:::::: health systems such as Ayurved -- an Ayurvedic physician
>:::::: with an MD is my recommendation.
>::::::
>:::::: Jai Maharaj
>:::::: http://www.mantra.com/jai
>:::::: Om Shanti
>:::::
>::::: I didn't see the original post. Do you have a link to a valid
>::::: study showing the beneficial effects of garlic?
>:::::
>::::: It was promoted for cholesterol lowering a few years ago, but
>::::: subsequent studies showed it had no effect.
>:::::
>::::: GG
>::::
>:::: Since when is cholesterol a decent marker for heart disease? Half
>:::: of all heart attack incidents occur in people without elevated
>:::: cholesterol. Garlic is a natural diuretic, which is at least one
>:::: of its beneficial effects in human health.
>::::
>:::: PeterB
>::::
>:::
>::: There are many natural diuretics (I'm drinking a cup of coffee right
>::: now...an excellent diuretic). But, the claim is that garlic can
>::: "prevent heart attacks". Can you provide us with links to studies
>::: that back up this claim?
>:::
>::: GG
>::
>:: Of course not. Certainly no study that compared garlic consumption
>:: levels with heart attack rates, even in a
>:: retrospective/observational design.
>:: --
>:: Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA
>
>Its ability to reduce cardiovascular risk factors has been estimated in
>studies based on its effects on cardiovascular risk factors. This is just
>one example:
>
>Franco OH et al, The Polymeal: a more natural, safer, and probably tastier
>(than the Polypill) strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease by more than
>75%. BMJ 2004;329:1447-1450.
>
>"Daily consumption of garlic reduced total cholesterol concentrations by
>0.44 mmol/l (17.1 mg/dl), corresponding to 66% of the reduction (0.66
>mmol/l) that was found to be associated with a 38% reduction in
>cardiovascular disease at age 50.Therefore, we considered 66% of the effect
>previously reported and assumed a reduction of 25% (21.7% to 27.7%) in
>cardiovascular disease events for garlic. Most of the randomised controlled
>trials included in the meta-analysis used 600-900 mg/day of dried garlic
>powder preparations, equivalent to 1.8-2.7 g/day of fresh garlic. We
>selected 2.7 g/day of fresh garlic for the Polymeal. Consuming 68 g/day of
>almonds produced half the reduction in total cholesterol (10 mg/dl) observed
>with garlic, so we assumed a reduction in cardiovascular disease half the
>one assigned to garlic."
The Franco et al. paper was an April 1st spoof.
And it's weak evidence when one says that risk factors are
improved rather than that the relative odds of events improved.
When one claims that something improves heart disease mortality as
much as a statin does, the evidence needs to be comparable.
Statins don't just reduce cholesterol.
--
Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA
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