Garlic oil ‘may prevent heart disease in diabetics’

WASHINGTON - A new study has revealed that garlic has enormous potential to prevent cardiomyopathy, a form of heart disease that is a leading cause of death in people with diabetes.

Wei-Wen Kuo and colleagues note that diabetics have at least twice the risk of death from heart disease as others, with heart disease accounting for 80 percent of all diabetes-related deaths.

Especially dangerous is diabetic cardiomyopathy, which inflames and weakens the heart’s muscle tissue.

The study results indicated that garlic might help control the abnormally high blood sugar levels that occur in diabetes. They found that rats given garlic oil experienced beneficial changes associated with protection against heart damage.

The changes appeared to be associated with the potent antioxidant properties of garlic oil, the scientists say, adding that they identified more than 20 substances in garlic oil that may contribute to the effect.

“In conclusion, garlic oil possesses significant potential for protecting hearts from diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy,” the report said.

The find appears in ACS’ bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. (ANI)