Clove at first sight: the healing power of garlic.(Wellness: supplements and functional foods)

It may not do much for your breath. But perhaps no other herb can do more for your heart health than garlic. Used for centuries around the world for everything from numbing toothaches to warding off vampires, a whole new generation is taking to garlic with a passion. German health authorities have approved garlic as a primary defense against atherosclerosis--the buildup of fatty plaques on artery, walls that can lead to heart disease--and high cholesterol levels. American consumers are now buying it in droves. Or cloves.

Solid Science

Research, including over 1,000 clinical trials that have been conducted on its medicinal uses, supports Americans' enthosiasm.

A study published in Coronary Artery, Disease in 1999 found that of 60 mice fed high-cholesterol Nets, the 30 given allicin--one of garlic's active ingredients--developed fewer fatty deposits in their arteries.

A 1999 German study showed an 18 percent reduction in plaque buildup in the arteries of people who took 900 milligrams (mg) of garlic powder per day.

And an Oxford University overview of 16 clinical trials involving nearly 1,000 people found that those taking 600-900 mg of dried garlic powder daily for a month or more saw a 12 percent reduction in their cholesterol levels. And they also enjoyed a 13 percent reduction in triglycerides, another type of fat found in the blood.

Potent Properties