If you’re taking herbal dietary supplements such as echinacea, ginkgo, garlic, St. John’s wort and others, or even Vitamin E supplements, and you’ll be undergoing a medical procedure that will require the administration of anesthetics, be sure to let your doctor know what supplements you are taking. A lot of herbal supplements have side effects and drug interactions. Have a look at this flyer from the American Society of Anesthesiologists: What You Should Know About Herbal and Dietary Supplement Use and Anesthesia.
Hat Tip: Help My Hurt

A study conducted at University of Alabama at Birmingham demonstrates how garlic helps reduce blood pressure and thus protect against subsequent cardiovascular diseases. Apparently, the protective effect is closely linked to how much hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is produced from garlic compounds interacting with red blood cells.
The UAB researchers found this interaction triggered red blood cells to release H2S, which then led to the relaxation of blood vessels. Fresh garlic was used at a concentration equal to eating two cloves. The resulting H2S production caused up to 72 percent vessel relaxation in rat arteries.
“When these garlic compounds are metabolized to H2S …read more

For all the other benefits that garlic has been shown to have — anti cancer and anti-bacterial, to name a few– one of the more popular applications that garlic supplements are being sold for is to help reduce cholesterol levels. However, clinical data on the effect of garlic consumption on such have been inconclusive. According to a new study, garlic does NOT appear to offer benefit in patients with moderately high LDL levels (130 to 190 milligrams per deciliter).
Forty-nine participants were randomly assigned to receive raw garlic, 47 to take a powdered garlic supplement, 48 to take an aged …read more

Yesterday, I wrote about garlic’s potential as an antimicrobial in cystic fibrosis patients. The benefits of garlicky meals continue:
Numerous studies have indicated that the consumption of garlic and onions seems to reduce the risk of contracting cancer, particularly colon and stomach cancer.
People who used the most onion or garlic about a half-cup of chopped onion daily and a self-assessed “high” garlic consumption were from 10 percent to 88 percent less likely to have various types of cancer than those who said they used little or none.
Cancers compared included cancers of the esophagus, mouth and throat, colon, breast, ovary, prostate …read more

The powers of garlic to treat various maladies have long been known. Numerous studies have been conducted over the years to identify bioactive substances in garlic, and have uncovered clues to its mode of action, alhtough not enough to earn it the label of being a true alternative medicine. A large number of research have demonstrated, though, that garlic appears to lower indicators of cardiovascular disease and other ailments. In March, the Journal of Nutrition even published a supplementary issue focusing on the impact of garlic and its constituents on cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Well, assuming that the scientific bases are …read more