It reviewed 1,800 studies on the health benefits of garlic or three months, specifically in lowering cholesterol levels. It said that studies lasting three months or less came out with that conclusion. But longer-term studies did not (Feder). Despite this new finding, the sale of garlic supplements remained brisk and popular (Feder 2007). It sold at $150 million a year. The Stanford study was independently conducted. It aimed at determining if raw garlic and garlic supplements could really reduce cholesterol in persons with moderately high cholesterol levels. It drew from the common and accepted belief that LDL, the bad cholesterol, could increase the risk of heart disease. Hence, patients are prompted to lower LDL level through diet, exercise and medication. The Stanford survey used 192 respondents with cholesterol levels high enough to attract concern. They were given raw garlic, Garlicin-powdered garlic, Kyolic-aged garlic or placebo for six months. After that time, the researchers were dismayed to find that the participants' LDL levels remained the same throughout the study. In view of the finding, an editorial by the Archives of Internal Medicine concluded that garlic does not significantly lower LDL cholesterol. It is, thus useless in preventing heart disease. It only seems to lower blood pressure (Feder).

Poor-Quality Nutrition and CVD

Low income among ethnic populations accounts for a high level of CVD risk because of poor-quality diet (Jilcott et al. 2007). This was the conclusion of the Well Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women across the Nation project conducted recently. It was administered to low-income, midlife 236 women in the said populations in the South.

The Alternate Healthy Eating Index, the Diet Quality Index and the Diet Quality Index-Revised were used to quantify the quality of their overall diet. Serum carotenoids were also measured in measuring their dietary intakes. The Actigraph accelerometer was used to objectively measure their physical activity. (Jilcott et al.).

Then the results were compared with those of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center conducted on 104 women. Dietary assessment tools were needed to correct the populations' poor diet, considering that they were considered high-risk and underserved.

A previous version of the tool was validated in order...

The modified or updated Dietary Risk Assessment specifically aimed at providing the needed guidance so as to reduce CVD. This new one had to accurately measure all dietary aspects associated with CVD risk. It was, therefore, found appropriate in helping reduce or prevent the incidence among underserved, midlife women in particular (Jilcott et al.). The findings showed the connection between poor nutrition and the occurrence of CVD. #
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