Go back to Saatwik food as the advice of ancient Indians holds true even today.

Researchers from Stanford University’s School of Medicine have come out with a myth basher - garlic has no effect whatsoever, on reducing cholesterol levels.

Expressing surprise himself at the results of his study, which were published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, lead author Dr.Christopher Gardner says he came about the findings by conducting a six-month long experiment in 192 volunteers. They were aged between 30 and 65 and had moderately high levels of cholesterol.

The group was divided into four. Keeping one as placebo, the other three were given raw garlic, powdered garlic and aged garlic supplements. The dose was equivalent to a medium sized clove of garlic, consumed daily. Blood samples were drawn at regular levels to test for cholesterol levels.

At the end of the test period, there were no significant changes seen in levels of LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol, or in triglyceride levels. The only change monitored was the inevitable bad breath and body odor.