Aged‑garlic extract enhances global cognition

An epidemiological link between nitrous oxide (NO)‑deficiency and Alzheimer disease has been established in preclinical models. Brain maps have revealed higher cerebral blood flow to areas of the brain involved with working or short‑term memory following the consumption of NO‑potent natural foods. However, aged garlic extract (AGE) may stimulate endothelial NO synthase in advance of reversing atherosclerotic plaques, which, in turn, increases NO bioavailability. The present study sought to evaluate whether AGE improves cognitive function. For this purpose, a total of 80 eligible subjects were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, placebo‑controlled clinical trial, with 72 subjects completing both the baseline and the 12‑week follow‑up visit. The mean age of the participants was 53.0±12.3 years with 45 (63%) subjects being female. The baseline characteristics, stratified by arm (AGE group, n=37 and the placebo group, n=35), of the study participants were well balanced. To assess cognition, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) tool was utilized. The primary endpoint was cognitive changes over the course of the study. At the conclusion of the trial, there were more patients with no cognitive impairment in the AGE arm (92 vs. 85%), similar numbers in the mild cognition arm (8 vs. 9%), and the placebo group had more patients with moderate cognitive impairment than the AGE group (6 vs. 0%). AGE had a significant effect on triglycerides; triglycerides in the AGE group decreased by 14.7 mg/dl and increased by 8.6 mg/dl in the placebo group (P<0.05). On the whole, in the present small study, AGE improved cognition and triglycerides. However, further larger studies with longer study durations are warranted to confirm these findings.