Preventive effects of garlic and lemon extract combined with aerobic exercise on blood metabolic parameters and liver enzymes

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of aerobic exercise in combination with garlic and lemon on the lipid profile, metabolic parameters, and liver enzymes of obese male rats. Design: Sixty-four male Wistar rats were divided into eight equal groups consisting of 1) control following no treatment (n = 8); 2) hypercaloric fatty-food-based diet (n = 8); 3) aerobic exercise (AE, n = 8); 4) garlic intake (G, n = 8); 5) aerobic exercise with garlic intake (AEG, n = 8); 6) lemon intake (L, n = 8); 7) garlic and lemon (GL, n = 8); 8) garlic, lemon and aerobic exercise (GLAE, n = 8). After six weeks of intervention, blood samples were taken to obtain cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and glucose. C-reactive protein (CRP), alanine aminotransferase (GPT), aspartate aminotransferase (GOT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine (Cr), urea and uric acid (UA) were also measured. A oneway ANOVA or the Kruskal Wallis tests for the non-normally distributed variables, with post-hoc pairwise comparisons were conducted to assess differences between groups. Results: All the intervention groups obtained significantly better values compared to the hypercaloric group, although being also fed with a hypercaloric diet. In certain parameters, the intervention groups obtained equal or even better results than the control healthy group. The combination of aerobic exercise with the intake of garlic and lemon showed slightly non-significant better results. Conclusion: Aerobic exercise combined with the intake of garlic and lemon juice may influence the lipid profile, liver enzymes, and other blood parameters associated with cardiovascular disease.

Automated summary

Aerobic exercise combined with garlic and lemon juice intake may have a positive impact on lipid profile, liver enzymes, and other blood parameters related to cardiovascular disease, showing slightly non-significant better results compared to other interventions.