A HERBAL remedy popular with HIV patients could be interfering with their
drugs. Garlic supplements can halve blood levels of the protease inhibitor
saquinavir, say researchers at the US National Institutes of Health. Ironically,
patients take garlic because it is thought to combat high blood
cholesterol—a side effect of treatments for HIV.
A team led by Stephen Piscitelli and Judith Falloon gave saquinavir to nine
volunteers who did not have HIV. When they also took garlic capsules twice a
day, the levels of saquinavir in their blood dropped by half, the researchers
report in this week’s online edition of…
