The Agarwal 5 Year Study
The focus of this study and administration of medication was a volunteer
test group of 5,000 patients all of whom were suffering from atheromatous
heart disease.
Aware that atheromatous heart disease was on the rise worldwide, Dr.
Agarwal began his study in 1980, using 5,000 test patients ranging from
35 to 65 years of age. All patients had clear-cut evidence of ischaemic
heart disease from angina and unequivocal readings on electro-cardiograph
tests (ECG). What's more, all patients had been subjected to serum chemistry
and were screened for fasting blood sugar, post parandial blood sugars,
total cholesterol, serum triglycerides, and total lipids.
Of the 5,000 patients, 3,167 were diabetics, 2,572 had a history of
smoking 10 to 15 cigarettes per day for about five years, and 2,151 patients
had evidence of hypertension. However patients with myocardial infarction,
severe hypertension, severe diabetes, and anyone on insulin therapy were
excluded from the test. All 5,000 patients were instructed not to consume
alcohol in any form during the study, and smoking of any kind was also
expressly forbidden.
In testing the Aloe vera gel, Agarwal combined it with another "Indian
folk remedy," the husk of Isabgol, a very high fiber plant
indigenous to India. All 5,000 patients were instructed to take 100 grams
of fresh flesh gelatin from the plant Aloe Vera along with 20 grams of
the Husk of Isabgol mixed with wheat flour to prepare a kind of bread.
Strict diets were also enforced, and a varying regimen of regular drug
therapies in the form of beta-blockers, verapamil, digoxin, isosorbide
dinitrate, diuretics and B-complex vitamins were allowed to continue. All
patients were asked to report weekly at which time they were assessed clinically
and biochemically.
The duration of the test was for five years - from 1980 to 1985.
According to the report from Dr. Agarwal's study group, most of the
patients started responding from the second week after the therapy was
introduced with almost immediate disappearance of the symptoms from the
angina pectoris. ECG changes started improving dramatically after three
months, and in one year all but 348 of the patients had normal tracing
"even after treadmill."
After the first year the report quoted the following:
None of the patients suffered from myocardial infarction during
the study. The lipid profile also started improving after three months
of institution of therapy.
Out of 5,000 patients, 4,652 had their normal levels of serum cholesterol
ranging from 160 Mgm to 240 Mgm, serum triglycerides from 50-90 Mgm%...Total
lipids from 500 Mgm to 800%, HDL cholesterol ranging from 50 Mgm% to 75
Mgm%.
The medication, during the five year course of the study, was never
entirely discontinued, though it was noted that in the vast majority of
the cases the dosages were greatly reduced.
After the full five years, Dr. Agarwal noted substantial improvement
in 95% of the 5,000 patients in the study and was able to conclude the
following:
The plant, Aloe vera, when mixed with the husk of Isabgol and given
to the patients of atherosclerotic heart disease, prompted a definite and
substantial improvement (about 95%) in the clinical profile apart from
bio-chemical changes and ECG tracings.
It must also be noted that bio-chemical changes and ECG tracings were
uniformly excellent. And, significantly but not surprisingly, Dr. Agarwal
noted with some amazement that, "the most interesting aspect of the
study was that no untoward side-effect was noted, and all the five thousand
patients are surviving till date."
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Reference: "Aloe Vera/The Inside Story", page 152 to 154,
by Bill Coats, R.Ph. C.C.N., with Robert Ahola.