How To Health

By Wellyn Leu

Garlic possesses a variety of beneficial pharmacological properties affecting most notably the cardiovascular system (lipid management, decreased blood pressure, platelet inhibition, and decreased fibrinolytic activity), and the immune system as an antineoplastic and immunostimulant agent. It is also a potent antioxidant. In 1997, garlic was the most widely used natural supplement in US households. Garlic was shown to be used more than twice as much as any other natural supplement. Garlic is promoted to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, delay the progression of atherosclerosis, prevent heart disease, improve circulation,prevent cancer, and is used topically for tinea infections.

Four types of garlic preparations are currently available on the US market:garlic essential oils, garlic oil macerate, garlic powder, and aged garlic extract (AGE). Most garlic preparations report allicin yield potentials, whereas AGE products standardize to S-allylcysteine (SAC) amounts. Some products have been shown to release differing amounts of active components depending on when the product was made.

Raw, intact garlic contains various chemical compounds, all of which are converted to other sulfur-containing compounds when processed. All of these compounds are derived from the compound allicin. Allicin is formed from alliin, by the action of allinase, which is released when garlic is chopped or chewed. Allicin is extremely unstable and further breaks down to produce hundreds of organosulfur compounds such as diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl disulfide (DADS), diallyl trisulfide, ajoenes and trisulfides, vinyl dithiins, and other sulfur compounds, depending on how the garlic is prepared. By the formation of these compounds, allicin is responsible for most of the biological activity of garlic; however, it is also a major contributor in garlic’s characteristic odor.

The antiplatelet and antifibrinolytic activity of garlic is of great interest to researchers. Many studies have confirmed these effects as a result of garlic consumption. As with the lipid-lowering effects of garlic, more clinical outcome trials are needed to justify its use in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. In addition, comparative studies with aspirin would be needed to show if there are any benefits to using garlic instead. Another double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study of 34 men, average age of 48 years, with total cholesterol levels between 220 mg/dL and 285 mg/dL evaluated the effects of 7.2 g of AGE daily for 5 months. After 5 months, a significant drop (7% in TC, 10% in LDL) was seen in the garlic group vs placebo.

Aged garlic extract (AGE), but not fresh garlic, has been shown to have antioxidant effects. Garlic exerts antioxidant effects by scavenging free radicals, enhancing superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, and increasing cellular glutathione. These effects of garlic may play a role in the cardiovascular, antineoplastic, and cognitive effects of garlic. Aged garlic extract has been shown in vitro and animal studies to protect against liver toxicity from environmental substances, such as bromobenzene, protect against cardiotoxicity from doxorubicin, and improve age-related spatial memory deficits. A placebo-controlled human study showed that garlic may also be useful as a tick repellent. In addition, a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled human study showed that garlic supplements taken over a 12-week period in the winter significantly reduced the incidence of the common cold, and reduced the duration of symptoms when they occurred.

Garlic apparently distributes into human amniotic fluid and breast milk. Placebo or garlic oil capsules were given to 10 women 45 minutes prior to routine amniotic fluid sampling. Four of the five amniotic fluid samples from the women who had ingested garlic were judged by a blinded panel to have a stronger and more garlic-like odor than a paired amniotic fluid sample from a woman in the placebo group. The ingestion of garlic by nursing mothers was shown to significantly change the perceived odor of milk, as well as significantly increase the amount of time the infant spent attached to the nipple while feeding and the number of sucks during feeding. The total amount of milk ingested by the infants was not significantly affected, however. In contrast, these authors later found that the ingestion of garlic for 3 days by nursing women decreased the infants’ feeding time compared to infants of mothers who had taken placebo.

Garlic is most commonly consumed as a food, rather than as a supplement. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), chopped garlic and oil mixes left at room temperature have the ability to result in fatal botulism food poisoning. Such products need to be kept refrigerated, The oil, extract, and oleo resin have been deemed generally recognized as safe as food substances by the FDA, and garlic is also regulated as a dietary supplement in the United States. Garlic is approved in Germany as a no prescription drug. In Canada, garlic is approved as a food supplement; garlic is on the general sale list in the United Kingdom; in France it is accepted for the treatment of minor circulatory disorders; and in Sweden it is classified as a natural product.

Garlic has many great benefits & purposes such as adding flavor to culinary applications to medical & healing purposes that have been enjoy since ancient civilization almost 5000 years ago. So enjoy & embrace what garlic have to offer, because your ancestors probably did.

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