Garlic Research

Garlic is one of the oldest known medicinal plants, and it's been credited with fighting heart disease, lowering blood pressure and helping to fight off colds. The therapeutic qualities of garlic are nothing new. Sanskrit records reveal that garlic remedies were pressed into service in India 5,000 years ago, while Chinese medicine has recognised garlic's powers for over 3,000 years. Even Louis Pasteur, who discovered penicillin, recognised the anti-bacterial powers of garlic back in 1858. And during World War One surgeons regularly used garlic juice.

So, what is it about garlic that makes it such a boon to our health? When cloves are chewed, crushed or cut, they release a sulphur-bearing compound called allicin - the chemical that gives garlic its pungent taste and smell. And it's the allicin that scientists have discovered is the magic ingredient thought to be responsible for garlic's therapeutic qualities.

Most of the modern research on garlic has concentrated on its ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as offering protection against strokes and heart disease. For example, when the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians reviewed data on cholesterol in 1993, it found that after just four weeks there was a 12 per cent reduction in cholesterol levels in the research groups that had taken garlic.

Scientists have also looked at the role garlic plays in helping prevent the formation of blood clots. A review of recent clinical trials, published in the Journal of Hypertension, showed that taking garlic tablets cut volunteers' blood pressure by between one and five per cent. These results led the report's authors to conclude that taking supplements could cut the incidence of stroke by anything from 30-40 per cent, while heart disease could be reduced by 20-25 percent.

While garlic is gathering a reputation for helping to maintain a healthy heart, regular amounts of garlic seems to also help the body fight off infections. These antibacterial effects were first discovered in the early 19th century during an outbreak of infectious fever - English priests caught the fever but the French priests, who ate garlic every day, remained healthy. However, you don't need to suffer with a fever to benefit from garlic's health enhancing properties.

The key to garlic's health benefits is allicin.

This pungent and powerful phytochemical (a plant compound that has protective health benefits) is also responsible for garlic's telltale odor. Ironically, there is no allicin in an intact clove of fresh garlic: Allicin forms when the plant cells within the garlic clove are damaged, such as through crushing or cooking. Garlic's ability to manufacture allicin serves to defend the plant against insects, bacteria, viruses, fungal organisms, and other invaders. Soon after allicin is formed, the compound breaks down into a host of other compounds. These compounds act as antioxidants, anticancer agents, anticlotting agents, and detoxifiers. This array of helpful, natural elements differs according to whether the garlic is heated, dried, aged, or eaten fresh.

The most potent medicinal compound derived from garlic is allicin and it is for this that most people turn to garlic supplements. The chemistry of allicin is complex - it is not present in natural garlic but is released when garlic is crushed. In addition, allicin is unstable and breaks down quickly. Producing garlic supplements that will release significant quantities of allicin is not easy. This might explain their price.

When buying garlic supplements, check the label for the amount of allicin released. Use this information to compare different supplements. Other figures such as "equivalent to x cloves" are not really important.

Be aware that some garlic suppliments list the amount of alliin they contain. That one letter difference is important! Alliin is a precursor compound to allicin however conversion rate between alliin and allicin is extremely variable. On its own an alliin figure is of little value.

Pectin Plus^® uses odorless garlic that has been standardized to provide 10% Allicin Potential