What’s Truly Known About the Health Benefits of Garlic?
A bulbous plant with a distinctive smell, garlic has been used in folk medicine from prehistoric times. What’s known about the health benefits of garlic? Does it really work? What kinds of supplements to choose? Read on, and you will find answers to all these and numerous other questions.
1. Is Garlic Beneficial to Your Health?
This plant has been extensively used by healers in such geographically diverse locations as Egypt, China, Middle Asia, Greece, and Japan for many thousands of years. Ancient doctors believed that it gives strength and cures all kinds of diseases (including snake bites and sunstroke). Contemporary scientific medicine has only recently started to study the effects of consuming garlic on health. While some of the results of the studies are disputable and not universally accepted, there are areas in which this plant was proven to be beneficial to health.
The strong smell of the cloves after they are cut, chewed, or crushed is caused by a sulfur-containing organic compound called allicin. While allicin protects the bulb from animals and parasites, it is unstable and breaks down very fast, so there is no allicin in cloves that were cooked.
It is believed by some scientists that the bioactive properties of the plant can be caused by high allicin content and these days this compound is being extensively studied by the medical community. In vitro (i.e. in experiments outside a living organism) allicin demonstrated strong antiviral properties, as shown in a 1999 study.
2. What Evidence-Based Health Benefits Does Garlic Have?
Although the scientific consensus is that more research into the properties of this plant is required, there are still some reliable studies that make it possible to conclude that there are several ways in which it can help improve your health.
2.1. Can Protect Against Common Cold
In a 2001 study, volunteers took garlic supplements for 12 weeks from November to February. Those who used the supplement had fewer colds and recovered faster. In a similar 2012 study, those who used the plant extract experienced a marked reduction in the number and severity of symptoms of colds and flu. A 2011 study that tested the properties of allicin concluded that this compound shows promise, but larger trials are required.
To boost the immune system in cold months and not experience the unpleasant smell associated with the raw plant, use odor-controlled supplements like this one:
- Contains allicin precursors that are converted to allicin in the upper intestine, so there is no smell
- 90 tablets
- What are the health benefits of garlic pills like these? They have no odor, and you get at least 5,000 mcg (or 5 mg) of allicin per tablet
2.2. Can Reduce Blood Pressure
In a 2013 study, patients with hypertension who received tablets with plant extract for 24 weeks demonstrated a marked decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. A 2010 study found that aged garlic extract was superior to placebo in lowering systolic blood pressure.
While further research is required, if you suffer from hypertension, it might be reasonable for you to use extracts of the plant together with medications for high blood pressure that are approved by your doctor.
Aged garlic extracts lack allicin and, therefore, have no unpleasant odor. While their efficiency compared to odor-controlled supplements like the one above is not known, proponents of the aged variety claim that it contains a wide range of other bioactive compounds that can potentially be beneficial to health.
Here is a highly popular aged plant extract that comes from a well-known brand:
- 300 mg of extract per capsule
- 300 capsules
- Organically Grown
- Odorless
2.3. Can Improve Cholesterol Levels
In a 2000 meta-analysis of 13 clinical trials, it was discovered that the plant was superior to placebo in reducing total cholesterol levels, although this reduction was rather modest. In a 2008 study that used powder tablets with prolonged action, a reduction in “bad” and an increase in “good” cholesterol were observed. A more recent 2013 meta-analysis makes a conclusion that preparations with this plant are very safe and can be used instead of conventional medications in patients with slightly elevated cholesterol.
There are supplements that are derived from the plant in the form of concentrated oil. Here is one of the most popular such products on iHerb:
- 250 softgels
- 3 softgels are equivalent to a single clove in their potency
- Among the health benefits of garlic oil capsules are high bioavailability and lack of added fillers
2.4. Contains Antioxidants
A small 2005 study demonstrated that supplements with the plant have a beneficial antioxidant effect (as well as help reduce blood pressure). In a 2008 study, similar antioxidant properties were established.
What’s more, there is a promising hypothesis that reductions in cholesterol levels, decreased blood pressure, and antioxidant action that are attributed to the cloves may help the elderly decrease the risk of the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
If you want to use garlic supplements for their antioxidant properties, choose one that combines the plant extract with other powerful antioxidant compounds and vitamin C:
Aged Garlic Extract, Immune Formula by Kyolic
- 300 capsules
- 50 mg of vitamin C and 220 mg of plant extract per capsule
- Organic
2.5. Can Improve Exercise Performance
Recent experiments on rodents (like this 2019 test) demonstrated that the plant possesses marked anti-fatigue properties. Athletes in Ancient Greece used it to boost their performance during various sports games; what’s more, a 2005 study of the effect of garlic oil on cardiac performance and exercise tolerance proved its apoptogenic qualities. A 2007 study makes a conclusion that the plant promotes exercise endurance and may be a promising anti-fatigue agent.
If you want to use garlic supplements to improve your stamina, this complex product will be of help:
- 120 capsules
- Each capsule equals 4.5 raw cloves
- 4800 mcg (or 4.8 mg) of allicin per capsule
- Additionally features Reishi extract, which also possesses apoptogenic properties
- Vegan
3. What Are the Health Benefits of Black Garlic?
The black variety of the plant is a part of Asian cuisine: the color is achieved by heating bulbs for several weeks. As a result, there remain no allicin precursors in the cloves; the plant tastes pleasantly sweet and gets a sticky texture that is similar to dates.
While totally lacking allicin, the black variety is especially rich in s-allyl cysteine (SAC), an active compound with pronounced anti-oxidant properties. While not a replacement for the regular cloves or their extracts, the black variety can be used if you especially value the antioxidant properties of the plant.
This high-rated product comes from a reputable brand and can be bought at an affordable price:
Fermented Black Garlic by Dr. Mercola
- 60 capsules: enough for 30 days of use
- The benefits of the product include very high SAC content per capsule: 0.6 mg
4. Should I Use Fresh Garlic or Supplements with Allicin?
In some of the studies (including ones that studied the effect of the plant on the occurrence and length of the common cold), stabilized allicin in very high doses was used instead of cloves themselves. It is still not known what are the health benefits of fresh garlic compared to high-concentrated dietary supplements that contain nothing but allicin.
If you are looking for a supplement with the highest possible allicin content, use this potent product:
Allicin Powder Capsules by Allimax
- 180 mg (or 180,000 mcg) of allicin per capsule
- 30 capsules: enough for a month of use
- Stabilized bioactive form
- To maximize health benefits from using the plant, you can use this product in combination with one of the above-described aged plant extracts
5. What Health Benefits Does Raw Garlic Have?
The main reason why you might want to use raw cloves instead of various extracts is that allicin in them is “natural” and not chemically altered in any way; you consume it while it is still fresh and not biodegraded. Still, there are several drawbacks to using raw cloves to improve your health:
- Studies show that allicin is rapidly excreted from the body; to get the most benefits of this compound, the optimal strategy is to eat not one but several cloves at regular intervals;
- To get the maximal amount of allicin from the raw plant, you need to thoroughly chew the clove so that all parts of it are crushed — and put up with the strong taste in your mouth;
- Various constituents of the plant are excreted via the skin, so if you regularly eat large quantities of it, not only your mouth but also the skin will acquire a smell that many people believe to be socially unacceptable.
All in all, while it is a good idea to occasionally use raw cloves, odor-controlled dietary supplements are a considerably more convenient way to boost your immunity and promote wellness.
Still, if you are not put off by the pungent smell, you might want to use a supplement that is as close to the raw cloves as possible:
Freeze Dried Fresh Garlic by Eclectic Institute
- 120 capsules
- 550 mg of extract per capsule
- Only water is removed, all the bioactive compounds are in the same balance as found in cloves
- Raw, vegan, and non-GMO
6. Is Garlic Rich in Vitamins?
Contrary to popular belief, this plant is a rather poor source of vitamins and microelements. A single clove contains meager quantities of selenium and magnesium (respectively, 1% and 2% of the recommended daily intake) as well as very small amounts of vitamins B6 and C (respectively, 2% and 1% of the RDI). What’s more, as these vitamins are water-soluble, they are usually completely absent in cooked cloves.
All in all, if you want to ensure that you are taking enough vitamins and microelements, use a quality multivitamin formula.
7. What Kind of Garlic to Choose for Culinary Purposes?
If you want to use this plant for cooking, it is the fresh cloves that offer the most pungent, spicy flavor. You can control its intensity in your dishes using this simple technique: whole cloves offer the least intense flavor, crushed ones make the flavor stronger, and chopped ones boost the aroma to the maximum. The more finely you chop the cloves, the stronger their fragrance will be.
On the other hand, sometimes you simply don’t have enough time to use fresh cloves. When pressed for time, use the finely ground powder instead or, if you want a very subtle flavor, a special kind of salt.
Garlic Powder by Simply Organic
- 103 g (3.64 oz)
- Certified organic
- Highly popular
- 133 g (4.70 oz)
- USDA Organic
- Additionally includes organic parsley & rice concentrate for optimal flavor
Hope we answered the question of what’s known about the health benefits of garlic in full. Maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and use quality dietary supplements: good health is the greatest asset you possess.