Garlic Sense--The Science behind Garlic

Garlic is an ingredient used extensively in food.It has also been used as medicine for a wide variety of ailments for thousands of years.Garlic has been the subject for over 2000 scientific publications and is one of the top selling herbs in the health supplement industry today.Garlic has a wide range of well documented effects including boosting the immune function,fighting infections,preventing cancer and providing various cardiovascular benefits--lowering total/LDL('bad') cholesterol,reducing high blood pressure and increasing fibrinolytic activity of the blood thus making it less liable to form clots that can block the blood vessels.Its antimicrobial actions have made garlic a popular remedy for protection against recurrent colds,flu and bronchitis.Garlic inhibits candida albicans and is helpful against recurring yeast infections.All the beneficial effects of garlic are attributed to its sulphur-containing compounds,the most important of which are allicin,ajoene,vinyle dithilins and allylsulphides.Incidentally,these compounds also account for their characterstic pungent color of garlic.Allicin is formed from alliin,which occur when bulbs are crushed or chopped,a process which releases the enzymes allinase present in garlic itself.While alliin is a very stable compound and can survive storage for longerperiods of time.It can easily break down into other compounds including vinyl dithilins,sallylcysteine and allyl sulphides.Some researchers have shown that allicin is very rapidly metabolised in the liver,and hence may exert its medicinal effects indirectly via its breakdown products.
THE MANY FACES OF GARLIC PREPARATIONSVarious types of commercial garlic products are available in the market.These product differ in the method used in processing the garlic components,resulting in significant variations in the nature and potency of medicinal activity shown.Whole fresh garlic and dried standardised garlic extract powder demonstrate the whole spectrum of health effects associated with garlic--anticancer,cholesterol -lowering,anti-atherosclerosis and antimicrobial. The major active constituents are allicin and ajoene.Aged garlic extract,made by adding chopped garlic clove to a dilute solution of ethanol for 20 months and then filtering the mixture,contains sallylcysteine and has been reported to lower choleterol,albeit taken in high doses.Garlic oil,which is prepared by macerating garlic with oil for a period of time lowers cholesterol,but does not appeared to have any of the other benefits of powdered whole garlic.Another type of garlic oil,obtained by steam-distillation,contains primarily allylsulphides with antibacterial and anticancer properties.One of the main difficulties in comparing studies on garlic is establishing the nature and concentrations of active components in the garlic preparation used.Studies have proved that fresh garlic preparations lowers cholesterol and LDL more effectively compared to aged garlic.HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST GARLIC PRODUCTBesides allicin,ajoene amd allylsulphides,there are many other compounds ingarlic that contribute to the medicinal effects of garlic.Therefore,the best product would be one that is rich in all garlic compounds and most resembles whole fresh garlic.The german commission E recommends an effective dose of garlic that is equivalent to 4000mcg of fresh garlic.Allicin is the precursor from which all the main active garlic components are formed.Ideally,a good garlic product should contain plenty of alliin coupled with high allinase activity,which react together to release allicin.The capacity of a garlic product to release allicin is known as its"allicin potential".Studies that report a beneficial effect of garlic and garlic preparations used a form of garlic that delivers a sufficient dose of allicin.As allicin is not produced until it has passed into the intestinal tract,by which time it can be destroyed by stomach acid,the product has to be protected with'enteric-coating'.Preparations which have high alliin content being formed ,and hence will not be effective.Furthermore,some excipients used in making tablets can actually inhibit allinase activity,thus reducing the amount of allicin being released.Thus a wise consumer will choose a garlic product with the following properties:----Made from whole garlic,such as whole garlic extract powder.--Guaranteed tp produce a standardised quantity of allicin for every dose.Based on clinical research,an effective commercial garlic product should provide a daily dose of 4000mcg of allicin potential in order to be effective.This,if a product claims to deliver 750mcgallicin per capsule,you would need to take 5 to 6 capsules a day to obtain the health benefits of garlic.--Enteric-coated to ensure that allicin is not produced until the garlic powder mixes with the fluids in the intestinal tract.This will ensure that all the allicin is available for absorption ito the body.--An added benefit of enteric-coated of product is that it does not give an after taste or after-odour,hence is more socially acceptable.--Pure garlic powder in capsule form is preferred as it does not contain any other excipients that may interfere with allicin productions.