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This is not a medical site. Information on this page is provided on a
"best efforts" basis for interest only and does not constitute
personal advice.
It is essential that you discuss medical matters with your doctor.
Please read the site terms of use.
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Eating lots of garlic isn't always practical or socially desirable.
There are even some people who don't like the taste!
The main reason for not eating lots of garlic is usually the fear of garlic breath. Unfortunately there are - as far as I know - no
odourless varieties of garlic available. For this reason many people prefer to buy
odorless garlic supplements.
These are widely available and come in various forms, the most usual
being pills and capsules.
Do Garlic Supplements Work?
So do they work? Do garlic supplements provide the health benefits of
garlic? Is taking a dietary capsule good for your health or just a waste of money?
As is so often the case, the answer is "it depends". Garlic supplements vary
greatly.
Contra-Indications
As with all medicines, consult your doctor before taking garlic supplements.
In particular garlic should be avoided by those about to undergo surgery as
it can disrupt anti-coagulants. Also,
research published
in 2001 concluded that garlic supplements
"can cause a potentially harmful side effect when combined with a type of medication
used to treat HIV/AIDS".
Allicin
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.
There's no clear consensus on which products are best. One rule of thumb
when buying garlic supplements is to check the label for the amount of allicin
released. Use this information to compare different brands. Other figures
such as "equivalent to x cloves" are not so important. The amount of allicin - if any
- depends on the production method. Some people are sceptical that odorless capsules can
contain any allicin - after all, it is the sulphorous compunds such as allicin
that give garlic its smell in the first place.
Be aware that some garlic supplements list the amount of alliin they contain.
That one letter difference is important - it isn't a spelling mistake! 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.
Aged Garlic Extract
Even without allicin, capsules might still be of value to some people because of the
other sulphides they contain. In particular
there has been a lot of
research into the possible beneficial effects of aged garlic extract
(AGE).
Garlic Supplements - Summary
If you want to take nutritional garlic supplements, then to get the best medicinal
benefits you should go for quality and always check the allicin
level on the packet. Even without allicin content, garlic capsules might be of value to
some people. Always check with your doctor, especially if you are taking other
medication or are due to undergo surgery.
This is not a medical site. Information on this page is provided on a
"best efforts" basis for interest only and does not constitute
personal advice.
Always discuss medical matters with your doctor.
Please read the site terms of use.
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