Garlic for Health
Garlic has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb. It has been cultivated in the Middle East for more than 5,000 years and has been an important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The bulb is used medicinally. It has been traditionally used for many conditions, including parasites, respiratory problems, poor digestion, and low energy.
It has these constituents:
- Highest sulphur content of any plant in the Allium genus.
- Trace elements: germanium, selenium
- Volatile oil containing sulphur compounds
- Amino acids allin and allicin.
Benefits of Garlic
Clinical Applications include:
- Antioxidant protection
- Atherosclerosis
- Prevention of thrombosis
- Hypertension
- Acute rhinitis
- Influenza
- Infectious bronchitis
- Benign prostate hyperplasia
- Colon cancer
- High cholesterol
- High triglycerides
- Intermittent claudication
- Warts (used topically).
Our review of the medical literature reveals the following information about the use of garlic extracts.
Antioxidant Protection
- Allicin increases blood levels of two antioxidant enzymes: catalase and glutathione peroxidase.
- Acts as an effective antioxidants against the oxidative damage caused by nicotine.
- Protects vascular endothelial cells from oxidant injury.
- Prevents LDL oxidation.
- Inhibits lipid peroxidation in the liver, retarding the aging process in liver cells.
- “Oxygen free radicals are involved in the genesis and maintenance of hypercholesterolemic atherosclerosis … it can be useful in preventing the development of hypercholesterolemic atherosclerosis.”
Anti-Atherogenic
- Helps in preventing the development of hypercholesterolemic atherosclerosis.
- Reduces lipid content in arterial cells and prevents intracellular lipid accumulation.
- Counteracts the effects of a high-sucrose diet in lab animals, minimizing elevations in triglycerides and cholesterol.
- Minimizes or prevents elevations in blood lipids in humans after consumption of a high-fat / cholesterol meal.
- The organic disulphides in garlic can inactivate the thiol groups in the enzyme HMG CoA reductase , thereby inhibiting cholesterol synthesis by the liver.
- “Not only a preventive but possibly also a curative role in arteriosclerosis therapy (plaque regression) may be ascribed to garlic remedies.”
- Lowers total cholesterol by 10%; lowers LDL-cholesterol by 15%; lowers triglycerides by 13%; increases HDL-cholesterol by 31%.
Anti-Thrombotic
- The constituent ajoene inhibits platelet aggregation regardless of mechanism of induction.
- Serves as beneficial agent in the prevention of thrombosis.
- Inhibits thrombosis due to vascular damage.
- Increases fibrolytic activity.
Anti-hypertensive (high blood pressure)
- Lowers systolic pressure by 20-30 mm Hg and diastolic by 10-20 mm Hg.
- Inhibits in vitro the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase, which can produce pro-inflammatory and hypertensive prostaglandins.
Anti-Microbial
- 1 mg garlic = 15 Oxford units of penicillin. Garlic has 1% of the potency of penicillin.
- Inhibits Candida albicans in animal studies and Cryptococcal meningitis in human trials.
- Exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity:
- Gram-positive bacteria: Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Streptomyces griseus, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus plantarum.
- Gram-negative bacteria: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Xanthomonas maltophilia.
- Demonstrates in vitro virucidal activity against herpes simplex virus type 1, herpes simplex virus type 2, parainfluenza virus type 3, vaccinia virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, and human rhinovirus type 2.
Dosage
- Cardiovascular preventive intervention - Commercial preparation to provide at least 4,000 mcg of allicin daily which is equivalent to 2-4 cloves of fresh garlic.
- Immune support - 4,000 mcg of allicin 3 times daily.
Side Effects
Be cautious if you are taking anticoagulant drugs. Some people experience gastric irritation even at moderate doses. Other people have difficulty metabolizing allicin effectively.
To order garlic extract by phone, please call toll-free 877-347-8600.
