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Garlic Goodness

Garlic has been used since time immemorial as a culinary spice and medicinal herb. Garlic has been cultivated in the Middle East for more than 5,000 years and is an important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The region with the largest commercial garlic production is central California. China is also a supplier of commercial garlic. The bulb is used medicinally.

Active constituents
The sulfur compound allicin, produced by crushing or chewing fresh garlic or by taking powdered garlic products with allicin potential, in turn produces other sulfur compounds: ajoene, allyl sulfides, and vinyldithiins. Aged garlic products lack allicin, but may have activity due to the presence of S-allylcysteine.

Many publications have shown that garlic supports the cardiovascular system. While earlier trials suggest it may mildly lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, more recent trials found garlic to have minimal success in lowering cholesterol and triglycerides. It is mildly antihypertensive and has antioxidant activity.

Garlic’s cardiovascular protective effects were illustrated in a four-year clinical trial on people 50–80 years old with atherosclerosis. It was found that consumption of 900 mg of a standardized garlic supplement reduced arterial plaque formation by 5–18%. The benefits were most notable in women.

Human population studies suggest that eating garlic regularly reduces the risk of esophageal, stomach, and colon cancer. This may be partly due to garlic’s ability to reduce the formation of carcinogenic compounds.

How much is usually taken?
People who wish to consume garlic and have no aversion to its odor can chew from one to two whole cloves of raw garlic daily. For those who prefer it with less odor, enteric-coated tablets or capsules with approximately 1.3% alliin are available. Clinical trials have used 600 to 900 mg (delivering approximately 5,000 to 6,000 mcg of allicin potential) per day in two or three divided amounts. Aged-garlic extracts have been studied in amounts ranging from 2.4 to 7.2 grams per day.

Are there any side effects or interactions?
Many people enjoy eating garlic. However, some people who are sensitive to it may experience heartburn and flatulence. Because of garlic’s anti-clotting properties, people taking anticoagulant drugs should check with their doctor before taking garlic. Those scheduled for surgery should inform their surgeon if they are taking garlic supplements. Garlic appears to be safe during pregnancy and breast-feeding. In fact, two studies have shown that babies like breast milk better from mothers who eat garlic.

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