Allicin of Garlic
Garlic extracts have been used for thousands of years successfully to aid in a wide variety of conditions. The antimicrobial substance known as “Allicin” is produced when the Alliin and Allinase of the garlic are brought together as a result of damage to the bulb or by microbial invasion of the plant. Allicin is the natural defense mechanism of the garlic plant that science has proven to be so effective as a defense for us as well. Some research-supported actions of Allicin are: reduces blood pressure, kills microscopic organisms, poisonous bacteria, parasites and fungal infections, aids in preventing neoplasm, reduces high blood cholesterol, removes heavy metals and other toxins, scavenges and removes free radicals, repairs immune system cells by providing high sulfur compounds, and increases blood circulation.
The chemistry of garlic is complex and even though Allicin was discovered in 1944, its volatility has resulted in very few supplements or garlic based products that contain any Allicin by the time they reach the consumer. In the past year alone, supermarkets and mass merchandisers in the United States have sold more than 5 million units of garlic. This makes garlic the most popular herbal product in America , according to Information Resources, Inc., and yet none of those consumers are getting what they actually need (Allicin) from the garlic products they buy. It is worth mentioning that with a new patented process for extracting and stabilizing ARPs from garlic, we offer people the product they thought they were buying.
The Allicin found in two capsules of “Defense” supplement is equivalent to eating 45 whole bulbs of garlic!
Is garlic a spice or a medicine? Is it therapeutic for the major diseases of our times? Scientists posed these two questions, respectively, in the titles of articles appearing in research journals in 1988. Most of us know of garlic as a favorite seasoning in salad dressings and as a staple of French, Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Chinese cooking. But garlic is also a medicine, an unusually powerful and versatile one, that has been used since the dawn of medicine.
From epidemiological studies of cancer in China and Italy to clinical trials in high blood pressure and high cholesterol in the United States, Europe, and Japan, garlic has come under intense scientific scrutiny in the last ten years as a potential “wonder drug.” Much of this research has investigated the effects of garlic in cardiovascular disease. This priority of research is probably inspired by the prominence of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, the leading causes of death in the industrialized world.
In 1994, scientists reviewing a collection of previous clinical trials of garlic concluded that it lowers both cholesterol and blood pressure, two important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Notably, normal dietary amounts of garlic did this without any side effects more serious than a garlic odor in a small percentage of participants. Conventional drugs for these diseases cause side effects such as dry mouth, insomnia, drowsiness, depression, and impotence. In a head-to-head trial comparing garlic against the cholesterol-lowering drug bezafibrate, garlic was just as effective. This is good news for the 25 percent of men and women aged twenty-five to fifty-nine in the United States who have high cholesterol levels.
Scientists have also recently investigated the possibility that garlic can prevent or treat some kinds of cancer. As early as 1981, scientists noted that populations in China eating more garlic had less incidence of stomach cancer than those eating less garlic. By 1985, researchers experimenting with constituents of garlic had identified mechanisms that could inhibit tumors. One focus of research has been the sulfur-containing compounds in garlic — the very compounds responsible for the odor of garlic coming from the skin of people who eat a lot of it. By 1994, the lower cancer rates among garlic eaters in China were found to also hold true in Italy and in Iowa. Scientists have now found evidence for the cancer-preventing effects of garlic from such population research, from research on isolated cancer cells, and from animal research. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and this research suggests that garlic may help prevent stomach, bladder, breast, colon, and esophageal cancers.
So it seems that the answer to the questions posed by the scientists in 1988 is “yes.” Garlic is indeed a medicine and it is a preventive for the major diseases of our times. But so far, we’ve only been talking about prevention.
What about treatment? Garlic has been used since the dawn of written history in medicine, and its main uses have remained virtually unchanged, meaning they have been verified by one generation after another. In contemporary systems of traditional medicine, such as Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, modern naturopathic medicine, British herbalism, and others, garlic remains in use as a therapeutic agent. In 1993 and 1994, in my Medical Herbalism journal, I ran a survey of contemporary herbalists in North America to find out what herbs they used most often. Garlic ranked seventh out of the top fifty herbs mentioned. Note that this is not based on sales of garlic but the actual prescription of it as a medicine by clinical professionals, including naturopathic physicians, chiropractic physicians, acupuncturists, and a variety of lay herbalists. A summary of these uses shows that garlic is like a medicine chest in itself:
- Respiratory conditions: Cold, flu, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, tuberculosis
- Digestive disorders: Stomach ulcer, diarrhea, amoebic dysentery, worms, parasites.
- Cardiovascular disease: Atherosclerosis, post-heart attack therapy, post-stroke therapy, claudication
- Skin problems: Acne, boils, eczema, fungal infections, insect bites and stings
Many of these uses come from the antibiotic and immune-stimulating effects of garlic constituents (historically, garlic was found useful even for prevention of the bubonic plague, the dreaded Black Death!). Garlic can treat or prevent many diseases caused by infection by bacteria, viruses, molds, or parasites.