Garlic

Garlic
60 Tablets

Garlic has been utilized as both food and medicine for more than 5000 years. In Europe, especially England, garlic was widely used to treat war wounds and dysentery during World War I. By 1997, there were at least 1,200 pharmacologic studies done on garlic, as well as many hundreds of studies on the chemistry of garlic. In recent years, garlic has been the subject of serious scientific inquiry and medical attention because of the thousands of published studies showing the beneficial effects of garlic and its extracts.

Garlic extracts have been reported to have favourable effects on cardiovascular health by increasing circulation, decreasing blood lipids and blood pressure. In fact, garlic extracts are among the most popular OTC pharmaceuticals in Europe, recommended and endorsed by numerous physicians and health authorities of the promotion of health. In addition to these properties, garlic has well-documented antibacterial and antifungal action, an effect now supported by experimental evidence showing that garlic and its extracts have potent antimicrobial activity. Garlic's ability to inhibit the development of cancer has also been widely studied, and is currently the subject of intensive research.

The chemistry of garlic is extremely complex, but research has shown that it is the unusual organosulfur compounds relatively unique to garlic that promote its broad range of lipid-lowering, antithrombotic, anti-blood coagulation, anti-hypertension, anticancer, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects. The most well-known and widely studied garlic compound is allicin. Allicin is a unique sulphur-containing compound that is considered one of garlic's principal active ingredients. Allicin is formed enzymatically from alliin, an odorless precursor of allicin, when garlic cloves are crushed or mechanically disrupted.

Cavallito and Bailey first reported in 1944 that allicin is chiefly responsible for the broad-spectrum antibacterial action of garlic. Lawson has noted that various actions of garlic, such as its cholesterol-lowering and antibacterial effect, are primarily due to its allicin content.

Allicin is the chief thiosulfinate (about 75% of total) formed when fresh raw garlic is crushed, chopped or chewed. Lawson reports there is good evidence that allicin and possibly other thiosulfinates are the main compounds essential to garlic's antimicrobial, lipid-lowering, antithrombotic, fibrinolytic, antioxidant, anticancer and pro-immune effects.

Perhaps allicin's most important power in our modern age of antibiotic-resistant germs and ever-new microbial diseases (SARS, flesh-eating Streptococcus, West Nile encephalitis virus, AIDS, etc.) is its amazingly broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. In their 1999 review of allicin’s antimicrobial activities, Ankri and Mirelman report on the antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasite, antiviral activity of allicin.

They note that a broad range of bacteria, including E. coli, Staphylococcus Aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acetobacter baumanii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecium, Myco-bacterium tuberculosis, H. pylori, Salmonella, Clostridium and Shigella are allicin-sensitive.

Some of the bacteria listed are killed by allicin concentrations as low as 3-15 ppm (3-15 mcg/ml). Fortunately, friendly bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Enterococcus and Pediococcus are fairly resistant to allicin. They also note that allicin synergizes with antibiotics, and that most bacteria are unable to develop resistance to allicin. They also report from their own research that various multi-drug resistant bacteria are also effectively killed by allicin, some at doses as low as 15-30 ppm (15-30 mcg/ml). Allicin has a powerful antifungal effect, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against various Candida species at only 0.15 - 0.8 mcg/ml, and is effective against other fungal species of Cryptococcus, Trichophyton, Epider-mophyton and Microsporum at MIC of 1.57-6.25 mcg/ml.

Allicin has shown anti-parasite activity at 30 mcg/ml against Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, and Leshmania. Allicin has in vitro and in vivo activity against human cytomegalo- virus, influenza B, herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, parainfluenza virus type 3, vaccinia virus, vesicular stomatitis virus and human rhinovirus type 2.

Serving Size: 2 Tablets
Servings Per Bottle: 16
Amount Per Serving:
Allicin (from Garlic Powder) 8 mg

Other ingredients: Dicalcium phosphate, cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, croscarmellose sodium, titanium dioxide, stearic acid, silicon dioxide, triacetin, magnesium stearate, shellac.

Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement, 2 tablets 2 times daily with meals, or as directed by a healthcare practitioner.

As per US federal guidelines, we need to inform you that these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.