Certainly you’ve heard of the claims that garlic can protect against fungal and bacterial infections, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, blood clots and even cancer. But scientists are still trying to back these claims with legitimate studies so that the public can be properly instructed on how much garlic will deliver these health benefits and what’s the best way to eat it.
Protection from heart disease has been one of the biggest medicinal reasons why people stock their kitchen and medicine cabinets with garlic products. In fact, dating back to 1900, there have been more than 170 clinical trials trying to provide some type of valid scientific proof for what so many have already believed to be true. After all of these years of experimentation, however, there is no clear-cut conclusion.
What is clear to many researchers is that a chemical called allicin is most likely the special ingredient that gives garlic its most powerful effects. This chemical, though, is only stable in water, which makes it a problem when most supplements being sold aren’t water-based products. That means it’s possible that millions of dollars are being spent on products that have no effect on the body at all.
Another obstacle for getting the most out of garlic is that it’s most powerful when eaten raw, typically not what you purchase as supplements. To eat enough raw garlic to improve your health will not only make it difficult to talk to someone in the face, but it could also mean exposing yourself to possible side effects. There have been reports of an increased risk for stomach ulcers, and if it’s taken in combination with blood-thinning drugs such as aspirin or Coumadin, it can lead to excessive bleeding.
Scientists have the same concern about garlic supplements as they do with many of the other herbal preparations: the lack of industry standards. While many manufactures produce garlic-based products, there is no governing body that says how the garlic should be prepared or how much the finished product is supposed to contain. In fact, some researchers have found wide variations in the amount of active ingredients available in the commercial supplements as well as how quickly these chemicals dissolve. This could make the garlic in some of these products completely useless and their accompanying claims suspicious.
Despite the numerous uncertainties that surround garlic’s benefits, a group of scientists recently reporting to the National Institutes of Health suggested that it’s likely that the herb does have disease-fighting potential and deserves more research to bring some clarification. They have called for better and more consistent testing that uses the same garlic preparations in the same doses. Until then, it’s still not clear what assertions can be made about this tiny herb, other than make sure you carry a small bottle of mouthwash just in case you order that pasta or those tasty garlic mashed potatoes.
