Aged Garlic Supplements

About Aged Garlic Supplements

The use of Garlic as a natural medicine dates back to 1,500 BC with the early Egyptians, though it has been used as a medicinal food in many other ancient cultures. Hippocrates, "The Father of Medicine" (460-370BC), used it for the treatment of (infection-like) intestinal disease, which according to the methodology of modern science does in fact make a great deal of sense given its antibacterial activity. The effects of Garlic are wide-reaching in the human body. Not only does this miraculous food make aioli taste amazing, it may also assist with the management of a range of health concerns.

Garlic, or Allium sativum, is particularly helpful for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. It has been shown to decrease blood pressure, assist with reducing cholesterol and also improves antioxidant status. One of the identified contributors to atherosclerosis, or plaque build up in the arteries, is oxidised cholesterol. This has been theorised for decades, and recently proposed again in Lipids in Health and Disease, 2017. The introduction of a broad range of antioxidants, in both food and supplemental form, may assist in reducing LDL cholesterol oxidation and assist in preventing the development of atherosclerosis. Research published in 2014 in Phytomedicine indicated that garlic assisted in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors. 

There are four main antioxidant compounds found in garlic, as reported in the Journal of Medicinal Food in 2006. These are: alliin, allyl cysteine, allyl disulfide and allicin. Alliin and Allicin reduce the damaging effects of a free-radical called superoxide, while alliin, allyl cysteine and allyl disulfide inhibit damage from hydroxyl radicals. This essentially means that there are numerous natural compounds found in garlic that assist in protecting cells from damage. This assists in maintaining healthy cellular function and aging. 

It was reported back in 2001 in Advances in Therapy that Garlic can reduce days with symptoms with a cold from 5 to 1.5, and also reduce the likelihood of getting a cold in the first place, which is impressive to say the least. This is testament to Garlic's powerful anti-viral effects, though it is also an effective anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent. 

It’s always a great idea to start thinking about garlic dishes or supplementation when the weather turns chilly, usually sometime just before winter. This will assist in keeping the immune system modulated and also directly prevent replication of viruses and growth of unwanted bacteria. However, garlic is useful for so much more, especially when it comes to quenching free-radicals and reducing cardiovascular disease risk markers.