Garlic Extract Review
Despite it’s notoriety for causing bad breath and it’s sometimes unbearable smell, Garlic Extract is actually one of the best spices you can use for your health. Garlic has been used by humans both medicinally and in cuisine for over 7,000 years, and it is one of the oldest known natural medicines.
Health Benefits of Garlic Extract
While you may only know of using garlic as a spice in food, there’s actually a growing amount of evidence that garlic extract is beneficial when taken as a supplement. Let’s explore the many health benefits of Garlic Extract.
Garlic Extract and Cardiovascular Health
Garlic is well-known for being heart-healthy in that it both improves the actual health of the heart, as well as the entire cardiovascular system. Recent studies suggest that garlic supplementation may reduce total cholesterol reliably by roughly 10-15% after several weeks.
Several studies have also shown that garlic extract supplementation can help reduce oxidized LDL cholesterol levels in the bloodstream, while simultaneously improving HDL cholesterol levels.
This in turn helps to naturally lower blood pressure levels and in several studies conducted in humans, roughly 250mg taken once per day was enough to significantly reduce blood pressure in hypertensive adults.
Garlic and the Immune System
Although the mechanism is not 100% known, there are a few studies that indicate that garlic may decrease the rate of sickness by 60-70% and even reduce the severity of symptoms of people already sick.
It is believed that this decrease in sickness is due to allicin. This molecule promotes immune system health and may even help promote white blood cell production to further fight sickness.
Other Benefits of Garlic Extract
Garlic extract’s benefits don’t just stop there, however. In a lone study conducted over the course of 4 weeks, researchers found that ingesting 2g of raw garlic extract could increase nitric oxide levels by up to 224% within two to four hours after ingestion. This is especially useful for athletes and bodybuilders who want to increase nitric oxide for greater blood flow to the muscles.
Although garlic has not been studied for this exact benefit, preliminary studies on rats suggest that garlic might minimize bone loss by increasing estrogen levels in females. It may also help to improve osteoarthritis and may alleviate joint pain and inflammation.
Finally, garlic extract may help you lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. The exact mechanism is not known but those people reported feeling more satisfied after eating a meal containing garlic than after eating a similar meal without garlic.
Side Effects of Garlic Extract
Garlic is probably best known for its’ most common side effect, which is known as halitosis. In layman’s terms, that means bad breath, and chances are you’ve probably experience it before.
What happens is that as you digest garlic, it releases several sulfur-containing gases, which are expelled through your breath. Sulfur is known for having a pungent smell and what you’re actually smelling when someone has “garlic breath” are these gases.
In addition to causing bad breath, garlic may also cause heartburn, gas, nausea, body odor, and diarrhea. However, these side effects are primarily only common when high doses of raw garlic are taken and not in garlic supplements.
Is Garlic Supplementation Right For You?
There are over a dozen real, scientifically proven benefits to taking garlic in addition to consuming it naturally through food. However, garlic supplementation is not right for everyone.
Garlic is recognized as safe for both adults and children when taken in low doses. High doses of over 10-20 grams can cause garlic toxicity and lead to a host of problems. Pregnant or nursing mothers should not take garlic in any large dose as well as there is not enough reliable information about using garlic on the skin or consuming garlic in greater amounts when pregnant.
Since garlic acts as a natural blood thinner, it is not recommended that it be used in conjunction with prescription blood thinners. If you have an upcoming surgery scheduled, you should also stop taking garlic at least two weeks before the surgery.
For the average, normal adult, garlic supplementation is completely safe, and as we’ve not discovered – is also very beneficial to the health of the body. Adding garlic to your supplement regime could just be what you need to improve your health and to reach a state of optimal health.
