Garlic has been used medicinally across the globe for more than 5,000 years. References to this pungent herb have been found in the Bible and in ancient medical texts from Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, and India.
While many of these texts promoted garlic for its supposed ability to enhance strength and increase the capacity for work, it was also used by early physicians to treat a variety of ailments.
The compound credited for garlic’s benefits throughout the ages was allicin, which is produced when fresh garlic is chopped or crushed. Although allicin appears to provide antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant benefits in test-tube experiments, human trials haven’t shown the same results. This is likely because, when allicin reacts with blood, it oxidizes and quickly metabolizes before it can do any good.
Because of this chemical instability, there are no clinical trials showing that allicin is bioavailable or beneficial to human health. In one study, participants ate 25 grams (10 cloves) of fresh garlic that had been crushed to provide a large amount of allicin. After examining blood and urine samples from each participant, the researchers found that no allicin or the 16 compounds related to allicin were present from one to 24 hours after consumption.
What’s more, research shows that most garlic supplements don’t actually contain ANY bioavailable allicin. If traditional garlic supplements don’t deliver allicin to the body, or if allicin can’t do what’s promised, what makes Aged Garlic Extract so effective?
Let’s start with what is Aged Garlic Extract.
Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract was developed by the Wakunaga family over 60 years ago to help improve the health of the Japanese people after World War 2. Together Mr. Wakunaga and Dr. Eugene Schnell created a process to age raw garlic that resulted in a product with higher nutrient content and unique compounds not found in raw garlic. This unique proprietary aging process also eliminates garlic’s odor and harsh side effects.
Mr. Wakunaga’s mission was to provide ‘truthful education’ about how AGE works and how it affects the health of the body. From its inception, physicians and researchers have studied AGE to prove the clinical benefits that it offers.
The benefits of AGE have been backed by science for over 50 years, with over 870 peer reviewed published scientific articles that demonstrate its efficacy.
Because AGE is both safe and effective, with very few side effects compared to pharmaceuticals, it is an easy addition to a
healthy lifestyle for those concerned about supporting a healthy cardiovascular system, immune system, gut health, and more.
Why Does Chemistry Matter in Supplements?
Everything you can breathe, see, ingest, or touch is made up of chemicals. All matter, including us, is made up of chemicals. Chemistry also matters big time when it comes to health supplements!
The best supplements work with the body’s chemistry to produce health benefits.
Let’s take a look at Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract, for example…
Wakunaga’s proprietary aging process catalyzes the beneficial compounds found in raw garlic, such as the compound S-allyl cysteine (SAC), which is a safe, water-soluble organosulfur compound. Unlike allicin, which is another compound in garlic that reacts with blood, then oxidizes, and is metabolized by the body too quickly to be of much benefit, SAC is stable and extremely bioavailable.
In fact, after taking Aged Garlic Extract, SAC is quickly absorbed into the GI tract and has nearly 100% bioavailability.
Because SAC is a powerful antioxidant that prevents oxidation in the body, it has been shown to provide beneficial anti-aging properties and the ability to support a variety of bodily systems, including cardiovascular, immune, and neurological health, when combined with a healthy lifestyle. In fact, researchers that study AGE right now continue to find additional compounds that point to the many health benefits of AGE. The science is ongoing and continues to reveal the hidden chemistry of Aged Garlic Extract.
All in all, the unique chemical profile of Aged Garlic Extract makes it a smart addition in the quest for a healthier life.
So What is S-allyl cysteine (SAC)?
Wakunaga’s proprietary aging process catalyzes compounds in garlic other than allicin that have demonstrated an array of health benefits. One of the most active and abundant compounds in Aged Garlic Extract is S-allyl cysteine (SAC), a safe, water-soluble organosulfur compound. Unlike allicin, SAC is stable and extremely bioavailable. In fact, after taking Aged Garlic Extract, SAC is quickly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and has nearly 100% bioavailability. Once absorbed, SAC is metabolized into the antioxidant N-acetyl-SAC. A 2012 study that appeared in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity reported that SAC was detected in several types of tissue throughout the body up to eight hours after a single dose.
Because SAC is a powerful antioxidant that prevents oxidation in the body, it has been shown to provide beneficial anti-aging properties and the ability to support a variety of bodily systems, including cardiovascular, immune, and neurological health when combined with a healthy lifestyle. What’s more, some research suggests that SAC may be an anti-inflammatory agent that further supports good health.
While SAC is a primary compound in Aged Garlic Extract, it also contains other important non-sulfur compounds such as saponins. Recent studies have found that these compounds also make important contributions to Aged Garlic Extract’s health benefits. Altogether, the unique chemical profile of Aged Garlic Extract makes it a smart addition to the quest for a healthier life.
What Does The Science Say About Aged Garlic Extract?
We are very proud of the resources that we dedicate to scientific research to prove the efficacy of our supplements. Credible, reputable companies have peer-reviewed, double-blind clinical studies to support the use and effectiveness of their products.
Wakunaga has partnered with many highly regarded doctors, scientists, and universities, to publish studies showing the efficacy of Aged Garlic Extract when it comes to certain ailments.
Recaps of recent studies:
- Dr. Karin Ried of the National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Melbourne Australia has discovered
that a daily dose of Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract not only reduces blood pressure, but improves the
bacterial balance in the gut. 1 In this double-blind trial, 49 participants with uncontrolled hypertension
were randomized to receive either 1.2g of AGE or a placebo for 12 weeks. The mean blood pressure was
significantly reduced over the course of the trial, with a 10mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure and a
5.4 mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure compared to the placebo group. The researchers noted
that AGE lowered pulse pressure and arterial stiffness. - A double-blind, placebo-controlled study, which was conducted at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research
Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, looked at the impact CoQ10 had on a group of firefighters who
were at moderate risk of heart disease. All of the firefighters underwent testing using Cardiac CT, a
revolutionary imaging technology that accurately measures coronary artery calcium deposits and plaque
buildup in the arteries. Once their risk was determined, the firefighters were either given a placebo or
1,200 mg of Kyolic AGE plus 120 mg of CoQ10 every day for 12 months. The UCLA researchers found
that the firefighters taking the AGE /CoQ10 supplement combination had significantly less coronary
artery calcium deposits in their arteries and lower CRP levels (a marker of internal inflammation) than
the placebo group.
References
Colin-González AL, Santana RA, Silva-Islas CA, et al. The antioxidant mechanism underlying the Aged Garlic Extract- and S-allylcysteine-induced protection. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2012;2012:907162.
Chauhan NB and Mehla J. Ameliorative Effects of Nutraceuticals in Neurological Disorders in Bioactive Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements in Neurological and Brain Disease, 2015.
Ried K, Travica N, Sali A. The effects of Kyolic aged garlic extract on gut microbiota,
inflammation, and cardiovascular markers in hypertensives: the gargic trial. Frontiers in
Nutrition. 2018: 5:122.
2Budoff M, Zeb I, Ahmadi N, Nasir K, et al. Aged garlic extract and coenzyme Q10 have favorable
effect on inflammatory markers and coronary atherosclerosis progression: A randomized clinical
trial. J Cardiovasc Dis. 2012;3(3):185-90.
This article is for informational purposes only. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.
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