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.
Throughout the ages, allicin—the compound produced when fresh garlic is chopped or crushed—was credited for garlic’s health benefits. 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.1
What’s more, research shows that most garlic supplements don’t actually contain much, if any, bioavailable allicin.2 If traditional garlic supplements don’t deliver a meaningful amount of allicin to the body, or if allicin can’t do what’s promised, what makes Aged Garlic Extract so effective?
Why is Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract Special?
Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) was developed by the Wakunaga family over 70 years ago to help improve the health of the Japanese people after World War II. Together Mr. Wakunaga and Dr. Eugene Schnell created a unique process to age garlic that resulted in a product with higher nutrient content and unique compounds not found in raw garlic. This proprietary aging process also eliminated garlic’s pungent odor and harsh side effects.
Once AGE became available to the public, Mr. Wakunaga’s mission was to provide truthful education about how the supplement worked and how it affected 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 more than 1,000 published scientific articles demonstrating its efficacy and safety, with very few side effects compared to pharmaceuticals. This makes it an easy addition to a healthy lifestyle for those concerned about supporting a healthy cardiovascular system, immune system, gut health, oral health, aerobic performance, and more.
Why Does Chemistry Matter in Supplements?
Everything you inhale, see, ingest, or touch is made up of chemicals. In fact, your own body relies on a plethora of internal chemicals to function properly. The best supplements, such as Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract, work with the body’s chemistry to produce their health benefits.
Wakunaga’s proprietary aging process catalyzes the unstable compounds in raw garlic into stable, safe, and beneficial water-soluble organosulfur compounds such as S-allyl cysteine (SAC). Unlike allicin, which is highly reactive and rapidly interacts with thiol-containing molecules in the body too quickly to be of much benefit, this powerhouse antioxidant has nearly 100% bioavailability.3 Current research continues to uncover additional compounds that may play a role in the many health benefits of AGE.
S-allyl cysteine (SAC) Defined
Wakunaga’s proprietary aging process unlocks SAC, one of the most active and abundant compounds in AGE. Once absorbed, this stable and bioavailable compound is metabolized into N-acetyl-SAC, an antioxidant that’s essential for the production of glutathione. In fact, according to one study that appeared in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, SAC was detected in several types of tissue throughout the body up to eight hours after a single dose.4
Because SAC prevents oxidation, it has the ability to support a variety of bodily systems, including cardiovascular, immune, and neurological health when combined with a healthy lifestyle.5 What’s more, some research suggests that SAC also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent to further support good health.6
While SAC is the primary compound in this proprietary form of garlic, AGE also contains other important sulfur and non-sulfur compounds such as amino acids and saponins. For instance, S-1-propenylcysteine is a sulfur-containing amino acid with immune modulating properties. While it is present only in trace amounts in raw garlic, its concentration increases to become biologically meaningful during the process of aging garlic.7 Recent studies have found that these additional compounds make important contributions to the health benefits of AGE. 7,8
What Does The Science Say About Aged Garlic Extract?
We, at Wakunaga, are proud of the resources we continue to commit to scientific research that supports the efficacy of our supplements. Credible, reputable companies rely on peer-reviewed, double-blind clinical studies to verify the use and effectiveness of their products. To that end, Wakunaga has partnered with a number of highly regarded doctors, scientists, and universities to publish studies showing the efficacy of Aged Garlic Extract for supporting specific health systems. The result is a line of supplements that consumers can trust based on unbiased scientific evidence and transparency.
While this research continues to explore the health benefits and chemical makeup of AGE, numerous published, peer-reviewed, studies have demonstrated its ability to effectively support blood pressure and cardiovascular health while supporting immune function, gastrointestinal wellness, aerobic fitness, oral health, and possibly cognition. To stay up-to-date with the latest clinical research supporting the safety and efficacy of AGE, click here.
References
- Amagase H, Petesch BL, Matsuura H, et al. Intake of garlic and its bioactive components. Journal of Nutrition. 2001;131(3s):955S-62S.
- Lawson LD, Hunsaker SM. Allicin bioavailability and bioequivalence from garlic supplements and garlic foods. 2018;10(7):812.
- Borek C. Antioxidant health effects of aged garlic extract. Journal of Nutrition. 2001;131(3s):1010S-5S.
- 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.
- Rais N, Ved A, Ahmad R, et al. S-Allyl-L-Cysteine—a garlic bioactive: physicochemical nature, mechanism, pharmacokinetics, and health promoting activities. Journal of Functional Foods. 2023;107:
- Colin-González AL, Ali SF, Túnez I, et al. On the antioxidant, neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties of S-allyl cysteine: An update. Neurochemistry International. 2015;89-83091.
- Ushijima M, Kunimura K, Suzuki JI.S-1-Propenylcysteine, a sulfur compound in aged garlic extract, alleviates cold-induced reduction in peripheral blood flow in rat via activation of the AMPK/eNOS/NO pathway. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. 2020 Sep;20(3):2815-21.
- Matsuura H. Saponins in garlic as modifiers of the risk of cardiovascular disease. Journal of Nutrition. 2001;131(3s):1000S-5S.
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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