Black Garlic/Age Garlic – 17.6oz

Before the modern era of pills and other synthetic drugs, people depended on herbs and other medicinal food items to stay healthy. Garlic is one of such food items.

This bulbous herb is perhaps most known as a seasoning for many diets because of its unique flavor, but it also has a lot of health benefits. This article explores 11 of these health benefits that have been proven by research.

Be Useful against the Common Cold

Garlic contains a lot of important compounds that can help improve immune function and combat common illnesses, such as the common cold. In a 12-week study [1], researchers found that using garlic supplements every day decreased the number of colds participants experienced by 63 percent when compared to placebo treatment. In the group given placebos, the average length of cold symptoms took five days to decrease by 70 percent compared to 1.5 days observed in the group on garlic supplements.

Aged garlic extract (AGE) had a similar effect in another study [2]. Researchers found that using high-dose garlic extract shortened the number of days participants experienced symptoms of cold or flu by 61 percent.

Some studies [3] have disputed the efficacy of garlic in fighting these illnesses citing a lack of sufficient evidence. While more research is needed to truly understand how this works, you may still use garlic in your food if you have a cold. As long as you do not over consume it, there is no harm done.

Improves Oral Health and Helps Suppress Allergies

Despite the unpleasant smell that raw garlic leaves in the mouth, it has been found to help improve oral health [4]. Garlic has important antibacterial compounds [5], such as allicin that can help fight bacteria that cause gum disease and create periodontal pockets. Garlic is also high in vitamin C and has been used to prevent scurvy in the past.

Studies suggest that garlic may be useful in suppressing allergies. This is because garlic is an anti-histamine. Histamine is a substance released by the immune system during allergic reactions.

A 2014 study [6] published in the Journal of Medicinal Food suggested that garlic was potentially useful as a dietary suppressor of allergic responses. In the study, aged black garlic extract was found to suppress multiple compounds involved in allergic responses.

Helps Manage Blood Pressure

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a common chronic disorder in which one’s blood pressure is abnormally high. Although most people are asymptomatic, the condition can result in fatal complications.

Research has shown [7] that garlic is potentially useful in managing the condition. It contains antioxidants that can help reduce blood pressure. Several human studies [8] have confirmed that the consumption of garlic supplements can help significantly lower blood pressure in people with hypertension.

The quantity of garlic required to produce these positive effects is high. A 24-week study [9] using between 600 and 1,500 mg of aged garlic extract found that it was as effective as Atenolol (a blood pressure drug) during the test period. You would need to consume about four cloves of garlic daily to achieve comparable results.

Lowers Cholesterol and Boosts Cardiovascular Health

Besides reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by reducing blood pressure, garlic also helps lower cholesterol. Cholesterol is the most abundant steroid in human and animal tissues but excess of it can contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as “bad” cholesterol, particularly contributes to heart disease.

Garlic can help reduce the levels of this bad cholesterol and/or total cholesterol. Studies have shown [10] that garlic may help reduce the levels of total or bad cholesterol by varying percentages [11].

While garlic seems to reduce LDL levels in the body, high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol), does not appear significantly affected by garlic. HDL is the other kind of cholesterol that doesn’t worsen cardiovascular problems.

Helps Boost Athletic Performance

Garlic has been employed for centuries [12] to combat fatigue and increase work performance. It was common for athletes in ancient Greece to take garlic to enhance their athletic performance.

Most of the evidence of its effectiveness is anecdotal and human studies are limited, but studies in animals have demonstrated garlic’s effectiveness in improving exercise performance. More studies are needed to understand how significant this effect is in humans.

In one study [13], consumption of garlic oil for six weeks helped reduce peak heart rate by 12 percent in people with heart disease. It also helped increase their exercise capacity. Another study [14] also observed that garlic may be useful in reducing fatigue caused by exercise.

With too few studies, it is difficult to know just how much of a performance booster garlic is. A study [15] that examined the effects of garlic on the performance of nine competitive cyclists did not find any performance benefits.

Helps Improve Your Bone Health

Some studies have suggested [16] that diets containing garlic have beneficial effects on bone problems such as osteoarthritis

Researchers are yet to study the effect of garlic on bone loss in humans, but animal studies suggest that it may be effective in treating bone loss. Studies using rodents [17] have found that garlic was useful in reducing bone loss in females. It did this by increasing the production of estrogen.

Estrogen plays an important role in strengthening female bones. A drop in its production around menopause increases the risk of bone loss and osteoporosis in women. A study in menopausal women found [18] that taking daily consumption of dry garlic extract helped significantly reduce estrogen deficiency.

While studies have not directly tested its effect on human bones, these results suggest that it might be beneficial to human bones.

Rich in Antioxidants Active against Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Garlic contains important antioxidants [19] that are useful in combating oxidative stress. Oxidative stress imposed by free radicals in the body causes damage to cells and tissues. It also contributes to aging and the incidence and development of many diseases.

Research has shown that using high doses of garlic supplements increases antioxidant enzymes in humans. It also helps significantly lower oxidative stress in people who have high blood pressure [20].

It has been suggested that garlic may help combat age-related brain diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease due to its antioxidant properties and its effects on cholesterol and blood pressure.

Has Anti-cancer Activity

Research has suggested that garlic contains compounds that are active against many types of cancers. A meta-analysis of results from 18 studies [21] involving around 143, 000 people found that garlic significantly reduced the risk of gastric (stomach) cancer. It found that daily consumption of garlic was associated with up to 35 percent reduced risk of gastric cancer.

Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina have suggested that diallyl trisulfide, a compound present in garlic, may be useful in fighting glioblastoma [22]. Glioblastoma is an extremely aggressive type of brain cancer that kills within a very short time. Unlike normal cells, cancer cells don’t die on their own. Garlic helps fight glioblastoma by producing reactive oxygen species within the cancerous cells. This can cause the cells to die.

Studies on the anti-cancer activity on garlic have largely taken place in in vitro settings. It is not clear yet how garlic affects cancer cells in humans. More research is needed on the topic as there are still many gaps in the field.

Plays a Key Role in Detoxification and May Increase Your Lifespan

Garlic may assist your liver in detoxification. Research has shown that the consumption of garlic in high doses helps to protect the organs from the toxicity of heavy metals. This effect is attributed to the high sulfur content in garlic.

In a four-week study [23] involving workers at a car battery plant who were exposed to high amounts of lead, garlic was found to effectively lower lead levels in the blood by 19 percent. Garlic was also effective in reducing many toxicity markers, including blood pressure and headaches.

Scientists have suggested that garlic consumption may help you live longer. While this is not as easily proven as the other benefits, it is plausible. Garlic has many positive benefits on several markers of chronic illness, such as blood pressure. The combination of these effects helps increase your lifespan