Garlic

Effects and Benefits

Core Identification

Common Names:
- Garlic
- Stinking rose
- Poor man's treacle

Latin Name: Allium sativum

Category: Herb

Uses

Traditional Uses

• Cardiovascular support and circulation - Used across multiple cultures for thousands of years
• Respiratory infections and bronchitis - Traditional remedy predating antibiotics, used in WWI for wound treatment
• Digestive ailments and intestinal parasites - Ayurvedic and Western folk medicine
• External applications for warts, corns, and calluses - European folk medicine

Modern Uses

• Cardiovascular health (atherosclerosis prevention) - Reduces plaque buildup, improves arterial flexibility | Research quality: Strong
• Key findings: Four-year double-blind study showed 900mg daily significantly slowed atherosclerosis development; patients taking aged garlic extract had significantly less arterial plaque

• Source citations: Barrett's Handbook of Clinically Tested Herbal Remedies; Balch's Prescription for Herbal Healing

• Cholesterol reduction - Lowers total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides | Research quality: Moderate

• Key findings: Reviews show 6-12% reduction in total cholesterol, 4-15% reduction in LDL, 15% reduction in triglycerides; some recent studies show conflicting results

• Source citations: Barrett's Handbook; Brewer's Encyclopedia of Vitamins

• Blood pressure support - Reduces both systolic and diastolic blood pressure | Research quality: Moderate

• Key findings: At 600-900mg daily for 28-180 days, systolic BP reduced average 8% (up to 17%), diastolic reduced average 12% (up to 16%); German Commission E approved for high blood pressure

• Source citations: Brewer's Encyclopedia of Vitamins; Newton's Herbs for Home Treatment

• Antimicrobial activity - Antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral properties | Research quality: Moderate

• Key findings: Demonstrated activity against E. coli, Staphylococcus, Helicobacter pylori, and Cryptococcus neoformans

• Source citations: DeBaggio's Encyclopedia of Herbs; Chevallier's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine

• Blood clot prevention - Inhibits platelet aggregation and increases fibrinolytic activity | Research quality: Strong

• Key findings: Platelet clumping significantly decreased after dose equivalent to half a clove; fibrinolytic activity increased 55% in coronary artery disease patients
• Source citations: Barrett's Handbook; Gaby's A-Z Guide to Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions

Active Compounds

Primary Active Ingredients:
- Alliin - Odorless precursor stored in garlic cells; converted to allicin when crushed
- Allicin (diallyl thiosulphinate) - Primary antimicrobial compound; forms when alliin contacts alliinase enzyme; responsible for characteristic odor
- Ajoene - Sulfur compound derived from allicin; inhibits microbial growth and platelet aggregation
- Diallyl sulfide and diallyl disulfide - Sulfur compounds with antimicrobial and cardioprotective effects
- Scordinins - Additional bioactive compounds
- Selenium, Vitamins A, B, C, and E - Antioxidant nutrients

Dosage Information

Standard Dosage:
- Form: Fresh cloves, dried powder tablets, or aged garlic extract
- Amount: 1-3 fresh cloves daily; or 600-900mg dried garlic powder daily
- Frequency: Once to three times daily with food

Therapeutic Dosage:
- Form: Standardized preparations
- Amount: 900-1,200mg dried garlic powder daily (containing 10-12mg alliin or 4,000-5,000mcg allicin potential)
- Purpose: Cardiovascular support, cholesterol reduction
- Duration: Minimum 2-3 months for blood pressure effects; long-term for atherosclerosis prevention

Maximum Safe Dosage:
- Daily maximum: Generally 4g fresh garlic or equivalent
- Warning threshold: Large doses for prolonged periods may cause GI disturbances

Bioavailability Notes:
- Crushing or chopping garlic releases allicin; wait 10 minutes before cooking for maximum benefit
- Enteric-coated tablets prevent destruction of active compounds in stomach
- Aged garlic extract provides benefits without allicin content through other sulfur compounds

How to Take It

Timing:
- Best taken with meals to prevent GI upset
- Can be taken morning or evening
- For cardiovascular benefits, consistent daily dosing is important

Synergies - What It Works Well With

Complementary Supplements:
1. Fish Oil - Both support cardiovascular health | Enhanced lipid-lowering effects
2. Hawthorn - Cardiovascular synergy | Combined blood pressure and circulation support
3. Ginger - Both have anti-platelet activity | Enhanced circulation and digestive support

Avoidance - What NOT to Combine With

Supplement Interactions:
1. Vitamin E (high dose) - Both reduce platelet stickiness | May increase bleeding risk

Drug Interactions:
1. Warfarin (Coumadin) - Garlic may increase anticoagulant effect | Risk of bleeding; blood clotting times reported to double in some patients | Severity: Severe
2. Other anticoagulants/blood thinners - Additive blood-thinning effects | Increased bleeding risk | Severity: Severe
3. Ticlopidine and platelet inhibitors - Enhanced antiplatelet effect | Increased bleeding tendency | Severity: Moderate
4. HIV protease inhibitors (Saquinavir) - May decrease drug levels | Reduced drug efficacy | Severity: Moderate

Food Interactions:
- No significant food interactions
- May intensify effects of other blood-thinning foods

Safety Information

Contraindications:
- Pre-surgical patients (discontinue 10 days before surgery)
- Active bleeding disorders
- Those on anticoagulant therapy without medical supervision
- Breastfeeding mothers (may affect milk flavor)
- Children under 6 for medicinal doses

Side Effects:
- Common: Garlic breath, body odor, occasional heartburn or GI upset
- Rare: Allergic reactions, gastrointestinal irritation, changes to intestinal flora
- One reported case of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma with excessive fresh garlic consumption

Long-Term Use:
- Generally safe for long-term use at standard doses
- Consider cycling (one month on, one month off) at higher therapeutic doses to prevent GI irritation
- Monitor for GI symptoms

Special Precautions:
- Surgery: Discontinue 10 days before scheduled procedures
- Pregnancy: Culinary amounts safe; medicinal doses not recommended
- Diabetes: Monitor blood sugar as garlic may have mild hypoglycemic effects

Primary Uses At-a-Glance

Primary: Cardiovascular support, cholesterol management, blood pressure support, immune support, antimicrobial

Secondary: Circulation improvement, digestive support, respiratory infections, antioxidant protection

Sources

Local Library:
- Barrett, Marilyn - The Handbook of Clinically Tested Herbal Remedies Vol 1 & 2
- Balch, Phyllis - Prescription for Herbal Healing
- Chevallier, Andrew - Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine
- DeBaggio, Thomas - The Encyclopedia of Herbs
- Brewer, Sarah - Encyclopedia of Vitamins
- Newton, Anna - Herbs for Home Treatment
- Gaby, Alan R. - A-Z Guide to Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions 2nd Ed.
- Duke, James A. - Handbook of Medicinal Herbs
- Bellebuona, Holly - An Herbalist's Guide to Formulary
- Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

General Knowledge:
- German Commission E Monographs
- ESCOP Monographs
- WHO Monographs
- British Herbal Compendium