Garlic Supplements: Buyer Beware

Allicin is the compound produced by garlic which is responsible for most of its supposed beneficial health effects, as well as its putrid odor (refer to first post). Many garlic supplements today will claim to contain allicin, but this is impossible as allicin is far too unstable. Rather, they contain alliin, which can produce allicin. Therefore, it is important to study exactly how much allicin these supplements can produce. According to The Fly in the Ointment:

"A fitting test for allicin release is one sanctioned by US Pharmacopeia (method 72A) that simulates the conditions ecountered by a pill as it travels throught the digestive tract. When this test is applied to commercial garlic supplements, the results are astounding. Over 80 percent of products tested release less than 15 percent of their claimed allicin potential! Clearly these tablets do no deliver the allicin dosage that is thought to be therapeutic." (Schwarcz 115)

Despite these numerous studies that fail to prove the cholesterol-reducing effects of garlic, garlic supplements still find an enormous market. For example, Alimax is just one of several popular supplements and a quick glance at their website shows they still tout health benefites that numerous studies have proven to be false. Clearly, it is important to be very wary of commercial garlic supplements and any health benefits they claim to have.

More information about the chemical makeup and production of allicin can be found at this URL:
http://www.garlic-central.com/allicin-chemistry.html