Issue 67
Kyolic Garlic
Just by walking into a health food store, you are faced
with hundreds of vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements produced by a number
of different companies.Therefore, it is difficult to know which one is the most
suitable for you to take as each one claims that they are the best!
The vast range of garlic supplements is no exception
and the debate over the active components of garlic is still raging. Some claim
that allicin is the active ingredient, whereas many scientific studies prove
that allicin is a highly reactive and unstable molecule and does not even exist
long enough for it to have any therapeutic effect.
The answer to this may lie in the reason that garlic
produces allicin in the first place. Allicin is not present at all in an intact
garlic clove but is produced when the clove is crushed or sliced. Therefore
it can be assumed that the production of allicin is a defense mechanism which
occurs when the garlic is injured, which, because of the antibacterial action
of allicin, guards against any infection.
It is rather like our own immune response when our skin
is cut. For allicin to be effective for this purpose, it must be fairly reactive,
as a mild, or unreactive, compound would not be as good for fighting bacteria.
It is also believed that allicin is not present in any garlic supplements as
it is quickly broken down into other compounds, which would make it difficult
to isolate and put into a tablet.
In addition, allicin is not absorbed by the intestine
so any consumed will either be converted into other compounds, or attack any
bacteria in the digestive tract including friendly ones! Allicin, and its metabolites,
may also be responsible for the pungent odour of garlic and is thought to be
an irritant compound. Kyolic aged garlic extract does not contain any
allicin, as it is an aged garlic extract.
This means that allicin has been aged out of the garlic
leaving a cascade of other beneficial, more stable compounds. These compounds
including S-allyl cysteine, are easily absorbed and have potent therapeutic
actions including helping to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting its synthesis
in the liver. In conclusion, Kyolic possess the many health benefits
of garlic but without the smell and irritation. This type of garlic, which is
also available in a liquid form, can be used for a variety of reasons including
protection against free-radicals, helping to reduce cholesterol as part of a
low fat diet, boosting the immune system and the removal of toxic heavy metals
such as lead.
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