Garlic is a popular herb in the kitchen and medicine cabinet. It has been used medicinally for thousands of years in many different cultures. The herb that's used is the bulb of the flowering plant in the Allium genus. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. While consuming garlic through your diet can provide some benefits, you'd have to eat a lot of it to get any kind of therapeutic benefit. Let's explore what to look for when shopping for the best garlic supplement. 

Key Medicinal Compounds Found In Garlic

The cloves of the bulb contain active sulphur compounds called alliin, allicin, and S-allyl cysteine. These constituents have been well-studied for their various health benefits. Due to these active components, garlic can support the following health concerns:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Cholesterol Regulation
  • Blood Pressure Lowering
  • Improved Circulation

It also helps to regulate blood sugar levels and acts as a potent antimicrobial agent.

Medicinal Food

Garlic is a medicinal food because these active ingredients are present in the cloves in sufficient quantities to have some medicinal effects. To reap the best medicinal benefits from the garlic clove, it is best to eat raw garlic because the active sulphur compounds are sensitive to heat and can be destroyed by cooking.

The Best Garlic Supplement Offers Key Health Benefits

Cardiovascular Benefits

Garlic intake is shown to decrease levels of LDL cholesterol, which is the "bad" cholesterol responsible for cholesterol plaques and the storage of fat and triglycerides. Garlic also increases levels of HDL cholesterol, which is the "good" cholesterol responsible for moving stored and deposited fat to the liver for processing and removal from the body. HDL cholesterol protects against plaque formation. Garlic preparations have also been found to lower blood pressure and improve blood circulation. Thus, garlic can be used to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack. Aged garlic extract is the form that has been studied for its cardiovascular benefits. 

Blood Sugar Regulation

Garlic has beneficial effects on balancing blood sugar as well. The pancreas releases insulin in response to sugar intake. It acts to promote the intake of glucose by all the cells of the body to use as a fuel source. Without proper insulin levels, any sugar absorbed stays in the blood, causing high blood sugar, while the body cells become starved for energy. Eventually, the pancreas becomes worn out and does not produce as much insulin or the body's cells become less sensitive after years of high insulin levels. This is what happens in diabetes. Garlic can increase the release of insulin and help the body's cells become more sensitive to the insulin present.

Antimicrobial Properties Found In The Best Garlic Supplements

For thousands of years, garlic has been used as an antimicrobial and anti-parasitic herb. It has been used topically for infections of the skin, wound care and even acne. It is commonly used for bacterial and fungal infections both inside and outside the body as well. 

Oral supplementation or eating garlic can help fight systemic infections like parasites, bronchitis, and digestive infections. Research has shown that garlic can be taken as a prophylactic during cold and flu season to help protect against infection.

Tips For Finding The Best Garlic Supplement

Garlic supplements are found as encapsulated herbs, tablets and aged extracts (oils). These products should be standardized as an assurance of the amount of sulphur compounds they contain. 

There are many types of garlic supplements, choose the best one according to your preferences and consider combination products that target your particular needs. Garlic can be found in combination products for immune boosting, cholesterol control, blood pressure regulation, and heart health.

Do The Best Garlic Supplements Cause Stinky Breath?

Although eating large amounts of garlic and supplementing with some forms of garlic can cause halitosis and a garlicky body odour, this doesn't have to be the case. Garlic naturally contains allyl methyl sulfide (AMS), which is the compound responsible for halitosis, but the best garlic supplements come in an odourless form to help prevent this nasty side effect. 

Keep in mind that for respiratory infections, these supplements do not contain the AMS that naturally travels to the lungs and may not work as quickly. Also, some people say that the body odour and breath side effects decrease when garlic is used regularly.