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Garlic: Looking Beyond Allicin |
The
Activity Of Allicin Taken Orally Is Very Questionable
Since
allicin lacks bioavailability as previously mentioned, if at all, it is
beneficial only when applied topically. The other methods of administration,
including oral ingestion, will unlikely result in any beneficial effects.
The
following recent studies have clearly shown that allicin does not contribute to
the major pharmacological effects of garlic.
1)
In a petri dish, allicin has been shown to inhibit the growth of fungi
and bacteria. However, after human subjects ingested 25 ml of raw garlic juice
(which would contain a significant amount of allicin), only a little growth
inhibition of fungus could be found in the serum and no activity was observed in
the urine (7).
2)
Some garlic preparations and sulfur-containing compounds derived from
garlic have been reported to inhibit cholesterol synthesis. However, allicin
does not inhibit cholesterol synthesis in studies (8)(12)
suggesting that it does not contribute to the cholesterol lowering effect of
garlic .
3)
A recent study has shown that gamma-glutamylcysteine derivatives in
garlic inhibited the activity of angiotensin I--converting enzyme (ACE), which
increases blood pressure by catalyzing the conversion of angiotensin I to
angiotensin II. However, allicin did not affect ACE activity (9).
In
conclusion, although many manufacturers choose to focus on allicin or
"allicin potential", there is lack of evidence from the most updated
scientific findings to support the idea that the presence of allicin in a garlic
preparation is beneficial.
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