By Dr. Michelle Cali
National Scientific Advisor
We all are familiar with garlic as a multi-purpose anti-infective agent. With one of the longest histories as a medicinal food and, now, with a plethora of empirical evidence, garlic is reputed for its powerful ability to resolve even the most hostile of infections. This can be critically important in a time where new resistant strains of bacteria are emerging. New research has proven this natural agent’s effectiveness against the most feared, MRSA.
How does it work? Let’s review. Garlic’s active ingredient, allicin, is recognizable by its distinctive pungent odour. This oxygenated sulphur compound is created upon crushing or chewing raw garlic when its stable precursor, alliin comes into contact with allinase. Supplemental garlic can offer a concentrated form of this bioactive ingredient but are they all created equal? One hurdle companies have in dealing with garlic is the fact that allicin and its metabolites are quick acting and extremely unstable. Thus, making it difficult to capture in supplemental form. Cyto-Matrix’s Garlic Active Principles uses CO2 Supercritical Extraction to encapsulate allicin’s allyl sulfides and vinyldithiins in highly concentrated form.
So, is this the agent to use in unpretentious nagging infections? One of the most common chronic viral infections I see in practice is the common wart – an HPV infection causing skin growths that can last from months to years. Although not a dangerous infection, these lesions can be unsightly and can multiply over surfaces of hands, feet among other areas. They also may indicate an underlying need for immune support.
These are the cases in which I know I can rely on a trusted friend, garlic. But I have come to understand that potency and product matters. With its concentrated form of garlic’s bioactive components, Cyto-Matrix’s Garlic Active Principles works hard against HPV with minimal dosing. Depending on the severity of the lesions, I usually dose 2 capsules a day along with the basic immune support of 2 ACES+Zn and simple dietary considerations. This combination has shown powerful action against warts with patients revealing significant reduction in lesions in approximately 3 weeks and full resolution in 5-8 weeks (within 2 follow-up visits). In two severe cases, I initiated this treatment with a homeopathic anti-viral combination but found resolution time to be about the same. After complete resolution we discontinue the garlic supplementation and continue immune support if needed.
Although I turn to garlic supplements for many infection related issues, it is these simple cases that highlight its effectiveness for persistent infections and immune support.