Garlic has been used for centuries not only as a staple herb in culinary dishes but also traditionally as a medicinal agent. It is classically categorized as a powerful antimicrobial agent with cardiovascular benefits. Indeed, current research supports garlic’s ability to improve lipid profiles and regulate vasular tone.
Clinically, garlic extracts are now also used to treat small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), candida overgrowth and other circumstances of dysbiosis. Likewise, garlic is effectively used to treat various bacterial infections, chronic viral infections and to generally support the immune system. In fact, one study found that garlic extract supplementation over twelve weeks led to a 70% reduction in infectious illness and a significantly faster recovery from sickness. The documented increase in natural killer cells with garlic extract supplementation explains some of these benefits.
The medicinal properties of garlic are often attributed to its allicin content, a compound that is liberated when garlic is crushed and exposed to air. Although allicin is the most well-known ingredient, further breakdown leads to the true active sulfur-containing ingredients such as vinyldithiines, sulfides and ajoenes. These compounds individually and collectively have research to support their actions on the immune system and the cardiovascular system. For example, vinyldithiines help to regulate vascular tone while ajoenes have documented anti-H. pylori activities and encourage proper coagulation.
Garlic Active Principles by Cyto-Matrix contains standardized amounts of vinyldithiines, sulfides and ajoenes sourced from organic garlic. Without the use of solvents, a super critical extraction process is employed to stabilize and obtain these active metabolites in order to provide potent antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. This unique processing also allows Garlic Active Principles to be relatively odour-free which greatly helps to increase patient compliance. Finally, ecosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been included in the formulation in their highly bioavailable and native triglyceride form for their widespread cardiovascular benefits. Available in 90 softgels/ bottle.
