Benefits of Garlic Supplements

Many of the benefits of garlic supplements come from garlic's high content of antioxidants. A high-quality garlic supplement will preserve all of the nutritional value of the garlic bulb, and eliminate the odor problem. This makes it much easier to get large amounts of garlic into your diet without turning Italian!

Nutritional Content of Garlic. Specific nutrients in garlic include enzymes, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and selenium. Vitamins in garlic include vitamin A, vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B6 and vitamin C.

Garlic contains dozens of bioflavonoids and more than 80 sulfur-containing compounds, and many more beneficial compounds that have never been identified. This makes it impossible to determine exactly which compound, or set of compounds, is responsible for the many different garlic health benefits.

Specific Health Benefits
of Garlic Supplements

Garlic is one of the oldest forms of natural herbal remedies. It has been used throughout recorded history to treat various conditions including heart disease, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, cold, flu, indigestion, tumors, diabetes and more. Some potential benefits of garlic supplements include the following:

• reduces high blood pressure
• fights bacterial infections
• boosts immune system
• balances blood sugar
• prevents cholesterol oxidation

• assists in fat metabolism
• offers protection against cancer
• useful for digestive conditions and intestinal disorders
• provides relief from rheumatism
• prevents plaque buildup in arteries, the primary cause of heart disease

Benefits of Garlic Supplements vs. Fresh Garlic. While experts agree that fresh garlic is better than supplements, it does present some problems.

1. There's the problem of its lingering stench.
2. Eating large amounts of raw garlic, especially on an empty stomach, may cause stomach irritation.
3. Using raw garlic for its medicinal properties means eating at least five to ten cloves a day or more, much more than most people would like to eat. This is the type of dosage used in clinical studies that demonstrated garlic's cancer and heart disease preventive abilities.

Because of this, I suggest opting for the benefits of garlic supplements. They make it easy to get medicinal health benefits of garlic without making it a major part of your diet; and because they're a pure food extract, you can't overdose on them. It is certainly easier than eating garlic all day long (and your friends will be grateful, too).

Taking Garlic Supplements. Garlic and other supplements don't work as quickly as prescription drugs; you might have to take them for a few weeks or more before you notice any difference with a particular health issue.

One Caveat. Because of garlic extract's anticoagulant effect, it should not be combined with other anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin. There is no evidence that combining garlic with other anticoagulant supplements like ginkgo or omega-3 oils is hazardous.

Tips for Buying Garlic Supplements

For over 50 years, the Wakunaga company of Japan, makers of the Kyolic brand of garlic supplements, has been the standard-bearer of garlic supplements. They make dozens of different formulations. You can learn more about them at Kyolic.com

For the best prices and selection of Wakunaga/Kyolic products, check out the Kyolic store at iHerb.com. Buying at iHerb also gives you these additional benefits:

• Great Prices — 30% to 60% off most name-brand products
• Selection — choose from over 80 garlic supplement products
• Same-Day Shipping — $4 Flat Rate, FREE on orders over $40
• International Shipping — as low as $4 on orders up to $80
• Live Customer-Care Service — on the phone or live chat
• Additional Discounts — extra 5% off for orders over $60
• Rewards Program — earn store credit for referring your friends!

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Benefits of Garlic Supplements

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