Allicin in garlic is of no value

Many, including myself, eat crushed raw garlic and/or take garlic pills. For years we've known, or thought, that it is the allicin in garlic that benefits us. Allicin is found mostly in garlic that has just been crushed or chopped finely. After which it becomes undetectable in a short time.

Seems there have been some extensive studies on allicin and found it does nothing for you, is not bioavailable. They say that it must be one of the over 100 other compounds found so far in garlic. It may be the S-allyl cysteine found in garlic.

www.allicin.com...

www.kyolic.com...

As long as there is some sort of benefit from eating Garlic I am still an advocate. If you read the rest of the link it reveals that it may be a whole array of compounds that give you the benefits of garlic not just a few.

I would still advocate eating garlic- with all of it's compounds.
As an layman herbalist, I believe that (example) just because you put an element in a petri dish, and the germ doesn't die- doesn't mean that element doesn't benefit the person by increasing their immune system vitality or other supportive system. True it may not be the magic bullet- but all of the onion family is beneficial- Pop medicine headlines are not really beneficial for the supplemental industry-(even if they are great researching and reliable evidence) I would question everything- like who does the studies- who puts out the data- if they confuse you- it may be intentional.

Then I would say go see a naturopath- they know the best benefical combinations for a particular person- I've been studying herbs for years, and I just don't have chemistry background to be professional- But I don't trust the mainstream press, and the industry just doesn't have the power that pharmaceutical companies have for dissing and investigating and researching.

example- look up lomatium dissection root- I never heard of it- but it sounds like it is up and coming- even though it is a protected species in Idaho. can't be synthesized, so it can't be made by the pharmaceutical companies-

Originally posted by accountability
I would still advocate eating garlic- with all of it's compounds.
As an layman herbalist, I believe that (example) just because you put an element in a petri dish, and the germ doesn't die- doesn't mean that element doesn't benefit the person by increasing their immune system vitality or other supportive system. True it may not be the magic bullet- but all of the onion family is beneficial- Pop medicine headlines are not really beneficial for the supplemental industry-(even if they are great researching and reliable evidence) I would question everything- like who does the studies- who puts out the data- if they confuse you- it may be intentional.

Agreed, to me, it's just one or more of the other compounds found in garlic that is beneficial. Maybe it is whatever allicin decomposed into - who knows. One thing is for sure, eating crushed uncooked garlic is of great value to the body. And if you hate the smell, followup with fresh parsley.

However, it seems it is not the allicin that does anything. It even says how allicin is good for you on the bottle of garlic pills that I have for those who hate garlic.

"It even says how allicin is good for you on the bottle of garlic pills that I have for those who hate garlic."

agreed. some accountability for the ingredients, labeling, and claims needs to be reconciled.

I don't like putting stuff in a capsule and trusting someone to put the right stuff in it- myself. But then I like GARLIC

If they regulate the supplement and herbal market, prices will go up. I'd rather check the research myself, and let the buyer beware. In any case, the real herb and food supplements can be beneficial without THEIR research turning up anything special.

It's the old snake charmer medicine show versus the pharmaceutical argument again. The allicin didn't hurt anyone- except in the pocketbook