[Note: This is adapted from an article I published in the November 2003 issue of Equilibrium.]
A handful of studies on garlic recently grabbed my attention. I had never done much research on garlic and had read only a few review articles on garlic as an aid to reducing cholesterol and fighting off colds, none of which were conclusive in their recommendations. I thought of garlic as little more than an old folk remedy -- not worthy of further research. Sometimes, the common folk are way ahead of the scientists.
A recent study caused me to reconsider my stance and do more thorough research. The name of the study was what captivated me: "Garlic Supplementation Increases Testicular Testosterone and Decreases Plasma Corticosterone in Rats Fed a High Protein Diet" (Yuriko Oi, et al). This study was first published in 2001, so it's old news in the scientific world. But due to the nature of academic publishing -- a for-profit venture that excludes non-academics lacking the money to buy costly subscriptions or pay on an article-by-article basis -- these studies often never reach those of us who can benefit from them.
The study, which used rats as subjects, showed that high-dose treatment with garlic combined with a high-protein diet led to a statistically significant increase in testosterone and a significant decrease in corticosterone. What this means for those of us who weight train and consume larger quantities of protein is that garlic supplementation offers a natural way to get benefits (though not nearly as profound) once thought only available from steroids. Low testosterone levels are implicated in everything from prostate cancer to depression, from low libido to heart disease, and from muscle wasting to poor skin tone, so a natural way to increase T levels could provide serious health benefits.
Garlic may now join tribulus and longjack as herbal approaches to increasing testosterone in males. Increased testosterone leads to better protein synthesis, which leads to larger and stronger muscular development. The decrease in corticosterone, thought to be one of the primary mechanisms of anabolic steroids, also contributes to an increase in protein synthesis. If the study can be replicated, garlic may be the first truly natural substance that can produce the "steroid-like effects" supplement companies are always promising. But the benefits of garlic are far more varied than its use as a body composition supplement or hormone stimulant.
A study from late 2002 showed that garlic, specifically Kyolic garlic (aged garlic extract), could counter the liver damage associated with acetaminophen (Tylenol) poisoning. Acetaminophen poisoning kills 500 Americans each year and leaves thousands more with impaired liver function. Kyolic garlic, through its ability to stimulate the production of glutathione (a powerful antioxidant), may limit the damage and possibly act as an antidote, much the way alpha lipoic acid works in cases of mushroom poisoning that damage the liver. According to the study, an effective prophylactic dose to provide protection against acetaminophen poisoning was 3000 milligrams a day of Kyolic garlic.
[We could lobby to have a dangerous drug like Tylenol removed from store shelves so that we'd never need garlic to treat Tylenol poisoning, but we'd be fighting one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world. With large pharmaceutical companies owning many very powerful politicians, it would be a losing fight. Besides, the government is currently busy going after non-lethal, beneficial supplements like ephedra and prohormones, so they don't have time to remove truly dangerous drugs like Tylenol from store shelves.]
Another recent study suggests garlic may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. One small clove of garlic a day, or the supplemental equivalent, lowers the risk of prostate cancer by more than half. That is serious protection against one of the most prominent forms of cancer in men. I'd speculate that this result stems from the aforementioned ability of garlic to produce increased testosterone levels, a newly discovered treatment for prostate cancer. The study suggests the same benefits can be gained by eating onions, and even better results (73 percent risk reduction) can be obtained by eating scallions. Eating garlic and onions on a regular basis may not do much for your social life, but it could prevent this dangerous form of cancer.
Yet another recent study implicates Kyolic garlic in the prevention of neuron death in the brain. Dying neurons are thought to be a contributing factor to neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. In much the same way as alpha lipoic acid stops neuron death through its antioxidant activity, garlic seems to do the same thing, although through different mechanisms. Garlic may soon be regarded as a powerful antioxidant, in the same class as ALA, blueberries, and vitamin E.
The same fine people who brought us the study showing garlic raises testosterone, and therefore protein synthesis, published a study a couple of years earlier showing garlic increases the breakdown of fat as an energy source. The study showed increases in noradrenaline and adrenaline as a result of garlic supplementation. Both of these substances trigger the body to break down fat stores for energy. Essentially, high-dose garlic might be able to replace ephedra as a natural thermogenic (heat-producing) agent, but without the associated rise in blood pressure and pulse. The results of this study inspired the one discussed above because the researchers believed the thermogenic response was due to increases in hormone levels, not to simple stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. This speculation is based on the known ability of anabolic steroids, like testosterone, to decrease body fat stores while also increasing protein synthesis and nitrogen retention, all of which contribute to bigger muscles and lower body fat levels.
Finally, it is worth noting all the other benefits of garlic that have been more widely publicized. Garlic may be a powerful tool in fighting insulin resistance, high cholesterol, and some forms of cancers (possibly those that are estrogenic in origin, such as prostate cancer, some forms of breast cancer, and the less serious skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma). In fact, a recent study shows that basal cell carcinomas suffer apoptosis (cellular suicide) as a result of exposure to a specific garlic constituent (ajoene).
One of the best-known uses for Kyolic garlic, or at least one of the most studied, is as an immune system booster. Subjects who received 1800 mg a day of Kyolic garlic showed a 155.5 percent increase in immune-system killer-cell activity. Studies with Kyolic garlic in AIDS patients showed an ability to raise killer-cell activity from seriously low to normal. There is also evidence suggesting that garlic can kill the bacteria (Heliobacter pylori) that has been linked to stomach ulcers.
Based on available evidence, a daily intake of 1000 to 5000 milligrams of Kyolic garlic, or any standardized garlic extract, might support immune health, normalized blood sugar levels, reductions in cholesterol, increases in testosterone, reductions in corticosterone, and possible reductions in the risk for some forms of cancer. Look for individual constituents to be isolated and marketed for specific uses in the future. You could also eat one to three cloves of garlic a day to get all the herb's benefits, but be prepared to be healthy all by yourself.
(Thank you to Life Extension Magazine for publicizing many of these studies for the first time.)
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