Garlic supplements

You may have heard about the great properties of garlic. Its utilities are not limited to seasoning food in kitchens, but it has been proven to bring extensive benefits to human health. However, the average population does not like to eat garlic on any occasion despite knowing its positive effects, and this is due to its strong flavor and the breath that remains after consuming it. For this problem there is already a solution, and we will be dedicating this lesson to it: garlic capsules.

Properties and benefits of garlic

Before we talk about the capsules, let's review in detail the properties and benefits of garlic.

In the ancient era, garlic was widely used by the civilizations of the time to treat health problems. Some of these were: heart and respiratory diseases, infections associated with wounds, occurrence of parasites in the intestinal area, asthma and even tumors.

The advance of science has shown that, although the use of garlic in the aforementioned disorders was due to the lack of knowledge of more effective treatments for these conditions, garlic does have highly positive properties for the human organism. Among the benefits currently recognized for garlic are the lowering of cholesterol, control of blood pressure and strengthening of the immune system. It is also attributed to be an efficient anti-inflammatory and reduces the risk of cancer.

Garlic capsules

Garlic capsules are an ideal supplement for people with low consumption of garlic. As mentioned above, garlic capsules solve the problem of bad breath that often limits us to consume it. They come devoid of that odor. In addition, there are people who simply do not like to consume garlic in their meals, and in this case, the capsules help to provide the body of these people with the great benefits of garlic intake.

The positive effects of the capsules are similar to those mentioned above about garlic, however, in this guide we will expand on some of these:

• Blood pressure control: garlic has bioactive compounds that contribute to the relaxation of blood vessels, thus improving blood flow in the body and ultimately lowering blood pressure. Interestingly, it also reduces the risk of blood clots.

• Prevention of heart disease: The components of garlic contribute to lowering malignant cholesterol (LDL) and increase positive cholesterol (HDL). On other occasions we have talked about the danger of having high triglycerides, because the consumption of garlic makes them decrease and therefore contributes to the improvement of cardiovascular health. Its intake also prevents heart attacks and atherosclerosis.

• Strengthening of the immune system: Allicin, a garlic compound, contributes to the inhibition of bacterial growth and proliferation. In turn, garlic consumption causes an increase in the body's defense cells.

• Anti-inflammatory power: One of the great benefits of this property of garlic is the relief of symptoms of diseases such as osteoarthritis.

• Prevention of premature aging: Garlic's sulfur compounds give it great antioxidant properties. This contributes to skin care and prevents the onset of chronic diseases linked to it.

• Anticancer properties: The antitumor and anticancer effects of garlic are due to its anti-inflammatory, immunostimulant and antioxidant properties mentioned above.

• Promoting weight loss: inconclusive studies seem to show that consuming garlic prevents the accumulation of fat in the body by reducing the multiplication of fat cells in the body.

Recommended doses

The dosage of supplements to be consumed should be indicated by a professional nutritionist. Several factors should be taken into account: type of supplement, frequency of intake of natural garlic, diseases that the individual has, prescribed medications, among others. Even so, the general recommended dosage is between 600 to 900mg per day. This is distributed as follows: 300 mg, at three times a day, usually after meals. The dose should be maintained for an average of 2 months.

Adverse effects

Although garlic, and therefore the supplementary capsules, may be beneficial for the treatment and prevention of heart disease, studies show that they may be harmful in some cases for people with heart disease. This is one of the reasons why we recommend always consulting a professional before taking supplements.

These harms result from the poor combination of garlic supplements with certain medications intended for the treatment of heart disease. As previously mentioned, garlic has anticoagulant properties, this added to the intake of pills with the same function, can cause bleeding.

Contraindications of garlic supplements

These supplements are contraindicated for pregnant women and children under 3 years old. In the first case, it is because it alters the taste of breast milk. Also, its consumption is prohibited prior to surgery, due to the anticoagulant properties mentioned above.

We emphasize the importance of consulting a specialist before taking these supplements, as they are contraindicated for the joint consumption of numerous medicines such as paracetamol and warfarin.