Wang Wencheng | Senior Food Engineer, Senior Nutritionist of the Chinese Nutrition Society

卡拉斯克（厦门）科技有限公司https://www.cazzicteca.com/

Garlic has been used for thousands of years. Early research focused on its practical uses and efficacy. For example, during World War II, due to the extreme shortage of antibiotics like penicillin, field hospitals did use garlic juice to treat infections, earning garlic the title of "natural penicillin." As early as 1844, Austrian chemist Theodor Wertheim extracted a pungent substance from garlic using steam distillation.

The research history of true allicin dates back to the early 20th century. In 1944, British scientist Johann Joseph Bertrand named it "allicin."

Allicin is the core active ingredient in garlic, possessing a wide range of biological functions and pharmacological effects. Based on modern nutritional and medical research, its main physiological effects can be summarized as follows:

1. Broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral effects

Allicin has significant inhibitory and bactericidal effects on a variety of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. It can disrupt the cell membrane structure of microorganisms and interfere with their metabolic processes. Clinically, it is often used as an adjunct treatment for respiratory tract infections, gastrointestinal infections (such as ulcers associated with Helicobacter pylori infection), and fungal skin infections.

2. Protects the cardiovascular system

Allicin is particularly effective in regulating blood lipids and blood pressure. It can inhibit cholesterol synthesis, reduce serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels; at the same time, it can also inhibit platelet aggregation, improve vascular elasticity, and dilate peripheral blood vessels to lower blood pressure, thereby helping to prevent cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.17

3. Antioxidant and anti-aging effects

Allicin is a powerful antioxidant. It can directly eliminate free radicals in the body, activate the body's antioxidant enzyme system, thereby reducing the damage to cells caused by oxidative stress, protecting cells from stimulation, and helping to slow down the aging process of the skin and the body.14

4. Regulating immunity and assisting in anti-tumor treatment

Allicin can activate the function of immune cells such as macrophages, T lymphocytes, and natural killer cells, enhancing the body's ability to clear pathogens. In addition, numerous cell experiments have confirmed that allicin can induce tumor cell apoptosis and block cancer cell metastasis, showing positive potential in the prevention of gastric cancer, colon cancer, and liver cancer.13

5. Protects the liver and promotes digestion

Allicin can increase the level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate in the liver, promote lipid decomposition, enhance the liver's detoxification function, and protect against chemically induced liver damage and fatty liver. At the same time, it can promote gastric juice secretion and gastrointestinal motility, improve appetite, and relieve discomfort caused by chronic gastritis to a certain extent.27

6. Regulates blood glucose metabolism

Studies have shown that allicin can promote insulin secretion, enhance the body's uptake of glucose, and has a certain auxiliary regulatory effect on patients with abnormal fasting blood glucose and diabetes.38

⚠️ Scientific Consumption and Safety Warnings: Although allicin has significant benefits, it's crucial to consume it in moderation. Healthy adults are advised to limit their daily intake of raw garlic to 2-3 cloves. Because allicin is highly irritating to the gastrointestinal tract, individuals with stomach ulcers, severe liver disease, eye diseases (such as glaucoma), or diarrhea should use it with caution or avoid it altogether. Furthermore, allicin has anticoagulant properties; individuals currently taking anticoagulants (such as warfarin) or planning upcoming surgery should use it under the guidance of a doctor to avoid increasing the risk of bleeding.

Author Bio:

Wang Wencheng | Senior Food Engineer, Senior Nutritionist of the Chinese Nutrition Society.

Legal Representative and Director of the Research Center at Karasicteca (Xiamen) Technology Co., Ltd. (https://www.cazzicteca.com/), & Director of the Technology and R&D Center at Xiamen Nandi Biotechnology Co., Ltd. He graduated in 1995 from Nanchang University, ranked third in China for food science. He has been deeply involved in food research and development, food testing, and food safety. From 1995 to 2002, he worked at the Jiujiang Municipal Product Supervision and Inspection Institute in Jiangxi Province, holding positions such as food inspector, auditor, laboratory director, quality manager, and deputy director of the institute. He has also served as quality control director and technical manager in foreign-invested enterprises in Australia and France. He has published over 10 papers in national core journals and provincial/ministerial-level journals.

Company Profile:

Kalasc (Xiamen) Technology Co., Ltd. (https://www.cazzicteca.com/) and Xiamen Nandi Biotechnology Co., Ltd. are high-tech enterprises specializing in the development and production of traditional foods. The factory is located in Xiamen Torch High-tech Zone. The company's core business includes producing high-quality fresh natto, freeze-dried natto, and freeze-dried natto powder, as well as collaborating with relevant companies on the extraction and production of nattomycin, and the production and sales of other nutritional and health supplement capsules and powders. The company employs advanced production processes and strict quality control standards to ensure that its products are rich in nutrients and that the active ingredients in its health supplements are authentic and reliable. From raw material selection to finished product packaging, every step is carefully controlled to meet consumer demand for high-quality functional foods and health supplements.