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Garlic Supplements Reviewed by ConsumerLab.com

Summary

  • What does garlic do?

    Garlic can modestly reduce cholesterol levels (by reducing triglycerides) and blood pressure. It may also slightly reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, and may help prevent colds, but garlic does not help treat an existing cold. Preliminary evidence suggests garlic may have some protective role with regard to gastric cancer in limited situations (See What It Is).
  • What are the best forms of garlic?

    Clinical studies have typically used garlic extract (providing allicin or potentially providing it from an allicin precursor, alliin) or aged garlic (providing an allicin-derivative known as S-allylcysteine or SAC). Some studies have used fresh garlic or dried garlic as garlic powder. Be aware that black garlic (not tested in this Review) has little allicin potential and has not been found to lower cholesterol, although it may have some benefit for chronic heart failure (see Forms of Garlic).
  • What did ConsumerLab find in garlic supplements?

    One widely sold garlic supplement appeared to contain little or no garlic, based on finding no detectable amounts of alliin, allicin, or SAC. In contrast, all others had significant amounts, ranging from roughly 5,000 to 40,000 mcg of total allicin and from 27 to 12,900 mcg of SAC per daily serving. Interestingly, some of the products that were not labeled as aged garlic had higher amounts of SAC than the aged garlic supplements. None of the supplements exceeded acceptable limits of contamination with lead, cadmium, or arsenic, and products claiming to be enteric-coated were found to live up to this claim.
  • Which are the best garlic supplements?

    ConsumerLab selected three garlic supplements as Top Picks based on their total allicin and/or SAC levels, overall quality, and value.
  • Does garlic have side effects?

    Other than bad breath (which is not a problem with aged garlic and some odor-controlled garlic), the most common side effect of garlic supplements is gastrointestinal upset. These and other side effects, as well as potential drug interactions, are discussed in the Concerns and Cautions section.

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Alphabetical list of garlic supplement brands compared in this review

View Larger Image 7203_large_AlliMax-Garlic-2020.png

AllMax Allicin

View Larger Image 7211_large_Garlique-Garlic-2020.png

Garlique

View Larger Image 7208_large_Kyolic-Garlic-2020.png

Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract Extra Strength Reserve

View Larger Image 7209_large_LifeExtension-Garlic-2020.png

Life Extension Optimized Garlic

View Larger Image 7206_large_Garlinase-NaturesWay-Garlic-2020.png

Nature's Way Garlinase 5,000

View Larger Image 7212_large_Solgar-Garlic-2020.png

Solgar Garlic Powder 500 mg

View Larger Image 7204_large_SpringValley-Garlic-2020.png

Spring Valley Garlic 1,000 mg

View Larger Image 7210_large_Swanson-Garlic-2020.png

Swanson Best Galric Odor-Controlled Garlic

View Larger Image 7205_large_VitaminShoppe-Garlic-2020.png

The Vitamin Shoppe Aged Garlic Extract

You must be a member to get the full test results along with ConsumerLab.com's recommendations and quality ratings. You will get results for nine garlic supplements selected by ConsumerLab.com and two others that passed testing in its voluntary Quality Certification Program. In this comprehensive review, you'll discover:
  • Which garlic supplements failed or passed our tests and why.
  • CL's Top Picks, representing the best garlic garlic supplements based on amounts of garlic compounds, overall quality, and value
  • Amounts of key garlic compounds allicin, alliin and/or S-allylcysteine (SAC) found in each product
  • The clinical evidence for garlic supplementation for reducing cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure
  • The different forms of garlic in supplements, including non aged and aged garlic, garlic powder and dried garlic, garlic extracts, garlic oil and black garlic
  • Amounts of key garlic compounds in fresh garlic and garlic cloves and how these compare to supplements
  • Garlic supplement side-effects, drug interactions, and cautions  

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Additional Information
Tested through CL's Quality Certification Program prior to, or after initial posting of this Product Review.