Potency in Garlic: The Russian Penicillin Effect

Dear Doctor

Feel a cold coming on? Take two capsule and experience the Russian Penicillin effect (Ansary, 2020). 

Why Russian Penicillin? During WWI the Russians used garlic directly on wounds to heal and disinfect, for fevers, and colds. Garlic is an important therapeutic food as it is one of the most researched plants.

The majority of the analytical and pharmacological research on garlic has focused on its sulfur compounds, not only because of their high abundance in garlic (the sulfur content of garlic is four times greater than other high sulfur vegetables and fruits), but because they are compounds that have powerful pharmacological activity.

To make sure garlic is potent with its anti microbial ingredients, we first take great care in our sourcing.

In garlic, about 85% of the alliin and other cysteine sulfoxides are found in the bulb. Remember from our last discussion that alliin is the major precursor molecule for the formation of allicin—garlic’s strongest and most important antimicrobial compound. The amount of alliin present in the bulb increases several folds in the four weeks prior to harvest time. Furthermore, alliin increases about 25% during the typical curing process (whole plants dried in the shade for at least two weeks). Finally, extending the normal harvest date by 2 weeks—until the plants are almost completely brown—increases the content of these compounds an additional 20% on a dry weight basis.

Secondly, we employ the absolute “state of art” manufacturing methods for drying and encapsulating in order to preserve the actives of these high potency cloves.

Drying (freeze dried, drum or air dried) is clearly the best method of drying to achieve the maximum yield of alliin in the dried powder. However, the amount of alliin present after the drying can vary considerably depending on the care used in slicing and handling of the cloves. The slices can be dried faster if the slices are thinner, but that means an increase in the alliin loss. This is where technology comes in and the utilization of state-of-the-art facilities.

We are able to dry the uncut whole clove at extremely low temperatures until the clove is reduced into a frozen powder. With this process 100% of the alliin is preserved, as no moisture is present to enable the crushed clove to react.

Finally, we encapsulate without using any flowing agents such as mag. stearate. This necessitates encapsulating machines to be run at a much slower speeds which means lower temperatures, again, maximizing the alliin yield in the finished capsule.

 Across the board each of our therapeutic foods comes under the same rigor of sourcing, handling, and manufacturing. Our blueberries are rated by the USDA as the number one berry in North America for their ORAC values, due to their unusually wide diversity of anthocyanins. Our broccoli sprouts were selected for their high levels of glucosinolates, maximized by harvesting them on the third day of their growth. The net result of such rigor enables us to make the claim that the Therapeutic Foods Line is the strongest whole food supplement in the marketplace today. Potency in foods is important!

References

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• Nantz M.P., Rowe C.A., Muller C.E., Creasy R.A., Stanilka J.M., Percival S.S. Supplementation with aged garlic extract improves both NK and γδ-T cell function and reduces the severity of cold and flu symptoms: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled nutrition intervention. Clin. Nutr. 2012;31:337–344. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2011.11.019.
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Sincerely yours,

Seann

We have developed our products based on scientific research and/or the practical experience of many healthcare practitioners. There is a growing body of literature on food based nutrition and supplements and their application in support of our health. Please use our products under the advisement of your doctor.

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