Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) versus Raw Garlic

. . . which is better? As you may know, we carry Kyolic AGE, so we’re often asked this question. The answer is that both forms of garlic are fantastic sources of health-promoting compounds; both are high in organosulfur compounds that do wonderful things in your body. Although the compounds are somewhat different in each, both AGE and raw garlic have abundant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and help your body to detoxify and to prevent and possibly reverse the same wide range of health problems. In addition to the cardiovascular and neurological benefits described above, garlic, whether raw or aged, has immune boosting and antibiotic abilities and is active against worms, fungi (including candida albicans), bacteria (including helicobacter pylori), viruses, allergies and cancer. It helps build energy, endurance and the ability to withstand stress. Because it is anti-inflammatory, and because all chronic disease has an inflammatory component, it is useful in all chronic disease. One distinct advantage in taking AGE, a garlic supplement uniquely formulated and produced by Kyolic, is that you can take a lot and still be a welcome member of society. Raw garlic not only makes your breath offensive, but eat enough and you start oozing the stench out of every pore. Kyolic AGE eliminates odor through 20 months of natural aging and is the only truly odorless garlic product available. Other garlic supplements either use a very small amount of garlic or attempt to mask odor with various kinds of coatings. While most garlic supplements attempt to duplicate raw garlic, Kyolic AGE emulates a more traditional approach. In both oriental and Western traditional medicine, raw garlic was always processed in some way before it was taken internally. It was felt that unprocessed garlic was rather harsh, and some people have gastrointestinal problems with it. Kyolic’s unique aging process produces a whole new array of helpful organosulfur compounds not found in raw garlic, and it is actually richer in antioxidants than fresh, raw garlic. Another advantage of AGE is that it is standardized. This makes it possible to use it with precision in scientific studies. Kyolic’s parent company in Japan, Wakunaga, is dedicated to researching and developing natural products and to marketing them with truthful information based on solid scientific research.  They have sponsored or participated in more than 400 studies that document AGE’s effectiveness in a wide range of applications. This is helpful when using garlic to address a specific health problem. So although when I’m home alone for the day, I use fresh, raw crushed garlic liberally in my salads, I use Kyolic AGE on a daily basis as part of my supplement program. I recommend 1-4 capsules daily depending on your specific situation.

Borek C. Health and anti-aging benefits of aged garlic extract. Townsend Letter. July 2007, pp. 72-77.