Allicidin Complex

The Link of Chronic Diseases to Hidden Infection

Stunning new research in the past decade has linked the majority of chronic degenerative diseases, once believed to be due to poor lifestyle choices, genetics or other factors, to hidden infections.  These hidden infections were previously undiagnosed until the advent of more sophisticated techniques (such as PCR - polymerase chain technology).  For example, kidney stones have now been linked to nanobacterial infection.  Over 80% of heart disease has been linked to infection by Chlamydia pneumoniae.


A Brief History of Garlic

Garlic may well be one of the most famous of all plants in human history, dating back to use by the pharaohs and many other ancient cultures.  Garlic has generated interest throughout the centuries as a medicinal panacea.  Broad ranges of pathological organisms, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses have been shown to be sensitive to crushed garlic.  Research also shows that garlic can reduce blood cholesterol and has proven anti-cancer effects.  These beneficial effects may be due in part to garlic's unusual concentration of sulfur-containing compounds (1 - 3%).

For over a century, some of garlic's key sulfur compounds called allyl sulfides have been known.  However, not until 1944 was the chief, highly anti-infective compound of garlic discovered.  It is an oxygenated sulfur compound named allicin, from the Latin name of the plant, Allium sativum.

The debate about whether allicin existed in a crushed garlic clove and its absence in whole cloves was resolved in 1947.  Researchers (Stall and Seebeck) found high amounts of an oxygenated sulfur amino acid present in raw garlic cloves, which they named alliin.  Alliin was found to be the stable precursor that is converted to allicin by the action of an enzyme called allinase, also present in garlic cloves.  Although alliin has no antimicrobial properties itself, when a garlic clove is crushed, the alliin is transformed via the allinase enzymes into the biologically active allicin molecule within seconds of crushing a clove.

Garlic cloves are odor free until crushed.  Fascinating cross-section studies show that the substrate, alliin, and the enzyme, allinase, are located in different compartments of the same clove.  When the clove is crushed, the alliin and allinase then come in contact with each other to rapidly form allicin.  However, the reactive allicin molecules produced have a very short half-life, as they react with many surrounding proteins.  Thus, consuming stabilized allicin with its unusually high amounts of stable allicin allows for a veritable all out attack on existing pathogenic organisms for a superior clinical response, without harmful or toxic side effects.


The Broad-Spectrum, Anti-Infective Properties of Allicin

Stabilized allicin has demonstrated significant antibacterial, antifungal, larvicidal and antiviral properties.  It has also been shown to reduce elevated cholesterol and blood pressure as well as increasing the CD4-T cell count significantly.


How Stabilized Allicin is Made

To produce stabilized allicin, healthy, raw garlic bulbs, grown in the Pederonas area near Valencia, Spain, are used.  Carefully selected to ensure that they contain significant enzyme activity (from alliinase enzymes) so the resulting allicin potency will be optimal.  Garlic bulbs under 50 mm wide are rejected as too small.  Garlic heads that have begun to sprout or appear damaged in any way are also rejected.  Once the bulbs have been selected, they are analyzed for sufficient alliin content using HPLC and mass spectrometry.  Next, the garlic is crushed in a special reaction chamber where extra alliin is added to form high amounts of allicin.  The system is carefully controlled and kept under constant pressure as the allicin is filtered.  The resulting allicin liquid is analyzed by HPLC and frozen for transport to a low temperature dryer.  After drying, the powder is tested microbiologically and by HPLC again.  No chemical solvents are ever used.  The potency of the final powder is directly related to its enzymatic concentration and activity.

Antibacterial Activity of Allicin

Various researchers have shown that garlic extracts exhibit a wide spectrum of antibacterial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria including species of Escherichia, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Klebsiella, Proteus, Bacillus and Clostridium.  Even acid-fast bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis are sensitive to garlic.  Research shows that garlic extracts are effective against Helicobacter pylori, the cause of gastric ulcers.  Garlic extracts can also prevent the formation of Staphylococcus enterotoxins A, B and C1 and also thermonuclease.  Researchers Cavallito and Bailey were the first to demonstrate that the antibacterial action of garlic is mainly due to allicin.  Interestingly, allicin has also been proven to be effective against various bacterial strains resistant to antibiotics such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) as well as other multi-drug resistant enterotoxicogenic strains of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, Shigella dysenteriae, S. flexneni and S. sonnei cells.


Antifungal Activity of Allicin

Research shows that garlic extracts have a strong antifungal effect and inhibit the formation ofmycotoxins like the aflatoxin of Aspergillus parasiticus.  Another study showed the fungistatic and fungicidal activity of a highly concentrated garlic extract against Cryptococcus neoformans.  Pure allicin was found to have a high anti-candidal activity and was effective against various species of Candida, Cryptococcous, Trichophyton, Epidermphyton and Microsporum.  Allicin inhibited both germination of spores and growth of hyphae.


Antiparasitic Properties of Allicin

Many ancient cultures were aware of the antiparasitic effects of freshly crushed garlic.  More recently, Albert Schweitzer, a famous medical doctor and humanitarian, used freshly crushed garlic to treat people suffering from dysentery or intestinal worms.  One traditional Chinese medical treatment for intestinal disease is an alcoholic extract of crushed garlic.  Recent research shows that allicin is also effective against Entoameba histolytica, a human intestinal protozoan parasite.  Stabilized allicin has also very efficiently inhibited the growth of other protozoan parasites such as Giardia lamblia, Leishmania major, Leptomonas colosoma and Crithidia fasciculate.


Antiviral Activity of Allicin

Fresh garlic extracts, in which allicin has been tested to be the main active component, have shown in vitro and in vivo antiviral activity.  This includes effectiveness against the human cytomegalovirus, influenza B, herpes simplex virus type 1, herpes simplex virus type 2, parainfluenza virus type 3, vaccinia virus, vesicular stomatitis virus and human rhinovirus type 2.  Stabilized allicin has also been shown to be effective against Molluscum contagiosum viral infections.  The allicin condensation product, ajoene, appears to have more antiviral activity in general than allicin.  Ajoene was found to block the integrin-dependent processes in a human immunodeficiency virus infected cell system.


Allicin and the Common Cold

The common cold is the most widespread viral infection in the world today.  It is estimated that most people will suffer 2 to 5 colds per year.  Over 200 different viruses cause infection and cold symptoms, the most common of which are the rhinoviruses (which account for 30-40% of adult colds).  Re-infection is also very prevalent because of this wide variety of infectious viruses.

A "cure" for the common cold could reduce the number of working days lost each year as well as eliminate or significantly reduce the symptoms of cold infections such as fatigue, headaches, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, fever, etc.  In 1985, Hanley and Fenwick reported that during an influenza epidemic in the former Soviet Union, officials imported over 500 tons of garlic cloves for acute treatment of the disease.  Research shows that garlic extracts are effective against numerous viruses that cause colds and flu.  Evidence points towards allicin and ajoene as the main components responsible for this antiviral activity.  A recent, double blind, placebo-controlled study showed significant protection from the common cold virus using stabilized allicin.  Further research showed that taking stabilized allicin daily produced quantifiable benefits of prevention, treatment and reduction of re?infection from colds.

How Stabilized Allicin Works

The broad-spectrum, antimicrobial effects of allicin (and its associated molecule, ajoene) appear to be due to the multiple inhibitory effects on various thiol-dependent enzymatic systems.  Lethal to the infecting organisms but harmless to the human host.  Ajoene has a similar oxygenated sulfur group to allcin, which has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of Trypanosoma cruzi, possibly by inhibition of its phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis.  Ajoene has also been shown to be effective against Parcoccidioides brasiliensis via a similar mechanism.


Stabilized Allicin or Regular Garlic

No longer do you need to hope that fresh garlic is rich in alliin.  When it is chopped, the allinase enzymes will react to form allicin. Nor do you need to hope the allicin can get to the target site before it degrades to an ineffective form.  Now, stabilized allicin, is available which has a proven track record to gently clear harmful pathogens, especially those contained in miniature, multicompartmented cities called biofilms.  It is now known that over 99% of all infection in the body live in biofilms.  Look for stabilized allicin, usually 180 mg Vcaps, delivering 54 meg. highly active allicin per Vcap (or liquid which delivers 30 meg. per drop).  Stabilized allicin is super potent allicin that really works, especially when compared to most other garlic products and extracts on the market which typically contain no active allicin at all.  In addition, stabilized allicin and does not leave "garlic breath" when taken.