(NaturalHealth365) It’s no secret – garlic rules.  For 5,000 years, this pungent bulb has been an indispensable ingredient in cuisines worldwide and an important herb in many traditional healing systems.  Modern research has showcased garlic’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and ability to help lower cholesterol levels and support a healthy heart.

As potent and useful as garlic is, many holistic physicians believe that one simple “tweak” can give this food even greater powers.  Aged black garlic – garlic which has been superheated over time – is currently impressing researchers with its ability to enhance heart health.  A recent, placebo-controlled study credits aged black garlic with slashing risk factors for heart disease, and additional research shows it may help even alleviate congestive heart failure.

Let’s see what makes this “super-garlic” beneficial to your hard-working heart.

Aged black garlic has more antioxidant capacity than fresh garlic

To create aged black garlic, ordinary fresh, raw garlic – botanically known as Allium sativum – is aged at high temperatures for up to three months.  This process causes garlic’s creamy color to darken to black.  The garlic also becomes less pungent, giving it a sweeter taste.  And this isn’t all that happens.  As garlic ages, its allicin is converted into flavonoids and alkaloids, while sulfur compounds are reduced and S-allyl-cysteine (SAC) levels are increased.

The key to aged black garlic’s therapeutic properties is that SAC is easily absorbable by the body.  This, as it turns out, is a very good thing.  Researchers maintain that SAC reduces the oxidation of fats, protects against oxidative damage, helps prevent the death of cardiac cells, decreases cholesterol synthesis, and inhibits pro-inflammatory protein activation.  As if this weren’t impressive enough, SAC also inhibits platelet aggregation – the tendency of blood to form into “clumps” – thereby reducing the risk of blood clots and strokes.  Clearly, aged black garlic confers many gifts to cardiovascular health.

“Super-garlic” extract sharply improves markers of heart health

The new clinical trial, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, involved healthy participants at borderline risk of heart disease.  They were divided into two groups, one of which received 500 mg per day of aged black garlic extract containing 2.5 mg of S-allyl-cysteine.  The other group received a placebo.  The scientists reported that within 12 weeks, the black garlic group experienced dramatic improvements in various heart health parameters.

Serum triglycerides were cut by 12 percent, while total cholesterol decreased by 11.8 percent.  HDL cholesterol levels increased by 11.5 percent, while LDL cholesterol was slashed by 13 percent.  In addition, blood pressure dropped by 5 to 6 percent, and fasting blood sugar decreased by a substantial 10.1 percent.  The researchers praised aged black garlic’s favorable safety profile, noting that it was “well tolerated.”

They concluded that the black garlic extracts caused a substantial shift towards improved cardiovascular health and deemed supplementation an “efficacious alternative therapeutic approach” for treating and preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Aged black garlic boosts antioxidant status and cardiac function in patients with congestive heart failure

There is even some indication that aged black garlic extracts can improve outcomes for patients with existing heart disease.

In a separate study published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, 120 participants with congestive heart failure were treated with aged black garlic extract for six months (along with conventional treatment).  The patients experienced better cardiac function and quality of life and could cover longer distances on a six-minute walking test.  They also experienced higher circulating levels of glutathione and superoxide dismutase, two important antioxidants produced in the body.

Heart disease, the world’s biggest killer, is surging

Cardiovascular diseases, which include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism, are the leading cause of death in the United States, as well as worldwide.  The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that these diseases caused 17.9 million global deaths in 2019 – and are expected to claim a stunning 24 million lives by the year 2030.

In fact, cardiovascular diseases are expected to take more of a toll on human life than both infectious diseases and nutritional disorders.  Poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, and excessive alcohol use are all modifiable risk factors for heart disease.  To reduce your odds, physicians point to the importance of maintaining optimal levels of blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar.  As the new research shows, black garlic could help you reach those goals.

Aged black garlic is often sold in Asian markets as a functional food.  You can blend it into hummus or yogurt for a savory dip, atop your favorite vegetables, or mince it in salad dressings.  You can also find aged black garlic in extract form.  Choose a high-quality product from a reputable vendor, and check with your holistic doctor before supplementing.

While fresh garlic has undeniable health benefits, aged black garlic takes things to the next level.  Whether you think of it as “garlic squared,” “high-octane garlic,” or “super-garlic,” aged black garlic can be a valuable ally on your journey toward heart health.

Sources for this article include:

Lupinepublishers.com
Lifeextension.com
NIH.gov
Frontiersin.org
Healthline.com