Health Benefits of Black Garlic

Y
ou might be seeing black garlic on the top of every hipster café and restaurant menu now, but black garlic is anything but new. Despite existing for centuries, not a lot is known about it other than it tastes nice on soft sourdough bread. But Black Garlic is more complex than a random garnish, and actually has multiple health benefits, including a new study that links it to lowering blood pressure!

Peeling Back the Layers of Black Garlic

Black garlic is best described as white garlic that has been 'aged' or Bio-fermented for an extended period of time (a minimum of four weeks) in extensive hot and humid conditions, giving it a darker look and softer feel.

How white garlic transforms into its black counterpart is due to a scientific principle called the Maillard reaction, a form of non-enzymatic browning that occurs when foods with a rich amount of amino acids, are placed in a long term humid environment at temperatures between 140˚ to 190˚. The final results is black garlic's molasses-like flavour and darker colouring (1).

The first recorded use of black garlic was documented in Thailand and believed to lengthen a person's lifespan. Black garlic then gained mainstream success in Korea as a garnish for the popular dish Kimchi (2). Now the use of black garlic can be seen across the globe, with countries in North America and Europe adding it to their culinary repertoire.

Well Documented Health Benefits of Black Garlic

Improves Heart Heath

The most commonly studied health benefit of black garlic is its ability to improve the user's cardiovascular function. Enabled through its high amount of antioxidants that assist in lowering the severity of heart disease and improving other heart conditions, including reducing high cholesterol (3).

Enhances Brain Function

Another health benefit of black garlic is its capability to improve cognitive function by improving memory recollection. This is the result of black garlic's anti-inflammatory compounds, believed to be key in repairing memory and long term brain function (4). This effect has been confirmed in a recent scientific article that highlighted black garlic's S-Allylcysteine (SAC) compound was crucial in protecting the brain against neurodegeneration and oxidative stress.

Helps Improve Liver Function

A lesser-known benefit of garlic is proficiency at protecting your liver against dangerous chemicals derived from the constant consumption of alcohol and certain medications. Multiple publications have noted that garlic's high antioxidant count provides greater effectiveness at decreasing fatty deposits found within the liver and rebalancing liver cell size (5).

2022 Study Uncovers New Health Benefit of Black Garlic

A new six-week human study found that the daily consumption of an enhanced Aged Black Garlic extract helped improve the blood pressure and cholesterol levels significantly, with particular effectiveness seen in male subjects (6). The study goes on to highlight that results showed significantly decreased diastolic blood pressure, a marker of blood pressure that measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats (7).

This study featured a premium aged black garlic extract called ABG10+®. A new evolution of Aged Black Garlic Extract, which through its unique proprietary ageing process, expands its bioactive compounds, making it superior to regular aged garlic (6). This key advantage is noted in the study, which states its greater 'chemical compositions and amounts of active ingredients differed between the former aged garlic extracts and the ABG10+®' (6).

This discovery has the ability to open up several different health applications of Black Garlic, being particularly beneficial for people suffering from high blood pressure, which is a growing concern, as the study notes, high blood pressure affects nearly a third of adults worldwide and is the leading preventable risk factor for cardiovascular problems (6).

Final Thoughts

Overall black garlic's unique aging process gives it a cutting edge over the commonly used aged garlic variant due to its expanded chemical make-up that increases its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. These are two factors found to be crucial in its ability to improve specific health conditions pertaining to heart, brain and liver function.

Additionally, this new study will help to add to its growing reputation. Therefore we expect Black Garlic to be a hot and trending topic within the health community and will grab the attention of consumers globally due to the growing evidence of preventable cardiovascular disease.


Lipa Pharmaceuticals is proud to include ABG10+® as part of our key materials range. For more information about the different possible applications of ABG10+® for your next product, contact us at +61 2 8796 100, and if you enjoyed reading this blog, consider joining our mailing list to ensure you are up to date with the latest health and complementary medicine news and information.

Reference List

1. Rice, L., 2022. Your Guide to Black Garlic, the Aged Fresh Garlic with a Tangy, Molasses-Like Flavor. [online] Simply Recipes. Available at: <https://www.simplyrecipes.com/what-is-black-garlic-and-how-is-it-used-5186520> [Accessed 22 March 2022].

2..Black Garlic, A., ND. A Brief history of Black Garlic and links to it's culinary and health benefits. See what Dr Oz has to say about Black Garlic. [online] Artisan Black Garlic. Available at: <http://www.artisanblackgarlic.com/history.html> [Accessed 22 March 2022].

3. Liu, J., Zhang, G., Cong, X. and Wen, C., 2018. Black Garlic Improves Heart Function in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease by Improving Circulating Antioxidant Levels. Frontiers in Physiology, [online] 9. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6221913/> [Accessed 23 March 2022].

4. Panoff, L., 2021. 6 Impressive Health Benefits of Black Garlic. [online] Healthline. Available at: <https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/black-garlic-benefits#4.-Compounds-in-black-garlic-may-protect-brain-health> [Accessed 24 March 2022].

5. Ahmed, T. and Wang, C., 2021. Black Garlic and Its Bioactive Compounds on Human Health Diseases: A Review. Molecules, [online] 26(16), p.5028. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8401630/> [Accessed 24 March 2022].

6. Pharmactive, n.d. Cardiovascular health | Pharmactive Biotech Products. [online] Pharmactive Biotech Products. Available at: <https://pharmactive.eu/ingredient/abg_r-protects-your-heart-health/> [Accessed 24 March 2022].

7.CDC, 2022. High Blood Pressure Symptoms and Causes. [online] CDC. Available at: <https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/about.htm> [Accessed 24 March 2022].