Wakunaga Announces Results of Garlic-Immune Health Study

Wakunaga (Mission Viejo, CA) says a recent human clinical found its Kyolic aged garlic extract may reduce cold and flu symptoms.

Garlic extract is traditionally used for cold and flu care in various cultures, but most research of late has not focused on the potential link.

The study, published in Clinical Nutrition, assigned 120 adults to 2.5 mg of aged garlic extract or placebo for 90 days. Garlic users experienced an average 21% reduction in amount of cold or flu symptoms along with 58% fewer missed days of work.

Increased expression of natural killer cells and gamma-delta T cells were observed with garlic supplementation. Another reason garlic may have better supported immune health in the study was due to increased levels of glutathione, likely due to the garlic extract’s sulfur-containing compounds.

Studies suggest that glutathione enhances immune response by optimizing macrophage function while protecting disease-fighting cells, according to Wakunaga.