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Garlic

Supplement botanical heart & metabolicimmune
Aka: Allium sativum, aged garlic extract, Kyolic, allicin
Brands seen in Singapore: Kyolic, Allimax, NOW Foods, Lawry's, Micro Ingredients
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Small LDL and total-cholesterol changes if levels are high
When to take
Daily
Studied for
Pooled trials ran 8 weeks to 36 weeks
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Used safely in studies lasting as long as 7 years
  • NCCIH: small LDL drop in people with high cholesterol
  • Pooled trials cover powder, oil, tablets and aged forms
Cons
  • Immune use: a 2022 review found only two weak studies
  • May raise bleeding risk — matters before surgery
  • Breath and body odour, gut upset, allergy do happen
Sources
  1. NCCIH — Garlic (What Have We Learned: cholesterol) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Garlic supplements may reduce levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to a small extent in people who have high blood cholesterol levels.”
  2. NCCIH — Garlic (What Have We Learned: immune function) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “very little research has been done on this topic. A 2022 review identified only two studies that suggest a possible benefit, and both studies included only small numbers of people and had weaknesses in the research.”
  3. NCCIH — Garlic (What Do We Know About Safety: duration) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Garlic, taken orally, has been used safely in research studies that lasted as long as 7 years.”
  4. NCCIH — Garlic (Safety: side effects) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Side effects of garlic consumed orally include breath and body odor, abdominal pain, flatulence, and nausea. Some people have allergic reactions to garlic.”
  5. NCCIH — Garlic (Safety: bleeding risk) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Taking garlic supplements may increase the risk of bleeding. If you take garlic supplements, make sure to tell your health care providers. This is especially important if you are going to have surgery”
  6. NCCIH — Garlic (Safety: drug interactions) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “If you take anticoagulants, aspirin, or any other medicine, talk with your health care provider before using garlic or other herbal products; some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways.”
  7. NCCIH — Garlic (Safety: pregnancy and breastfeeding) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Garlic may not be safe for use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding when taken orally in amounts greater than those found in foods.”
  8. Garlic consumption can reduce the risk of dyslipidemia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (Du et al., J Health Popul Nutr 2024; 21 RCTs) — preparations and duration · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “the intervention period ranged from 8 weeks to 36 weeks. Five different garlic preparations were tested in the trials, including garlic powder, raw garlic, garlic tablets, aged garlic, garlic oil”
  9. Du et al. 2024 — Table 1, characteristics of the 21 included RCTs (daily amounts) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “150 mg/d garlic powder … 900 mg/d garlic powder … 800 mg/d aged garlic … 250 mg/d garlic oil … 4 g/d raw garlic … 20 g/d garlic”
  10. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev 001 (Oct 2025), Annex A/B — searched, no row for this ingredient · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.”
  11. iHerb Singapore — Garlic Supplements category (default order, 1 - 48 of 103 results) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Kyolic, Aged Garlic Extract™, Cardiovascular Health, Original Formula 100 … Allimax, 100% Allicin Powder Capsules, 180 mg … NOW Foods, Garlic 5000 … Lawry's, Garlic Powder, 3.12 oz … Micro Ingredients, Odorless Aged Garlic Extract”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.