Healthy Living
Garlic Fights Fatigue
By David Perlmutter, MD, FACN
One of the most common complaints voiced by patients visiting physicians is simply that their "get up and go, got up and went." Perhaps as a consequence of our very stressful society coupled with the declining quality of our food sources, fatigue now seems to be an almost ubiquitous complaint of patients seen in a general medical practice setting.
These days, a wide variety of nutritional supplements are being promoted to help alleviate fatigue. Unfortunately, the claims made by the producers of many of these products are often not supported by any meaningful scientific research. Clearly, when specific claims are made about a nutritional supplement, it is important that these claims be substantiated.
In an article entitled "Anti-Fatigue Effect of Aged Garlic Extract in Athletic Club Students," researchers at Japan's prestigious Nihon University School of Medicine evaluated the effectiveness of aged garlic extract (Kyolic Garlic) in reducing fatigue in a group of 20 healthy students tested during intense physical training. The study evaluated both subjective and objective parameters. Subjective symptoms included drowsiness, weariness, difficulty in concentration, and several "body conditions" including headache, shortness of breath, and muscle pain. Objective measurements included evaluation of pulse, weight, blood pressure, muscle strength, reflex function, and several laboratory studies.
The results of this study were compelling. Virtually across the board subjective complaints were markedly reduced toward the end of the trial in the group receiving Kyolic Garlic, with the most significant results noted in the evaluations of drowsiness and weariness. Further, objective measurements also demonstrated a significant difference when comparing the group receiving the Garlic Extract versus that which did not. In the group taking Kyolic, reflexes seemed to improve during the course of the study as did laboratory studies measuring liver function.
This study confirms the usefulness of Kyolic Garlic in reducing several parameters of fatigue. As the study reports, "Results of the independently designed subjective symptoms test showed that complaints such as weary body and weak legs decreased with administration of aged garlic extract and disappeared by the end of the study. The results of the objective fatigue test showed improvement of physical functions."
Kyolic Garlic is a very important nutritional supplement not only because of its well substantiated role in reducing fatigue, but also because of its effectiveness in reducing cholesterol, improving glucose tolerance, and its ability to improve liver function and prevent liver cell damage. For more information on Kyolic Garlic, contact Wakunaga of America at (800) 421-2998.