A commentary on the effects of garlic extraction and formulation on product composition.

The garlic (Allium sativa L.) bulb has been used as a food and condiment for centuries throughout the entire world and in Egypt for perhaps 5000 years. Since the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 by the U.S. Congress, it has been claimed that garlic dietary supplements possess health benefits. Support for this claim is not the primary objective of this publication. The primary objective of this article is to demonstrate that the prediction of a potential health benefit(s) from garlic is largely dependent on the process used to produce a product.