Garlic has long been hailed as one of nature’s most potent health boosters. Revered in traditional medicine for centuries and often labelled a "superfood", it has been used to support immunity, fight infections, and promote overall wellbeing. From ancient Egyptian remedies to modern kitchen panaceas, garlic’s therapeutic reputation has stood the test of time.
But here's the catch: if you're eating garlic regularly or even taking a garlic supplement, you might assume you're reaping all of its health benefits. The truth is, you may not be getting the most important compound that makes garlic so powerful, allicin.
Allicin is the key active component in fresh garlic responsible for its antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal effects. However, there's a problem: allicin is extremely unstable. Once garlic is chopped, crushed, or chewed, allicin forms briefly and then rapidly breaks down, meaning that most garlic products on the market don’t contain any active allicin at all by the time you consume them.
That’s where stabilised allicin comes in. Designed to preserve the potency of this fleeting compound, stabilised allicin delivers the power of fresh garlic in a form your body can actually use. It's not just another garlic extract, it's a breakthrough in harnessing garlic’s true potential.
In this article, we’ll uncover what allicin actually is, why it’s so unstable, how stabilised allicin is created, and why this unique form may be more effective than standard garlic supplements. If you think you know garlic, think again.
Table of Contents
- The Science of Allicin: A Volatile Wonder
- The Unstable Nature of Allicin and the Pitfalls of Standard Supplements
- What Precisely is 'Stabilised Allicin'?
- Why Does it Matter? The Benefits of Stabilised Allicin
- Frequently Asked Questions About Stabilised Allicin
- Rethinking Garlic for Modern Health and Why AlliTech Stands Out
The Science of Allicin: A Volatile Wonder
What is Allicin?
Allicin (C₆H₁₀OS₂) is the primary biologically active compound found in fresh garlic. It’s a sulphur-containing molecule responsible for garlic’s pungent aroma and many of its most celebrated health benefits. Allicin is what gives garlic its reputation as a natural antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal agent and is often credited with the superfood status garlic enjoys today.
The "Mother" Substance
Think of allicin as the “mother substance” of garlic. Once formed, it doesn’t stick around for long but in its brief existence, it spawns a variety of other sulphur-rich compounds, each with its own range of biological activity. These secondary compounds, like ajoene and diallyl sulphides, are also beneficial but they’re derivatives, not the original powerhouse. It all starts with allicin.
How It’s Made: The Natural Process
Interestingly, allicin isn’t present in whole, unbroken garlic cloves. Instead, garlic contains two separate components stored in different parts of the plant:
- Alliin – a sulphur-containing amino acid
- Alliinase – an enzyme
When garlic is chopped, crushed, or chewed, this physical damage allows alliinase to interact with alliin. This enzymatic reaction transforms alliin into allicin, a process that happens quickly and naturally as a defence mechanism by the plant.
However, allicin is incredibly unstable. It begins to degrade almost immediately after it forms, especially when exposed to heat, air, or stomach acid. This rapid breakdown means that the therapeutic potential of allicin is usually lost before it can deliver its benefits to the body, unless it is somehow preserved.
That challenge, capturing and stabilising this volatile compound, is at the heart of what makes stabilised allicin so remarkable.
The Unstable Nature of Allicin and the Pitfalls of Standard Supplements
The Shelf-Life Issue
Allicin, despite its incredible biological potential, has one major flaw, it’s incredibly unstable. Once formed in fresh garlic, its half-life is very short. Within moments, it begins to degrade into other sulphur compounds, particularly when exposed to heat, light, oxygen, or the acidic environment of the stomach. This fleeting existence means that, even if you crush raw garlic and consume it straight away, only a small fraction of the allicin produced is likely to survive long enough to be absorbed and put to good use by the body.
Why Most Garlic Supplements Fall Short
This instability presents a major challenge for supplement manufacturers and the unfortunate truth is that most garlic supplements simply don’t deliver active allicin in any meaningful quantity.
Garlic Powder and Garlic Oil Supplements
Many commercial garlic supplements are made using dried garlic powder or garlic oil. These products are typically processed at high temperatures, which destroys the alliinase enzyme, a critical component needed to create allicin in the first place.
Without the enzyme, there is no possibility for allicin to form. What you're left with is a supplement that may have a familiar garlic smell, but offers none of the key therapeutic compound that gives garlic its punch. In effect, these supplements are often little more than garlic-flavoured placebos.
Enteric-Coated Supplements
Some supplement manufacturers attempt a workaround by creating enteric-coated tablets that contain separated alliin and alliinase. The idea is that these components will mix in the intestines (bypassing the stomach’s harsh acidity) and produce allicin internally.
While this sounds promising in theory, it’s highly unreliable in practice. The acidic environment of the digestive system, especially the stomach can still degrade the enzymes before they have a chance to act. Moreover, there’s no guarantee that the components will mix effectively or that any allicin formed will survive long enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
In short, standard garlic supplements either never form allicin or fail to preserve it, meaning most consumers never experience the full benefits they’re expecting.
This is exactly the problem stabilised allicin was developed to solve.
What Precisely is 'Stabilised Allicin'?
The Patented Process
Stabilised allicin represents a genuine innovation in the world of natural health supplements. Rather than relying on your body to try and produce allicin after ingestion, as many conventional garlic products do, stabilised allicin contains pre-formed, active allicin in a stable form.
A leading example of this innovation is the AlliTech, which pioneered a method for extracting, stabilising, and preserving allicin at high potency. This patented approach ensures that the supplement delivers a meaningful dose of biologically active allicin, ready to go to work in the body.
The Key Difference
What makes stabilised allicin so different and so effective is that it doesn't require your body to manufacture the compound. It already contains pure allicin, created under laboratory conditions and preserved in a shelf-stable form.
This means you’re not relying on digestive processes, enzymes, or enteric coatings to "hopefully" produce allicin. Instead, you're taking a supplement that delivers it directly, in its active state.
How It’s Made: The Industrial Process
The process of creating stabilised allicin begins with fresh garlic, from which the alliin and alliinase are extracted. But unlike commercial garlic supplements that destroy these compounds through heat or chemical processing, stabilised allicin is created using a gentle, water-based extraction method. This non-destructive medium allows the natural enzymatic reaction to take place under tightly controlled conditions.
Here’s how it works:
- Alliin and alliinase are mixed in a controlled aqueous environment outside the body, allowing the natural formation of allicin.
- Once formed, the allicin is immediately isolated and captured, preventing it from degrading.
- The allicin-rich solution is then carefully dried into a fine powder using specialised techniques that maintain its structure and biological activity.
- The result is a stable, potent allicin powder, which can be encapsulated and stored without rapidly losing its effectiveness.
The Result
The final product is a shelf-stable, high-strength allicin supplement that’s ready for action the moment you take it. There's no need for the body to mix ingredients or hope for a favourable gut environment, the allicin is already formed, already active, and immediately bioavailable.
In essence, stabilised allicin overcomes the main barrier that has limited garlic’s medicinal potential for so long: instability. Through science and innovation, it makes the power of fresh garlic reliably accessible in a way that standard supplements simply can’t.
Why Does it Matter? The Benefits of Stabilised Allicin
Enhanced Bioavailability
One of the major advantages of stabilised allicin is its enhanced bioavailability. Because the allicin is already formed, purified, and stabilised before you take it, your body doesn’t need to rely on internal chemistry or digestion to make it effective. The compound is ready to be absorbed and used immediately making it far more reliable and efficient than garlic powders, oils, or enteric-coated alternatives.
This means you get more of the active compound, more quickly, right when your body needs it.
Consistent Dosage
Another key benefit is dosage consistency. With fresh garlic or traditional supplements, the amount of allicin that actually reaches your system is highly variable and often negligible. Factors like storage, processing, digestive conditions, and even chewing can influence how much allicin (if any) is formed and absorbed.
By contrast, stabilised allicin supplements like those from AlliTech are standardised. For example, a capsule may contain 450mg of stabilised allicin, delivering a guaranteed and measurable dose every time. This level of precision is essential not only for effectiveness but also for those seeking a therapeutic or preventative regimen.
Proven Health Benefits
Research into allicin has shown a wide range of potential health benefits, many of which are retained in stabilised form. These include:
- Antibacterial properties – effective against a wide range of harmful bacteria
- Antiviral activity – shown to inhibit viral replication in lab studies
- Antifungal effects – including activity against Candida species
- Immune system support – helping the body respond to infection more effectively
- Cardiovascular benefits – may contribute to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels
These effects make stabilised allicin a powerful option for people seeking a natural but potent way to support their health, without the uncertainty of conventional garlic supplements.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stabilised Allicin
Q1: What is allicin, and why is it so important?
Allicin is the primary biologically active compound in fresh garlic. It's a sulfur-containing molecule responsible for garlic's distinctive smell and many of its scientifically recognised health benefits, including its potent antimicrobial (antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal) and immune-supporting properties.
Q2: I thought eating fresh garlic gave me allicin. Is that not true?
Eating fresh garlic does create allicin, but only when the clove is crushed or chopped, triggering a chemical reaction. However, this naturally-formed allicin is highly unstable and has a very short half-life. It begins to degrade almost immediately, especially when exposed to heat (like in cooking) or the acidic environment of the stomach.
Q3: How is 'stabilised allicin' different from a standard garlic supplement?
This is the most crucial distinction. Standard garlic supplements (like garlic powder or oil capsules) either contain no allicin at all or rely on an unreliable process to create it in your body. Stabilised allicin, on the other hand, is a product where the allicin has been pre-formed and extracted under controlled conditions, resulting in a stable, potent powder that is already active and ready to be absorbed by your body.
Q4: How is stabilised allicin made?
Stabilised allicin is produced using a patented, low-temperature, water-based extraction process. This process isolates the key compounds from garlic and triggers the enzymatic reaction to create pure allicin outside of the body. The resulting allicin is then carefully dried into a stable powder, which can be encapsulated without losing its potency.
Q5: Why is the stability of allicin so important?
The stability of allicin ensures that you are receiving a consistent and effective dose. Without it, the allicin would degrade before it could be absorbed and utilised by your body. Stabilised allicin guarantees that the active compound reaches your system intact, providing the full potential health benefits.
Q6: What are the main benefits of taking a stabilised allicin supplement?
The primary benefit is that you get a guaranteed, bioavailable dose of the most important active compound in garlic. This can provide powerful support for:
- Immune System Health: By helping the body fight off various pathogens.
- Antimicrobial Defence: As a natural antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral agent.
- Cardiovascular Health: By contributing to healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- Gut Health: By helping to balance the gut microbiome.
Q7: Can I just take an enteric-coated garlic supplement instead?
Enteric-coated supplements are a step up from plain garlic powder, but they are still not as reliable as stabilised allicin. They contain the precursor compounds (alliin and alliinase) and are designed to release them in the intestines, bypassing stomach acid. However, this process is inefficient and still does not guarantee the formation of a significant amount of allicin.
Q8: Are there any side effects from taking stabilised allicin?
Stabilised allicin is generally well-tolerated. Some people may experience mild gastrointestinal discomfort, especially at higher doses. Unlike many garlic supplements, a high-quality stabilised allicin product should not cause "garlic breath" as the volatile compounds that cause the odour have been carefully managed during the extraction process. However, some individuals may still notice a slight odour.
Q9: How do I know if a product truly contains 'stabilised allicin'?
You should look for supplements that specifically state they contain "stabilised allicin extract" or reference a patented process (e.g., Allisure®). The product label should list a specific allicin yield or concentration per capsule. If the label only lists "garlic powder" or "garlic oil," it likely does not contain active, stabilised allicin. Always research the brand and look for third-party certifications.
Q10: Is stabilised allicin the same as 'aged garlic extract'?
No, they are very different. Aged garlic extract is a fermented product that contains other beneficial compounds but lacks allicin. The aging process breaks down allicin. While aged garlic extract has its own health benefits (particularly for cardiovascular health), it does not provide the same antimicrobial and immediate immune-boosting effects as allicin.
Rethinking Garlic for Modern Health and Why AlliTech Stands Out
Garlic has earned its reputation as a health superstar over millennia, but it’s only through the precise science of stabilised allicin that we can finally harness its full potential reliably. Unlike ordinary garlic or typical supplements that fall short, stabilised allicin delivers:
- Instant potency, because the active compound is already formed and ready to work.
- Predictable and consistent dosing, unlike the hit‑or‑miss results of garlic powders or oils.
- Proven bioactivity, encompassing antimicrobial, immune‑supporting, cardiovascular, and gut‑health benefits.
And when we look for a real-world embodiment of that promise, AlliTech, particularly its liquid formulation offers a striking illustration.
Why AlliTech Is a Game‑Changer
Available through Dulwich Health in the UK, the AlliTech range (including both capsules and liquid form) uses 100 % stabilised Allisure® allicin extract, harnessed through a patented, gentle, water-based process that preserves allicin in its active state.
In short, AlliTech embodies the very breakthrough stabilised allicin represents, a reliable, potent, and practical way to enjoy the health‑boosting benefits of garlic that go beyond what traditional supplements can deliver.
