What is allicin potential?
Though garlic products do not appear to contain a significant amount of allicin, some products contain both a compound (alliin) and an enzyme (alliinase) which can generate allicin when added to water, so-called “allicin potential” or “allicin yield. However, this may be of questionable value for the following reasons: 1. Realistic conditions such as exposure to stomach acid and intestinal fluids as would occur when one consumes a garlic product interfere with the production of allicin, significantly decreasing the amount that can be produced.11,12 2. No clinical studies have been conducted using allicin alone. 3. Allicin is not bioavailable. No allicin was detected in the urine or blood up to 24 hours following the consumption of approximately 90,000 mcg derived from 25 g of crushed raw garlic cloves.13 Allicin is a highly unstable, harsh, and odorous compound generated from fresh raw garlic. An enzyme, alliinase, combines with a compound called alliin in the raw garlic to generate al
