AIM Bear Paw Garlic ® in Australia
AIM Bear Paw Garlic ® is a unique form of garlic. It
is not derived from Allium sativum, the species of garlic sold in
supermarkets and used in garlic supplements. Rather, AIM Bear Paw
Garlic ® comes from Allium ursinum, a wild
species of garlic found in central Europe.
Unlike A. sativum, A. ursinum has never
been successfully cultivated. (Apparently the eighth-century ruler
Charlemagne attempted to cultivate the plant for medicinal purposes, but
there is no record of his success.) A. ursinum is found in areas
of damp woods and wooded ravines and flourishes in the hills and
mountains of central Europe. Its name is derived from the claim that
bears, after awakening from winter hibernation, consume wild garlic to
regain strength (ursinum is Latin for "bear"). Although
most of us think of the distinctive garlic bulb and cloves when
considering garlic, the active substances in A. ursinum are found
in its green leaves.
Although largely unknown in the United States, in
1989, A. ursinum was called "the new star" of garlic in
the German health journal Therapiewoche (Therapy Week) and in
1992, was declared the European medicinal "Plant of the Year"
by the Association for the Protection and Research on European Medicinal
Plants.
More on maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol
Click on blood
pressure, and cholesterol.
What do European publications have to say about A. ursinum?
"Accordingly Allium ursinum contains much
more ajoene and an about twentyfold higher content of adenosine than its
‘cultivated cousin.’ Just these substances are the ones to which,
according to recent studies, an essential part of the known allium
effects such as reduction of cholesterine, inhibition of
thrombocyte-aggregation, drop in blood pressure, improvement of
blood-rheology and fibrinolysis are attributed." —Therapiewoch,
November 1990
… allium ursinum is superior to allium
sativum, since the latter … has been overcultivated through
several thousand years to a one-sided form." —Allgemeine
Homöopathische Zeitung, Vol 211/1966.
"It is known of Allium ursinum that it
possesses cholesterol and blood pressure
regulating characteristics." —Natur Heilpraxis mit
Naturmedizin, November 1995.
"The water and ethanol extracts of wild garlic
were able to reduce the intensity of generated radicals. Thus, it can be
assumed that … Allium ursinum has significant antioxidant
properties." —Török, et al. Central Research Laboratory,
Pécs, Hungary.
AIM Bear Paw Garlic ® Benefits
Garlic has a long history as a healthful plant, having
been used for medicinal purposes from as early as 3,000 b.c. Garlic is
made up of sulfur compounds; amino acids; minerals, such as germanium,
selenium, and zinc; and vitamins A, B, and C. Allicin, a
sulfur-containing compound in garlic, is traditionally believed to be
primarily responsible for most of the suggested benefits of garlic.
Allicin is also responsible for garlic’s unique odor.
A. ursinum
A. ursinum has all the benefits of the A. sativum
products that are found on the market. However, A. ursinum has three
advantages over this domesticated garlic: 1) It has more of the active
substances; 2) It has active substances not found in cultivated garlic,
or found only when large quantities are taken; 3) It is odorless.
A. ursinum contains allicin and its related
forms, as well as more ajoene (a degraded form of allicin) and its
related forms, more y-glutamyl peptides (GLUT), and more than
20 times as much adenosine.
Current opinion states that the y-glutamyl peptides
and ajoene result in an increase in the difference across the membrane
of the vascular smooth muscle. This in turn results in a widening of
blood vessels, which may affect blood pressure.
y-glutamyl peptides have been demonstrated to inhibit
the actions of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE), an enzyme released
from the kidneys which regulates blood pressure.
Adenosine helps increase blood vessel width and can also
reduce platelet aggregation (blood stickiness).
Adenosine acts as a muscle relaxant and as a protectant against
poisons, such as caffeine.
A. ursinum might activate macrophages to reduce
the synthesis of LDL cholesterol and protect against plaques and blood
clots.
A. ursinum has antioxidant properties that
protect against free radicals.
A. ursinum has antibacterial and antifungal
properties.
AIM Bear Paw Garlic ® Features
When you first open AIM Bear Paw Garlic ®,
the garlic odor is unmistakable. However, upon digestion the garlic odor
is not as noticeable. This is because the leaves of A. ursinum
contain substantial amounts of chlorophyll, which binds nitrogen
compounds during digestion and thus prevents the development of the
smell associated with the breakdown products of garlic. As well, allicin
is found in lower concentrations in the leaves of A. ursinum.
However, the lesser amounts of allicin are replaced by other related
sulfur-containing constituents, so none of the benefits of allicin are
lost.
AIM Bear Paw Garlic ® Process
A. ursinum is hand-picked in the
spring during a one-week period. It is harvested in the alpine regions
of central Europe, in particular Switzerland. Because it is wild and
cannot be cultivated, only the leaves are cut; the bulb remains in the
earth to ensure future supply.
Once the leaves are harvested, they are processed
quickly. They are cleaned, washed, dried, and milled under low
temperatures. During this processing, adenosine levels are monitored to
guarantee at least 1,100 mg/kg. (For other guaranteed nutrient levels,
see table.)
Allicin?
The sulfur compound allicin has traditionally been
credited for garlic’s beneficial effects. However, this may not
entirely be the case. Allicin is no doubt partially responsible for
garlic’s benefits. But many other substances may act individually or
synergistically to produce benefits.
Dallas Clouatre, Ph.D., says, "The general public
has been led to believe that all of the primary active constituents are
in the lipophilic fractions of garlic, e.g., alliin, allicin, ajoene,
etc. This is contrary to the scientific findings—it has been known for
more than a decade that the odorless water-soluble fractions of garlic
are equal to the oil-soluble fractions in their effects."
The allicin balloon is further deflated by comments
found in John Heinerman’s The Healing Benefits of Garlic. He
cites the sulfur compounds (such as allicin), but also adenosine, as
having beneficial effects. He mentions that allicin is extremely
unstable and may not be what it is thought to be: "… don’t be
persuaded that just because a particular garlic product claims it
contains significant amounts of allicin, this makes it superior to
others without it."
Nutritional Profile
Constituent
|
AIM Bear Paw Garlic ®
|
A. sativum
|
| Sulfur |
7,000 mg/kg |
6,114 mg/kg |
| Magnesium |
1,600 mg/kg |
952 mg/kg |
| Manganese |
230 mg/kg |
14 mg/kg |
| Iron |
120 mg/kg |
107 mg/kg |
| Adenosine |
1,100 mg/kg |
70 mg/kg |
(Minimum guaranteed)
These test results are typical - actual quantity may
vary with year and season.
History and botany
A. ursinum was known to the early
Celts and to the ancient Romans, who considered it a cleansing plant.
The Greek physician Dioscorides also attributed a detoxifying effect to
the plant. In the Middle Ages, A. ursinum was
known and thoroughly described. H. Bock provided drawings of the plant
in his Kreutterbuch in 1565, and in 1564, Lonicerus judged wild
garlic to be superior to regular garlic. A. ursinum was
used routinely in central Europe for health until the end of the
nineteenth century and was also eaten as a vegetable in salads.
A. ursinum is a member of the family Lilaceae
(sometimes called Alliaceae or Amaryllidacae). Besides
regular garlic, this family includes onions, shallots, leeks, chives,
and other similar plants. A. ursinum is the only wild
member of the family with a true garlic flavor and aroma.
A. ursinum has broad leaves that resemble
those of the lily of the valley. It grows to between 8 inches and 20
inches in height (20 cm to 50 cm) and carries white bunches of flowers
from April to June. The blossoms are snow-white with six-pointed,
star-shaped forms. Brood bulbs—that is, bulbs with cloves—are not
found on wild garlic, which effectively limits cultivation. Wild garlic
creates dense colonies that exclude other plants, but it spreads very
slowly (perhaps 36 inches a year; about one meter). It is found
abundantly in the Alps up to elevations of 5,700 feet (1,737 m). (Adapted
from Alpine Wild Garlic, by Dallas Clouatre, Ph.D.)
Constituents of A. ursinum and A.
sativum with Relative Concentrations
|
allicin = (+)-S-allyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide = ACSO
related: (+)-S-methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide = MCSO |
A. ursinum
1
3 |
A. sativum
2
1 |
| Function:
original plant substances; MCSO is a proven hypoglycemic |
allicin = diallyl thiosulfate = DATS
related: alymethyl and/or methylallyl thiosulfinate = MATS
dimenthyl thiosulfate = DMTS |
1
4
NA |
2
1
NA |
Function:
antibacterial, antimycotic/antifungal, antitumor,
hypoglycemic, other actions;
MATS is an inhibitor of platelet aggregation |
ajoene = E/Z isomers of
4,5,9-trithiododeca-1,6,11-triene-9-oxide
related: methylajoene = MA
dimethylajoene = DMA
Totals for all forms: |
primary
primary
2 |
primary
1 |
| Function:
inhibitors of platelet aggregation, hypotensives, blood
lipids, regulators |
dimethyl mono-, di-, and trisulfides
allyl methyl mono-,di-, and tetrasulfides
Totals for all forms: |
(+,-) |
(+++) |
| Function:
aroma, some, such as allyl methyl trisulfide, activate
glutathione S-transferase |
| y-glutamyl peptides = GLUT |
2 |
1 |
| Function:
ACE inhibitors/blood pressure regulators |
| adenosine |
20 |
1 |
| Function:
platelet aggregation inhibitor, muscle relaxant, cardiotonic,
other actions |
Primary
refers to the forms(s) in which the active garlic constituent
and/or related compounds are primarily present.
+ is a unit of relative activity provided for comparison. - is
a unit of relative reduction of activity. |
|
AIM Bear Paw Garlic ® in Australia
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