AIM Bear Paw Garlic® details
The cardiovascular system consists of the heart and blood vessels.
Through this system, blood circulates throughout the body. All body
organs and tissues need a supply of blood to receive nutrition and
to remove waste products.
Lifestyle is a major factor in cardiovascular disease. A poor
diet, lack of exercise, and smoking all contribute to making
cardiovascular disease the biggest killer in North America. Changing
your lifestyle, and using supplements such as alpine wild garlic,
can help you maintain your cardio health.
A. ursinum
Garlic has a long history as a healthful plant, having been used
for medicinal purposes from as early as 3000 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 and A. sativum share these constituents
as well as a number of benefits. Both types of garlic help maintain
healthy cholesterol levels, have antioxidant properties, and have
antifungal and antibacterial properties.
However, A. ursinum has a number of advantages over A. sativum.
A. ursinum contains allicin and its related forms, as well as
more ajoene (a degraded form of allicin) and its related forms, more
g-glutamyl peptides (GLUT), and more than 20 times as much
adenosine.
Current opinion states that the g-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 maintains healthy blood pressure.
g-glutamyl peptides have also been demonstrated to inhibit the
actions of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE), an enzyme released
from the kidneys that regulates blood pressure.
Adenosine helps increase blood vessel width and can also reduce
platelet aggregation (blood stickiness). It also acts as a muscle
relaxant and as a protectant against poisons, such as caffeine.
A. ursinum is also odorless; although, 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.
In summary, 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.
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 thrombocyteaggregation,
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 211 (1966).
“It is known of Allium ursinum that it possesses cholesteroland
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.
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 nutrients, see nutrient profile.)
Allicin—hero or team player?
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.
Suggested Reading
- Clouatre, Dallas, Ph.D. Alpine Wild Garlic. San Francisco:
Pax Publishing, 1995.
- Sendel, et al. “Comparative Pharmacological Investigations
of Allium ursinum and Allium sativum.” Planta Medica 58 (1992).
- Because AIM Bear Paw Garlic® shares many of the benefits of
Allium sativum, any of the many books on this subject would be
valuable.
The complete Cardio
Health line consists of AIM CellSparc
360 and AIM Bear Paw Garlic. Use
these products to help yourself maintain cardiovascular health.
Complimentary Products are AIM
GinkgoSense™, AIM Proancynol®
2000, and AIMega™. |