Comment by Dr. Jin-ichi Sasaki
Publication of surprising research result from Hirosaki University School of Medicine made Black Garlic popular.
How surprising was the “research result”?
We interviewed Dr. Jinichi Sasaki who presented the research.
Continuously evolved garlic,
“Aged Black Garlic and Amber Garlic”
History of Garlic
Garlic is the oldest food ingredient that has been used for a long time. The record dates back to Ancient Egypt in 4,000 B.C. It is estimated that garlic traveled through China to Korea, and was introduced to Japan in Yayoi era 2,000 years ago. In “Codex Ebers” (1550 BC), which is believed to be the world’s oldest Egyptian medical book, garlic was introduced as food that brings mysterious power.
Potentiality of garlic
In Word War II, Garlic is called “Russian penicillin”. Futhermore, in the 1990s, the "Designer Foods Project" published by the National Cancer Institute proved its high functionality.
Appearance of Aged garlic
A new movement is emerging in the garlic world now. It is the appearance of "Aged Black Garlic" of "black and sweet fruit sensation". The garlic does not contain any artificial additives and was made with only self-ripening, which made it possible to be eaten without unique irritant garlic odor.
More importantly, the garlic contains four times more amount of functional content called “S-Allyl-L-cysteine” than fresh garlic.
In addition, “Amber Garlic” was recently developed as a new product in Aomori Prefecture. An unique feature of “Amber Garlic” is that the garlic contains more functional content of S-Allyl-L-cysteine than “Aged Black Garlic”.
Does Black Garlic stop the rust?
Black Garlic contains high level of anti-oxidant action compare to fresh garlic. It shows ability of antioxidant by both DPPH radical method (RS50% activity) and SOD method.
Black Garlic ingredient has bactericidal action
A : No sterilization effect in 1 % of extracting component concentration(upper left Schale, shaded part)
B : With 5 % of extracting component concentration (lower right shale, shaded part) has sterilized action to 1- 4 bacteria. (Some bacteria vanished or declined.) Bacteria grows on both schales’ non-extracting component concentration.
Healthy Life with Black Garlic
Aomori prefecture produced high-quality garlic “Fukuchi-White-Six Seeded Type”, and launched Aomori Black Garlic Association in 2008.
There is a hope for more people to have a healthy life with much safe and secure “Aged-Black Garlic and Amber Garlic”
Black Garlic, as we call “mysterious black fruit”, is health food which contains large amount of S-Allyl-L-cysteine, Cycloalliin, pyroglutamic acid whereas fresh garlic contains only little of them.
The result of animal testing conducted in 2006 was covered widely in the media such as newspapers. He continues his research on Black Garlic including conference presentations overseas.