garlic extract (National Cancer Institute)

The garlic extract intervention used in the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored Shandong Intervention Trial (also known as the Linqu trial) is a dietary supplement combination of aged garlic extract and steam-distilled garlic oil. Developed to evaluate the potential of botanical interventions in inhibiting the multi-step process of gastric carcinogenesis, the supplement was administered to a high-risk population in Linqu County, China, for over seven years. The active ingredients include various organosulfur compounds, with S-allyl cysteine serving as a primary measurable bioactive component. The intervention aimed to reduce the prevalence of precancerous gastric lesions, such as severe chronic atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia, as well as the incidence of gastric cancer. While the trial demonstrated high compliance and safety, primary analyses indicated that the garlic supplementation did not statistically significantly reduce the prevalence of precancerous lesions or gastric cancer incidence, though secondary analyses suggested potential protective effects in specific subgroups, such as those abstaining from alcohol.

Brand names

Kyolic

Other names

aged garlic extractsteam-distilled garlic oilShandong Intervention Trial garlic supplementLinqu trial garlic extract