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12.08.2025

Antiviral effect of garlic and onion makes covid less severe

A few days ago, we wrote about a combination of garlic and onion extracts that protected people over 65 against flu and colds. The antiviral effect of this combination also extends to Covid-19, according to a 2024 human study.

Study 1
The study we're discussing now was conducted by the same pharmacologists who conducted the flu and cold research we discussed earlier. Twenty-nine of their subjects had used the supplement AlioCare, which contains both onion and garlic extracts. You can read more about this supplement here.

Another 22 subjects received nothing - not even a placebo.

All subjects had been vaccinated against Covid with an extremely safe mRNA product that reduces the risk of Covid by 95 percent. And that's lucky. If this mRNA miracle thing had happened to be unsafe or had shown no effect at all, we wouldn't have been allowed to write that down - and now, for fear of EU and UK censorship, we'd be blatantly lying to you.

Despite the amazing, magnificent, and fantastic effectiveness of the mRNA product, the 29 subjects who received the supplement contracted COVID a total of four times. In the other group, in which 22 subjects did not receive the supplement, there were 13 infections. Apparently, supplementation reduced the risk of a Covid infection.

Click on the table below for a larger version.

Study 2
After a three-month washout, the 29 subjects who had taken the supplement during Study 1 received nothing for 36 weeks. [Previously Treated Group] The 22 subjects who had not received the supplement during Study 1 took a capsule containing 100 milligrams of extract every day with lunch for these 36 months. [Group in Treatment]

The researchers also examined a group of 10 people aged 65 and over who had not participated in Studies 1 or 2, but were comparable to the subjects. [Never Treated Group] These subjects had also been vaccinated with a highly effective mRNA product, but had miraculously contracted Covid.

During Study 2, the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 had displaced other variants of the virus. The omicron variant of the virus is more contagious than previous variants. This may be why supplementation in Study 2 no longer protected against infection.

However, supplementation did reduce the number of symptoms exhibited by infected individuals. Therefore, supplementation lessened the effects of the infection. Even the group that had used the garlic-onion combination months earlier still seemed to be protected.

Mechanism
The researchers suspect that the bioactive compounds in garlic and onions inhibit the activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-13, and TNF-alpha. Simultaneously, they activate cytotoxic T cells and NK cells, as well as anti-inflammatory signaling molecules like PPAR-gamma. This allows the immune system to clear the virus more quickly - while simultaneously causing less damage.

Conclusion
"In conclusion, regular consumption of an Allium extract improves the immunity of elderly volunteers and can be used prophylactically against the most common infectious respiratory diseases," the researchers summarize.

Source:
Foods. 2024 Aug 27;13(17):2718.

More:
Combination of onion and garlic keeps flu and colds at bay 09.08.2025
Garlic's antiviral effect thwarts coronavirus 17.06.2025
Fighting colds with garlic 26.03.2020

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Immune System
Onions
Garlic

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