the garlic powder is in tablet form . it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that garlic powder can be put in tablet form in a number of different ways . it will be understood that a variety of different binders , fillers and a number of other excipients can be used . an enteric coating is then applied to the tablet by usual methods . when the tablet formed as detailed above , is swallowed , the tablet moves down the digestive tract to the stomach . as the tablet moves along the upper alimentary tract the outer surface coating ( if present ) or the enteric coating begins to dissolve and releases deodorizer into the upper alimentary tract . the tablet enters the stomach and further deodorizer is released . the tablet or capsule then passes into the alkaline small intestine , and at this point the enteric coating completely dissolves and allicin produced by the garlic is released . accordingly , irrespective of whether the deodorizer is contained in a surface coating on the outside of the enteric coating or within the enteric coating itself , or both , a portion of the deodorizer will be released in the upper gut . this is preferred as parts of the deodorizer may react with the garlic released in the lower gut , in particular the allicin , and reduce the potential of the beneficial effects of garlic being provided to the recipient of the tablet or capsule . whilst not wishing to be limited by theories , it is postulated that the deodorizer ‘ dissolved ’, absorbed , held or metabolized in the upper gut may act locally in the mouth , throat and stomach to reduce garlic odor produced by exhaled garlic derived volatile metabolites . the deodorizer may act to alleviate the odor through either or both of the following two mechanisms : ( a ) by deodorizing , that is , the process of adsorbing or reacting with an aromatic substance to render it involatile or non - aromatic , for example , by reacting with any odorous sulfur or garlic derived compound rising from the lower gut or lungs into the buccal cavity ; or ( b ) by masking , that is , superimposition of a dominant aroma on an undesirable odor so that the undesirable odor was not recognizable . accordingly , the enteric coating ensures that all the garlic ( and hence allicin ) is not released until the small intestine , where it will be most effective . if there is deodorizer in the remaining enteric coating it will also be dissolved at this stage . any such deodorizer and the garlic will then be digested in the lower gut . at this time the allinase in the garlic powder enzymatically forms sulfenic acids from the s - alk ( en ) ylcysteine sulfoxides . the sulfenic acids spontaneously convert to thiosulfinates including allicin . allicin and it &# 39 ; s metabolites and other phytochemicals in the garlic are absorbed through the lining of the intestine into the portal vein and / or lymph eventually reaching the arteries , tissue and organs . non digestible garlic carbohydrates may also remain in the small intestine and act to stimulate beneficial intestinal bacteria including bifidobacteria and lactabacillus and also act broadly as a pre - biotic compound . once in circulation the allicin , its metabolites and other phytochemicals can provide therapeutic benefits to the human recipient . the garlic supplement thus provides adequate allicin to the person to produce the beneficial therapeutic effects whilst minimizing the odor of the garlic . the invention will now be further illustrated and explained by reference to the following non - limiting examples . enteric coated garlic tablets with mint are made using the following method . ingredient amount cellulose gum modified nf 7 . 50 kg peppermint extract on micro - crystalline cellulose 36 . 00 kg garlic powder capable of producing 10 , 000 ppm allicin 924 . 00 kg microcrystalline cellulose , silicified 400 . 50 kg natural peppermint flavor 36 . 00 kg silicon dioxide , ms 4 . 50 kg stearic acid , acid powder 45 . 00 kg carboxymethyl starch 46 . 50 kg shellac 20 % with methylcellulose 215 . 30 kg aqueous peppermint extract 14 . 5 l 1 . 5 kg of peppermint extract is mixed with 4 . 50 kg of silicon dioxide in a sealed container until uniformly blended ( part a ). the remaining peppermint extract ( 34 . 50 kg ) is then passed through a sweco separator with 20 mesh screen in a 55 gallon stainless steel drum ( part b ). part a and b are then mixed together in the drum for 10 minutes = part c . 36 . 00 kg of natural peppermint flavor and 45 . 00 kg of stearic acid powder are then passed through a sweco separator equipped with a 30 mesh screen directly into a 55 gallon stainless steel drum then mixed for 10 minutes = part d . 924 . 00 kg of garlic powder is passed through a sweco separator equipped with a 20 mesh screen and then blended for 10 minutes = part e . 46 . 50 kg of carboxymethyl starch , 7 . 50 kg cellulose gum , and 400 . 50 kg silicified microcrystalline cellulose are passed through a sweco separator equipped with a 20 mesh screen then blended for 15 minutes = part f . the blended mixture is loaded into a gemini tablet press and 2 to 6 tons of pressure is applied . target weight of each tablet is 625 mg . target tablet hardness is 25 scu . target tablet gauge is 0 . 265 inches . set inlet air temperature dial to 93 ° c . set mistchecker atomization air at 160 slpm on each gun . set mistchecker pattern air ( total volume ) to 240 slpm on each gun . turn on exhaust fan . load each pan with approximately 600 , 000 tablets and set guns 10 to 12 inches from tablet bed . jog coating pan until exhaust temperature is 115 ° f . to 120 ° f . and adjust pan speed to 6 r . p . m . pre - mix shellac 20 % with methylcellulose and aqueous mint extract to give a conveniently sprayable product then apply 45 litres of the solution at 480 ml / min . cool tablets until exhaust temperature is 100 ° f . ( 38 ° c .). apply 40 to 50 gm of carnauba wax . allyl mercaptan and diallyl disulfide are among the malodorous constituents of garlic breath . the purpose of this example is to quantitatively determine and compare the amounts of allyl mercaptan and diallyl disulfide present in garlic breath , over a 24 hour period , resulting from the consumption of garlic tablets according to the invention compared with an equivalent portion of fresh garlic . a comparative assay of garlic breath odor was performed on two subjects with two garlic tablets according to the invention and 2 cloves of fresh garlic ( positive control ). the subject &# 39 ; s breath was collected at time 0 ( prior to consumption of tablets or fresh garlic ) and then at 0 . 5 , 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 , and 24 hours . the tablets were swallowed whole and washed down with water . the fresh garlic was homogenized in 100 ml of water and swallowed , being washed down with another volume of water . breath of the test subjects was exhaled into 3 . 0 l - tedlar bags . a pdms ( polydimethylsiloxane ) spme ( solid phase microextraction ) fibre was introduced to the inflated bag via a gas tight septa . volatile components of the subjects breath were absorbed onto the surface of the spme fibre for 30 minutes . the fibre was removed and thermally desorbed onto a gc column ( bpx5 1 μm film , 0 . 5 mm × 50 m ) with an inlet temperature of 260 ° c . in splitless mode . the gc oven was set at an initial temperature of 45 ° c . for 6 mins to allow focussing of the desorbed compounds . to attain maximum sensitivity the mass spectrometer was set in sim ( selected ion monitoring ) mode whereby only ions significant to the compounds allyl mercaptan and diallyl disulfide are scanned , thus enhancing the response for these compounds . for allyl mercaptan the ions 39 , 45 , 47 , 59 , 69 , and 74 m / z , were selected in the elution time range . 4 . 6 - 15 . 0 mins . for diallyl disulfide the ions 81 , 105 , 113 , 146 m / z were selected in the elution time range 15 . 0 - 23 . 5 mins . a major ion for both allyl mercaptan and diallyl disulfide is 41 m / z , however was not included in the sim ions as its common occurrence in human breath negates any gain in selectivity . the peak areas of allyl mercaptan and diallyl disulfide are measured and calculated to mass units by reference to external calibration standard curves . chart 1 shows the results obtained for diallyl sulfide in breath from coated garlic tables according to the invention and from fresh garlic . chart 2 shows the results obtained for allyl mercaptan in breath from coated garlic tables according to the invention and from fresh garlic . allyl mercaptan present in subject breath in the test period following consumption of enteric / mint coated garlic tablets is markedly lower than the levels detected in fresh garlic breath . diallyl disulfide exhibits two , maximia at 30 minutes and at 4 hours for the fresh garlic indicating release from the stomach and subsequent release through the blood from the intestine . diallyl disulfide is present in very low levels in breath from the enteric / mint coated tablets until 4 - 8 hours at which time it is released into the blood via the intestine . the level of diallyl disulfide is however significantly lower than levels detected in fresh garlic breath . the signal to noise ratio has been determined from the calibration standards data . diallyl disulfide peaks are confidently integrated to 3 ng / l and are detectable to 0 . 3 ng / l . allyl mercaptan peaks are confidently integrated to 6 ng / l and detectable to ˜ 0 . 6 ng / l . peaks included in the results which have values lower than the integration limits are presented as indicative data only . humans can detect odors where there is above 2 ng / l of the compound present . since the tablets according to the invention do not produce either of the tested compounds at a level above 2 ng / l , example one illustrates that garlic tablets according to the invention have substantially reduced the garlic odor . this example compares odor constituents of subject breath during consumption period of garlic tablets without mint extract in the enteric coating ( control ) and garlic tablets containing mint extract in the enteric coating according to the invention . in addition , this example compares the influence of peppermint extract alone on subject breath odor components after consumption of fresh garlic homogenate . the aim of this study was to confirm that the deodorizing effect of the invention was not simply due to either the enteric coating or mint extract alone . comparison of breath from consumption of control enteric coated tablets and garlic tablets according to the invention . a comparative assay of garlic breath odor was performed on one subject consuming two garlic tablets ( either control or garlic tablets according to the invention ) for three days . the subject &# 39 ; s breath was collected at time 0 ( prior to consumption of tablets ) and then at 4 , 8 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 32 , 48 , 50 , and 54 hours . the tablets were swallowed whole and washed down with water each morning after the first breath sample for the day was collected . the fresh garlic is homogenized in 100 ml of water and swallowed , being washed down with another volume of water . comparison of breath from consumption of garlic homogenate with and without added peppermint extract for the control sample two cloves of fresh garlic were homogenised in 100 ml of water and swallowed , being washed down with another volume of water . for the test sample ˜ 20 - 30 mgs ( 3 drops ) of peppermint oil were added to a homogenate of 2 garlic cloves and 100 ml of water . this sample was imbibed as above . subject breath was collected for analysis at time 0 , 0 . 5 , 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 , and 24 hours . breath of the test subjects was exhaled into 3 . 0 l tedlar bags . a pdms ( polydimethylsiloxane ) spme ( solid phase microextraction ) fibre was introduced to the inflated bag via a gas tight septa . volatile components of the subjects breath were absorbed onto the surface of the spme - fibre for 30 minutes . the fibre was removed and thermally desorbed onto a gc column ( bpx5 1 μm film , 0 . 5 mm × 50 m ) with an , inlet temperature of 260 ° c . in splitless mode . the gc oven was set at an initial temperature of 45 ° c . for 6 mins to allow focussing of the desorbed compounds . to attain maximum sensitivity the mass spectrometer was set in sim ( selected ion monitoring ) mode , whereby only ions significant to the compounds allyl mercaptan and diallyl disulfide are scanned , thus enhancing the response for these compounds . for allyl mercaptan the ions 39 , 45 , 47 , 59 , 69 , 74 , and 88 m / z were selected in the elution time range 4 . 6 - 15 . 0 mins . for diallyl disulfide the ions 81 , 105 , 113 , 146 m / z were selected in the elution time range 15 . 0 - 23 . 5 mins . the mass ion for both allyl mercaptan and diallyl disulfide is 41 m / z . it could not be included in the sim ions as it is ubiquitous in human breath . the peak areas of allyl mercaptan and diallyl disulfide are measured and calculated to mass units by reference to external calibration standard curves . comparison of breath from consumption of control enteric coated tablets and garlic tablets according to the invention . chart 3 shows the results obtained for diallyl disulfide in breath from control tablets ( enteric ) and garlic tablets according to the invention ( enteric / mint ). chart 4 shows the results obtained for diallyl disulfide in breath from control tablets ( enteric ) and garlic tablets according to the invention ( enteric / mint ) expressed in peak areas . the sim conditions used are specifically targeted at allyl mercaptan and diallyl disulfide . it is likely that the major ions present in the fragmentation patterns of these two compounds are present in the mass spectra of other related garlic odor compounds . in the comparative assay of enteric coated tablets levels of allyl mercaptan and diallyl disulfide were too low to explain the strong breath odor and sulfurous flavors which were intermittently present during this and other trials . however at least two other peaks occurring either side of allyl mercaptan exhibited trends correlating to the observed episodes of garlic breath . these occur at retention times of 7 . 64 and 8 . 01 minutes . comparative trends of these two compounds are compared in charts 5 & amp ; 6 . chart 5 shows the results obtained for compound rt - 7 . 64 in breath from control tablets ( enteric ) and garlic tablets according to the invention ( enteric / mint ). chart 6 shows the results obtained for compound rt 8 . 01 in breath from control tablets ( enteric ) and garlic tablets according to the invention ( enteric / mint ). charts 5 & amp ; 6 clearly identify the that peaks rt 7 . 64 & amp ; rt 8 . 01 varied according to the tablet consumed . after 50 hours peak rt 7 . 64 increases substantially but only in the control tablet . analysis of breath after garlic tablets according to the invention did not show a similar increase in peak 7 . 64 . similarly after 30 hours peak rt 8 . 01 was only present after consumption of the control garlic tablet without aqueous mint extract in the enteric coat . charts 3 to 6 clearly demonstrate that the garlic tablets according to the invention continue to inhibit the release of objectionable sulfur compounds for a longer period than the control enteric coated tablets . since tablets according to the invention do not produce either of the tested compounds at a level above 2 ng / l , example two illustrates that tablets according to the invention substantially reduced garlic odor . these results also illustrate that inclusion of aqueous extract in the external enteric coat dramatically reduces garlic breath odour compared to an identical tablet with only the enteric coating . comparison of breath from consumption of garlic homogenate with and without added peppermint extract to determine if the odor reducing effect of the current invention was simply due to addition of peppermint , a garlic homogenate equivalent to the amount of garlic contained in the tablet was consumed . chart 7 shows the results obtained for diallyl disulfide in breath from fresh garlic and fresh garlic with peppermint extract . chart 8 shows the results obtained for allyl mercaptan in breath from fresh garlic and fresh garlic with peppermint extract . charts 7 and 8 clearly show that whilst the peppermint extract when included at many times the level incorporated into the enteric coating does reduce the release of diallyl sulfide , it does not have any odor reductive effects in relation to allyl mercaptan . example 2 clearly demonstrates that the standard enteric coating alone and the peppermint extract alone do not effectively reduce garlic odor over extended periods of time . however , when an enteric coating is applied to the garlic tablet which contains peppermint extract , if a user consumes the garlic tablets daily then garlic odor is effectively reduced for a more than two days . the word ‘ comprising ’ and forms of the word ‘ comprising ’ as used in this description and in the claims does not limit the invention claimed to exclude any variants or additions . modifications and improvements to the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . such modifications and improvements are intended to be within the scope of this invention .
there is provided a garlic supplement comprising : one or more cores comprising garlic ; an enteric coating encasing the core which is insoluble at ph less than about 5 but soluble at a ph greater than about 5 ; and a deodorizer applied external of the core .