The research is still early, so think of it as a good food, not a medicine. Eaten in normal food amounts with meals, it suits most healthy adults; if you take blood-thinning medicine, have surgery coming up, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor before concentrated products. Prefer a drink? Sahiyya+ is built on Garlzac aged black garlic extract standardised for SAC: see AFYAA Sahiyya+ on our Malaysia store.
We are an authorised AFYAA seller and stock Sahiyya+, a drink built on aged black garlic, so this guide answers the general questions first and then shows where a drink fits.
See also: AFYAA Sahiyya+ and Hayyiba from an authorised AFYAA seller in Malaysia
What is black garlic, and how is aged black garlic made?
Black garlic is not a different plant, and yes, it is real: ordinary garlic (Allium sativum) kept whole at a low, steady heat and high humidity for several weeks. Its sugars and amino acids slowly react (the Maillard browning that darkens kicap), turning the cloves black, soft and sweet, almost like tamarind.
It is not burnt or dyed. It is often sold as “fermented black garlic”, but no yeast or bacteria are added; “aged black garlic” is the accurate name for the same food. Black garlic oil is cooking oil flavoured with black garlic for noodles and rice: a flavour product, not a concentrated supplement.
Black garlic vs raw garlic: what are the benefits?
Ageing changes the same bulb in three useful ways:
- More stable antioxidants. Ageing raises S-allyl cysteine (SAC) and other antioxidant compounds compared with fresh garlic. SAC is water-soluble and stable, which is why aged garlic extracts are standardised to it.
- Much less bite. Raw garlic’s sharp smell comes from allicin, formed when you crush a fresh clove. Ageing breaks most of it down, so black garlic is mild and kinder to your breath. If you want allicin itself, crushed raw garlic is the source.
- Easy to eat every day. A clove eaten straight, like a dried fruit, makes a daily habit easy.
What does the science say? Lab work and small human studies have looked at aged black garlic mainly for antioxidant activity. The results are interesting but early, so the honest answer is “a nutritious food with promising research”, not a promise that it fixes any health problem.
Black garlic benefits for women? Nothing is female-specific; if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, enjoy it as food and ask your doctor before supplements.
Can I eat black garlic every day, and how much?
For most healthy adults, yes, as part of normal meals. There is no official recommended daily amount, so keep to normal food amounts, as you would with ordinary garlic in cooking. With a supplement or extract drink, follow its label rather than adding extra. More is not better: lots of any garlic can upset the stomach.
What is the best time to eat black garlic?
No time of day has been shown to work better, so pick one that makes it a habit; if garlic bothers your stomach, have it with or after a meal. Try it on toast, in fried rice, in sambal or over noodles. A ready-made product’s own directions come first (Sahiyya+, for example, is drunk before meals).
Side effects: who cannot take black garlic?
Black garlic is milder than raw garlic, but it is still garlic: eat a lot and you may notice wind, a mild stomach upset or garlic breath. Be more careful if:
- You take blood-thinning medicine or daily aspirin: concentrated garlic may add to the effect; ask your doctor first.
- You have surgery or dental work coming up: tell your doctor; many ask you to pause garlic supplements beforehand.
- You are allergic to garlic or onion: avoid it.
- You have a sensitive stomach or heartburn: start small and take it with food.
- You are pregnant, breastfeeding or on any regular medicine: ask your doctor before concentrated extracts.
So is black garlic dangerous? Not for most people at food levels. If something does not agree with you, stop and speak to your doctor.
How is aged black garlic extract used in a drink like Sahiyya+?
AFYAA Sahiyya+ is a halal ready-to-drink botanical beverage with three botanicals and lime: Garlzac aged black garlic extract, Cordiart sweet orange peel extract (hesperidin) and Lipophytol pine tree phytosterols.
- The black garlic: Garlzac is garlic aged slowly until the cloves turn black, soft and sweet, standardised for S-allyl cysteine (SAC): the core of the enhanced formula, rich in antioxidants.
- Why it exists: AFYAA made Sahiyya+ to support smooth blood circulation every day; its aged black garlic and citrus hesperidin bring antioxidants to your daily routine.
- The taste: aged black garlic is mild and sweet, and Sahiyya+ tastes of lime, sweet and sour, so it does not taste of garlic.
- How to drink it: for the first 5 days, 2 sachets a day, morning and night, before meals; from day 6, one sachet a day. Shake the sachet, tear it open and drink it straight. A tin holds 15 sachets.
- Medicine and safety: it is a botanical drink, not a medicine. Drink it at least 2 hours apart from medicine, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication, ask your doctor first.
Our price for Sahiyya+ is RM159 a tin, and free express delivery across Malaysia usually takes 1 to 3 working days.
