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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Garlic (Allium Sativum) Supplementation Improves Respiratory...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2019; 9(1); 13; doi: 10.3390/ani9010013

Garlic (Allium Sativum) Supplementation Improves Respiratory Health but Has Increased Risk of Lower Hematologic Values in Horses.

Abstract: Garlic () is claimed to have numerous beneficial properties to the health of humans and animals. It is commonly used for example to treat respiratory diseases and infections in horses' lungs. However, in addition to its possible positive influences, garlic may also have adverse health effects. The hypotheses of this study were that garlic supplementation may help to clear mucus in the airways, but also causes declining hematologic values in prolonged feeding. To our knowledge, this is the first organized study in controlled conditions to show the health effects of garlic supplementation for horses so far. The results show that long-term supplementation of dried garlic on the level of 32 mg/kg BW seemed to reduce the amount of tracheal symptoms and accumulation of tracheal exudates. Additionally, the number of neutrophil cells in the tracheal mucus was numerically smaller in the garlic supplemented horses. However, the garlic supplemented horses showed slightly declining Hb, HcT and RBC values during an 83-day study period. Consequently, it is possible that even low garlic supplementation levels can be detrimental to the horse's hematology when the supplementation period is long.
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Publication Date: 2019-01-02 PubMed ID: 30609743PubMed Central: PMC6356413DOI: 10.3390/ani9010013Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research investigates the impacts of garlic supplementation on horses, noting that while it can improve respiratory health, it may result in lower hematologic values, which could potentially negatively affect the horse’s health over a prolonged period.

Objective of the Study

  • The main goal of this study was to understand the effects of garlic supplementation on horses, specifically its influence on their respiratory health and hematologic values.

Context and Hypotheses

  • Garlic is touted for its numerous health benefits in both humans and animals, notably treating respiratory diseases and infections in equines.
  • Despite these perceived benefits, researchers hypothesized that garlic could also have negative health effects. In particular, they speculated that supplementation could aid in clearing mucus in the airways while also leading to a decline in hematologic values if fed continuously over a long duration.

Research Methodology

  • According to the authors, this is the first organized study conducted under controlled conditions to investigate the specific health effects of garlic supplementation in horses.
  • Long-term supplementation of dried garlic was administered at the level of 32 mg/kg of body weight.

Key Findings

  • The results demonstrated that prolonged supplementation of garlic appeared to decrease the incidence of tracheal symptoms and the buildup of tracheal exudates (mucus).
  • Moreover, there was a reduction in the number of neutrophil cells (a type of white blood cell) within the tracheal mucus amongst the horses supplemented with garlic.
  • On the downside, horses receiving garlic supplementation displayed slightly lowered Hemoglobin (Hb), Hematocrit (HcT), and Red Blood Cell (RBC) values over the course of an 83-day study period.

Conclusion

  • The study’s results suggest that even low levels of garlic supplementation could potentially be harmful to a horse’s hematology or blood health when the supplementation period is lengthened.
  • This suggests the need for caution and careful consideration when employing garlic as a supplement for equines, particularly for extended durations.

Cite This Article

APA
Saastamoinen M, Särkijärvi S, Hyyppä S. (2019). Garlic (Allium Sativum) Supplementation Improves Respiratory Health but Has Increased Risk of Lower Hematologic Values in Horses. Animals (Basel), 9(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9010013

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 1
PII: 13

Researcher Affiliations

Saastamoinen, Markku
  • Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Production Systems, Tietotie 2, 31600 Jokioinen, Finland. markku.saastamoinen@luke.fi.
Särkijärvi, Susanna
  • Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Production Systems, Tietotie 2, 31600 Jokioinen, Finland. susanna.sarkijarvi@luke.fi.
Hyyppä, Seppo
  • Ypäjä Equine College, Opistontie 9, 32100 Ypäjä, Finland. seppo.hyyppa@hevosopisto.fi.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Jerez-Bogota K, Jensen M, Højberg O, Cormican P, Lawlor PG, Gardiner GE, Canibe N. Antibacterial plant combinations prevent postweaning diarrhea in organically raised piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli F18. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1095160.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1095160pubmed: 37077951google scholar: lookup
  2. Stucchi L, Lo Feudo CM, Stancari G, Conturba B, Ferrucci F. Effect of the Administration of a Nutraceutical Supplement in Racehorses with Lower Airway Inflammation. Animals (Basel) 2022 Sep 19;12(18).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12182479pubmed: 36139339google scholar: lookup
  3. Mudau F, Durunna O, Mapiye C, Semwogerere F, Hagg F, Raffrenato E, Molotsi A. Insights into garlic (Allium Sativum)'s nutrigenomics-associated fly-repellent potency in cattle. Trop Anim Health Prod 2025 Apr 3;57(3):154.
    doi: 10.1007/s11250-025-04406-7pubmed: 40178647google scholar: lookup
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