Shop the category

Garlic

Garlic needs no introduction in the kitchen — it's one of the most-used flavours on the planet, a staple of Canadian cooking and cuisines around the world. What's less obvious is that this humble bulb has a long history as a herbal ingredient, and that history is exactly why garlic has earned a permanent place in the supplement aisle. Plenty of shoppers are surprised to find their favourite cooking ingredient sitting right there on the shelf.

Garlic is traditionally used in herbal medicine to help maintain cardiovascular health, which is why you'll find it in our heart-health category. It's a time-honoured botanical, and a garlic supplement is a simple way to bring a concentrated amount of this well-loved ingredient into a daily routine. For many people, that's an easy addition to make.

A garlic supplement takes the same bulb you'd mince into a pan and concentrates it into a convenient, measured format. That means you get a consistent amount of garlic in each capsule or tablet — far more than you might reliably eat in a day — without having to cook with it. For anyone who wants garlic as part of a routine rather than a recipe, that consistency is the real draw.

Of course, garlic comes with one famous drawback: the odour. This is where supplements really shine. Odour-controlled and aged formats are made specifically for people who love garlic but would rather skip the lingering after-effects on their breath and skin. Enteric-coated capsules and aged extracts are the two most popular ways to enjoy garlic discreetly, and we cover the aged option in detail below.

We stock garlic as capsules, tablets, softgels and oils, including the odour-controlled and aged options covered in the sections below. When choosing, decide how much the odour matters to you and whether you want a straightforward garlic or an aged extract. Keep the bottle sealed in a cool, dry place away from light, and keep oils cool once opened. As with any supplement, speak with your health-care practitioner before adding it to your routine.

Wild Garlic

Wild garlic is a family of wild-growing allium plants — cousins of the cultivated bulb — that many foragers look forward to each spring. Where everyday garlic is farmed year-round, wild garlic is seasonal and closely tied to a foraging tradition that stretches back generations, gathered from woodlands and shaded ground while it's briefly in leaf. In supplement form, wild-crafted allium products carry that same seasonal, back-to-nature appeal, and shoppers often seek them out for their heritage and character as much as anything. If you're drawn to foraged and wild-harvested botanicals, wild garlic is a natural fit. As with any wild-crafted product, look on the label for clear sourcing information.

Is wild garlic the same as the garlic I cook with?
Not quite — wild garlic refers to wild-growing allium plants, often foraged in spring, rather than the cultivated bulb from the grocery store. It carries a distinct seasonal, foraged character. Many shoppers seek it out for that heritage appeal.

Aged Garlic

Aged garlic is made by letting garlic mature slowly over an extended period, a process that mellows both its sharp bite and its famous odour. The result is an extract that's far gentler on the breath and stomach than raw garlic, which is a big part of why shoppers ask for it by name. That slow-aged, odour-friendly character makes aged garlic one of the most popular ways to keep garlic in a daily routine without the lingering after-effects. It's typically sold as capsules or softgels of concentrated aged extract. If the odour of regular garlic has ever put you off a supplement, an aged format is well worth a look.

Why do shoppers choose aged garlic?
Aged garlic is matured slowly, which mellows its sharp bite and strong odour, making it much gentler on the breath and stomach. That odour-friendly quality is the main reason people ask for it by name. It's usually sold as capsules or softgels.

Frequently asked questions

What is a garlic supplement?

It's the same garlic bulb you cook with, concentrated into a convenient capsule, tablet, softgel or oil. Garlic is traditionally used in herbal medicine to help maintain cardiovascular health. Supplements offer a consistent amount without cooking.

How do garlic supplements avoid the strong odour?

Odour-controlled formats are made specifically to be gentle on your breath and skin. Enteric-coated capsules and aged garlic extracts are the two most popular approaches. See the sections below for more on aged garlic.

What is the difference between wild garlic and regular garlic?

Wild garlic refers to wild-growing allium plants, often foraged in spring, rather than the cultivated bulb. It has its own seasonal character and following. See the wild garlic section below.

Which garlic format should I choose?

It depends on your priorities. If odour is a concern, an odour-controlled or aged format is ideal; if you want the simplest option, a plain capsule or tablet works well; oils offer another form. All bring concentrated garlic into your routine.

How should I store garlic supplements?

Keep capsules, tablets and softgels sealed in a cool, dry place away from direct light. Oils are often best kept cool once opened — check the label. Note the best-before date before use.

6 products