As living standards rise and individual healthcare improves, there’s been a move towards natural vitamins and supplements as a way to further enhance health. Black garlic is highly regarded in Asia as a cure-all, believed to enhance general well-being and lower the risk of numerous contemporary diseases.
What is Black Garlic?
Black garlic is a result when the bulb is kept in low temperature and humid environments for a long time. It is used as a high valued medicine in most of Asia countries such as Vietnam, Korea, Japan,…
So, how the black garlic is different from the normal garlic.
- It has a better taste which is a balance of sweet and sour and there is no raw garlic smell.
- The black garlic is easy to be digested
- It contains more vitamin, antioxidants and minerals
The Benefits of Black Garlic
It is clear that black garlic is occupied with many health benefits.
Cancer and Cholesterol Reduction
Being fermented for weeks, the Black Garlic contains more the compound S- allycystein than the regular one. This compound is sienenticly reported for reducing the level of cholesterol in the body. Furthermore, this product from the fermented process is loaded with a wide range of antioxidants such as alkaloids and bioflavonoids which is converted from allicin in bulk to prevent the risk of cancer.
Dyslipidemia and anti-obesity
Known as a modern disease, due to the widespread use of fast food and processed food, the obesity rate is rising day by day. However, obesity can be prevented by a combination of physical activities and healthy diet. According to nutritionist, the food such as γ-oryzanol, butyric acid, legumes, bromelain, peas, lentils, fabas beans, conjugated linoleic acid, diacylglycerols can help in reducing the risk of obesity. These foods decrease the user’s appetite, regulate the lipid metabolism,.. therefore helps in preventing obesity and dyslipidemia. And recently, the black garlic has shown to be more effective than any product on improving personal prevention on obesity.
In an research on the relation of black garlic and obesity reduce, Ha – a Nutritionist shows that black garlic helps in reducing the risk of obesity by downregulation the transcription factors and enzymes related with fat and cholesterol syntheses such as sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), acetyl-coA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, and acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT).
Strengthen the Immune System by various antioxidants
The black garlic brings many antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, S-allyl-cysteine which are produced through the Maillard reaction. These antioxidants will clear the free radicals in vitro. Furthermore, the Vitamin C in concentration 200 and 50 μg/ml and comparable OH radical scavenging effect with vitamin C in concentrations 400 and 500 μg/ml work as a radical prevention effect.
Not only that, recently, a group of researchers from China University have proved the effectiveness of black garlic on decreasing the heart disease. By improving the circulating antioxidant levels and decreasing the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) precursor N-terminal, the black garlic helps the user improve the better heart health. However, the temperature and the moisture when making the black garlic impacts a lot in the quality and the amount of antioxidant in black garlic, the user should pay more attention on choosing a suitable black garlic fermentation method.
Anti-inflammatory effect
Inflammation is a process when our immune system will protect the body toward the injury, the infection and the toxin. With better inflammation, your body will work better in preventing the foreign invaders, viruses and bacteria, therefore decreasing the risk of common diseases such as seasonal flu,illness,…
The black garlic contains many anti-inflammation ingredients in food such as ώ-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acids, β-cryptoxanthin, quercetin, kaempferol, malvidin, peonidin, daidzein, genistein, extra virgin olive oil,…
The Aging Periods and Temperature Ranges
The main factors that affect the quality and the taste of black garlic are the temperature and the ageing period. Therefore, you should understand which temperature and how long it takes for the garlic to be fermented.
- 140F or 60C Temperature Rate: By this temperature, the garlic will need several weeks of fermentation for the best quality. However, if you ferment the raw garlic at this temperature, the colour of black garlic is not beautiful at all. About the taste, the black garlic produced at 60C is sweeter but the amount of vitamin and antioxidant is a little lower.
- 158F or 70C Temperature Rate: If you ferment the garlic at this temperature, it takes just more than a week for the best result. The colour is beautiful and the nutrients increase significantly. We highly recommend producing the black garlic at this temperature.
- 158F or 70C Temperature Rate: The higher the temperature environment it is, the quicker the fermentation process happens. Therefore, if you produce the black garlic at this temperature, it just takes less than a week. But, at this temperature rate, it is hard to control the process for the best taste and the black garlic flavour can be a bit bitter.
List of 6 Best Black Garlic Fermenter Machine Reviews
1. NEX 6L Black Garlic Fermenter, Full Automatic Garlics Maker Intelligent Garlic Cooker
The first product in my list is 6L cooker design fermenter from Nex Store. This 6L of capacity can produce about 1.5 kg of black garlic per time. How about the fermenting time, it takes about 9 to 12 days for a fermentation process and the manufacturers recommend not opening the fermenter during the working time for the best result.
Because, the fermentation process usually lasts for a long time, therefore, picking an energy-saving product is so important. This product is a high energy saving.
2. 4YANG Black Garlic Fermenter
This is the best budget-friendly black garlic fermenter in our list. If you are under the limited budget that discourages you from making decisions, this 4YANG brand fermenter calls your name.
First of all, this is a 5L cooker design fermenter with an aluminum inner cooking pot. The black garlic fermentation with this device operates under 45 degree with the humidity range which is lower than 90%. Furthermore, the device is equipped with the intelligent hot air convection for an event.
The fermentation process in this device takes you 7-12 days to finish. And with the grid structure which brings the good air circulation and drying feature, it ensures the user with a great quality and delicious black garlic.
3. NEX 5L Black Garlic Fermenter
Let’s come with another product from NEX which is a little smaller. This model fermenter auto-setting program perfectly mimics the natural fermentation, therefore, brings you a soft, sweet and sour balance taste without causing any irritation.
This is also easy to use devices when the control board is on the body of the cooker with 3 buttons and one digital watch showing how long the fermentation process happened. Just press the button ON, let the machine work by itself and after 12 days you will get a natural, fresh taste black garlic.
Please take a note that if there is any power failure during the operation time, the fermenter will automatically stop. Therefore, you should frequently check the operation status of the fermenter to power it back.
4. NPET GF10 Black Garlic Fermenter Automatic Fermenter
This is the most professional black fermenter on our list. Firstly, the NPET GF10 Black Garlic Automatic Fermenter comes with an attractive and modern appearance.
When it comes to fermenting function, it is easy to use with a pre-program process which is designed for the best result. In order to bring a delicious and high-quality black garlic result, the NPET uses the 360 Degree Total Heating Design which ensures the heat is tightly wrapped in garlic for an even fermentation.
This fermenter model comes with an upgraded aluminium tray which will bring more space for garlic and prevent the water from above level to dropping down, ensuring the best quality black garlic.
The power failure memory function is included in this device for ensuring that if there is abnormal or power failure, the microcomputer will automatically remember the working state and automatically restore the working status before the power failure.
5. MLGB 5L Black Garlic Fermenter
This is a smart and automatic fermenter which assists you in making black garlic without any effort. With this model, it takes from 6-12 days for the best result at each taste and nutrient amount requirement.
The garlic holding is designed as a cage which allows the air going through all the garlic for an even result. This case can hold about 3lbs of garlic one time.
Furthermore, the unique frying function is equipped in this device. In the other device, after the fermentation process, the black garlic is a little wet, therefore, the user needs to dry it by the sunlight heat for days which is not hygiene at all. However, with this device, you just press the button to start the drying function and wait for the result.
6. HXwsa Black Garlic Fermenter
This is Black Garlic Fermenter with a beautiful and attractive appearance.
First of all, this model is differ from the above version when it has 3L capacity which is half smaller than usual. However, it is suitable for a small family consumption.
This product comes with a detachable tray structure which includes a 2 layer tray. Although this design ensures an even and uniform result, it does not enable users to put on many garlic.
Beside, this small version black fermenter also included many features such as the power failure memory technology which ensure the machine continues the current process when there is a power failure or the heat convection technique for an even black garlic result.
How to Use the Black Garlic
There are many ways to consume black garlic. Here are several ways which are the most effective in keeping the black garlic nutrient:
Use the black garlic directly:
By this way, you eat the black garlic directly. The best time for eating the garlic is in the morning after breakfast. However, you should take note of the dosage when consuming the black garlic in this way. For the adults, use about 1-3 bulbs/ day and for the children, only use a maximum of 1 bulb a day.
Soak black garlic with honey:
For many people, especially the children, the taste of black garlic is too strong. In this case, you can combine it with honey, which not only increases the function of garlic for your health but also brings a better taste.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Black Garlic Fermenter Machine?
Budget
It is clear that the black garlic fermenter is not too cheap and the price range is not too wide. According to our research, the black garlic machine price ranges from 80$ to 150$.
Design
Most of the black garlic fermenters have the design which is similar to the rice cooker and easy to use. However, there are still some which come with a special design.
Capacity
This must be the most consideration when picking a black garlic machine when choosing a black garlic machine. Let’s think about how much you consume a day. A 5L machine can ferment about 1.5 to 2 kg of garlic one time and a 6L machine can ferment about 3 kg to 4 kg of garlic.
Frequently Asked Question
Can I eat the black garlic raw?
It is totally ok for directly eating black garlic. And this way will keep all the nutrients in black garlic for the best result.
How much garlic should I consume daily?
Although that black garlic brings many healthy improvements, consuming too much can cause the side effect. You should eat two bulbs/ day.
Should I refrigerate black garlic?
The black garlic can be kept at room temperature, however, it is recommended to be protected in the refrigerator for a longer time and better taste. We tried and saw that the black garlic when protected in a cool environment comes with a softer and chewy texture.
Is the black garlic good for diabetes?
It is proven above that the black garlic contains many antioxidants than the raw and normal garlic in vitro and in vivo. And the antioxidant ingredients are known as preventing the diabetic complication, therefore, it is recommended to use the black garlic daily for improving your situation. We suggest that you should ask your doctor about the dosage.
Can the black garlic cause side effects?
First of all, we have to emphasize that the black garlic is safe for consumption. However, there are still some side effects when the consumer has a special health base or the user eats too much black garlic. The side effect can be irritation, the heartburn, gas, nausea, body odor,….Some people may also experience food allergy symptoms after consuming garlic such as asthma, runny nose or skin problems like dermatitis. When seeing the above symptoms, you should stop using the black garlic and meet the doctor for consultation.