Garlic has long been celebrated for its medicinal properties. From lowering blood pressure to boosting immunity, it is often hailed as a superfood.
In Ghana, many herbal and dietary supplements proudly claim to contain garlic as their main ingredient.
Capsules, mixtures, and bitters are heavily marketed with promises of curing hypertension, reducing cholesterol, fighting infections, and even detoxifying the body.
Yet beneath these glossy claims lie hard questions about authenticity, raw material sourcing, and regulatory oversight.
Across the country, several products stand out in pharmacies and on online shelves.
Alpha Garlic Capsule, Ultra Garlic Super Strength 400 mg Extract, HealthAid Black Garlic 750 mg Vegicaps, Dr. Mercola Fermented Black Garlic, Kingdom Garlic Bitters, and the 3P Garlic Mixture are widely sold.
Their advertisements highlight garlic’s supposed ability to improve blood circulation, strengthen immunity, and serve as an all-purpose natural remedy.
Although the marketing is bold, many of these products fail to clearly state where their garlic comes from, who precisely manufactures them, or how their active compounds are measured and standardized.
This lack of transparency leaves consumers with more questions than answers.
Scientific studies confirm that garlic does contain active compounds such as allicin and S-allyl cysteine, which have been associated with cardiovascular, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects.
Research points to some potential benefits, especially when garlic is consumed in sufficient and consistent doses.
However, the presence of these compounds in fresh garlic does not automatically mean that a capsule or herbal mixture on sale in Ghana contains them in the right amounts.
Without laboratory verification, there is no guarantee that the products deliver the promised effects.
A closer look at Ghana’s supply chain shows that raw material sourcing is one of the most critical issues.
Ghana is not a major garlic producer. Only small quantities are cultivated in parts of the Northern and Upper East Regions, and these cannot sustain the demand of a booming herbal supplement market. The gap is filled by imports.
Trade data show that in 2023 Ghana imported over five million kilograms of garlic, valued at more than three million US dollars.
Nearly all of this supply came from China, with minor contributions from Egypt, Spain, the Netherlands, and Togo.
Spain, in particular, is well known for its high-quality garlic, especially varieties grown in Castilla-La Mancha such as the Ajo Morado, which is prized for its strong flavor and medicinal potential.
This reality raises important questions. Are local supplement companies sourcing their garlic from these imports, and if so, is the chain of custody documented? Do regulators have access to import records that match the quantities claimed in production?
Or are some of the products on the market simply flavored with additives to mimic garlic’s taste and scent?
To answer such questions, one must look at the regulatory framework.
The Food and Drugs Authority is mandated to protect public health by ensuring that all supplements and herbal products meet safety and quality standards.
By law, every product must undergo registration, laboratory analysis, and approval before reaching the market. Importers are also required to obtain permits, present certificates of analysis, and comply with labeling rules. Alongside the FDA, the Ghana Standards Authority plays a complementary role. It is responsible for setting and monitoring standards for imported goods and locally manufactured products.
It ensures that garlic-based supplements and mixtures comply with Ghana’s approved standards for quality, labeling, and packaging. For instance, the GSA can test whether the claimed garlic content in a product meets minimum standards, and whether its packaging truthfully represents what is inside. Without strong collaboration between the FDA and GSA, loopholes remain that dishonest manufacturers can exploit.
In addition to these institutional roles, the public itself must be cautious. Consumers should be extremely careful about what they see advertised on television, radio, social media, and other outlets. Many of these advertisements exaggerate benefits, omit possible side effects, and create the impression that garlic-based products can cure all diseases. Some adverts even use dramatic testimonies or actors posing as satisfied patients to lure the public.
The implication is that desperate consumers, especially those battling hypertension, diabetes, or infections, may abandon prescribed medical treatment for unverified supplements.
This can lead to worsening health conditions, avoidable complications, and in some cases, life-threatening consequences. Beyond the health risks, spending money on poorly regulated products also amounts to financial exploitation of the unsuspecting public.
To safeguard their health, consumers need to take deliberate steps. It is important to look for valid FDA registration numbers and authentication stickers on products. Labels should clearly display ingredients, dosage instructions, batch numbers, and expiry dates.
Exaggerated claims such as curing all diseases should be treated with skepticism. Buying from trusted pharmacies and licensed chemical shops is safer than relying on street vendors.
Furthermore, consumers can use the FDA’s website, hotline, or short code to verify whether a product is genuinely registered.
The garlic supplement industry in Ghana, therefore, sits at the crossroads of hope and risk. On one hand, garlic is a valuable medicinal plant with proven biological potential. On the other hand, the lack of transparency in sourcing, production, and labeling undermines consumer trust and safety.
Regulators such as the FDA and GSA must intensify monitoring not only of finished products but also of raw material imports and supply chains. Manufacturers must be compelled to provide traceable data on their garlic sources, standardize active ingredients, and avoid misleading claims.
For consumers, vigilance remains essential. Asking hard questions about what goes into each capsule or bottle is not just a matter of curiosity but of health. If garlic is truly to play a role in improving lives, then the industry must shift from mere marketing to verifiable quality.
By Curtice Dumevor public health expert and social analyst and Edzorna Francis Mensah
