Garlic Compound Shows Potential to Help Aging Muscles Stay Strong
Garlic may do more than flavor your dishes, it could also help muscle strength during aging by influencing how fat tissue, the brain, and skeletal muscle communicate with one another.
In a new study published in Cell Metabolism, researchers found that a compound in aged garlic improved muscle strength, reduced frailty scores, and restored body temperature in aging mice.
The study also reflects a growing idea in aging research that aging may depend partly on how well different organs continue “talking” with one another over time.
“During my clinical experience as a physical therapist, I was often frustrated to see older adults lose physical function and vitality simply because they had no specific disease requiring medical treatment. This gap in proactive care has driven my research,” said Kiyoshi Yoshioka, one of the study’s first authors, in a press release. “We hope our findings will help improve fitness and muscle strength in older individuals by the simple inclusion of a nutraceutical as part of the daily diet.”
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Garlic’s Unexpected Connection to Aging
The compound, called S-1-propenyl-L-cysteine (S1PC), is naturally found in aged garlic extract and has previously been studied for cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory effects.
The team found that S1PC activated a metabolic enzyme called liver kinase B1 (LKB1), which then boosted production of extracellular NAMPT, or eNAMPT — a molecule linked to NAD+, a compound involved in energy production and cellular repair that naturally declines with age.
Instead of acting directly on the muscle, the signal originated in fat tissue. From there, eNAMPT traveled through the bloodstream to the hypothalamus — a region of the brain involved in metabolism and energy balance — where it appeared to trigger nervous system activity linked to stronger muscle function.
In other words, the study points to a biological link connecting fat tissue, the brain, and skeletal muscle.
The findings also align with a growing theory in aging research known as the “NAD World,” which proposes that aging is shaped partly by signaling between organs, including the brain, fat tissue, and skeletal muscle. A recent review published in npj Aging highlighted how NAD+-related molecules may help coordinate communication between these tissues and influence age-related muscle decline.
The effects were especially noticeable in older mice. Long-term treatment with S1PC increased muscle force, lowered frailty scores, and restored body temperature. Researchers also observed increased circulating eNAMPT levels in human participants.
What This Could Mean for Anti-Aging Research
Scientists have become increasingly interested in NAD+-related therapies in recent years, especially as evidence grows that NAD+ levels naturally decline with age. Researchers are now exploring whether boosting those pathways could help counter problems tied to aging, including muscle decline and reduced cellular repair.
Many of those experimental therapies are pharmaceutical or highly specialized compounds. S1PC may represent a different approach because it is derived from aged garlic extract, which has been consumed for generations.
But there are still plenty of unanswered questions. Researchers do not yet know whether S1PC can meaningfully improve muscle strength, mobility, or healthy aging in humans over the long term.
“Our findings present a previously unrecognized and unique function of S1PC in activating LKB1, and in promoting an inter-organ communication that ameliorates muscle frailty,” said Shin-ichiro Imai, chairman of the Institute for Research on Productive Aging, in the press release. “ We anticipate that S1PC is likely to have a broader anti-aging effect that warrants detailed investigation.”
Rather than focusing solely on muscle, future anti-aging therapies may aim to support the communication systems that connect organs throughout the body.
Read More: Aging Brains Show Surprising Mix of Decline and Adaptation
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