nobody knows and there is no credible organization looking into this.

The research to date is on 'real' garlic, not on derivatives, extracts or synthetics.

If you want the results the research claims, use the real thing and deal with the odor issues. Otherwise you take the risk of consuming nothing more than a placebo.

The easy, prepackaged products might be just as good or even better, but simply put, nobody really knows for sure.

the odor poses no problem for me, only for others....the oil gels produce unbelievable "garlic burps", so if the smell is an indication of how much allicin you're getting, then they seem fairly potent...i think i'll press on and keep adding it to my diet as well...one thing i've tried is to put it into foods just at the end of cooking, so that it's still mostly uncooked when served....seems to work, as long as the person eating it enjoys garlic....if they don't, then it's their loss.....