Wakunaga of America

Wakunaga supplements were conceived in Japan during the post-World War II era by Manji Wakunaga, a banker with a unique insight and the strong desire to help enhance the health of his countrymen.
In 1954, Mr. Wakunaga met Dr. Eugene Schnell, a German physician and former professor at Berlin University who had immigrated to Japan in the 1930s. At the time, Dr. Schnell had been recruited by the American military to head the newly formed Drug Administration of Japan as part of the efforts to restore the country. Dr. Schnell's mission was to rebuild the country's pharmaceutical industry and provide medicine for its population.

In 1955, Mr. Wakunaga founded the Wakunaga Pharmaceutical Company in Osaka, Japan. Soon after, Dr. Schnell developed a unique process for aging garlic that not only eliminated the herb's strong odor but also enhanced the beneficial compounds responsible for garlic's health benefits. The result was a safe and highly effective Aged Garlic Extract supplement. During the ensuing years, the supplement gained wide popularity throughout Japan.

Fast forward to 1972. Mr. Wakunaga, together with his son Gisuke Wakunaga, established Wakunaga of America to bring Aged Garlic Extract's benefits to the United States. Originally headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, Aged Garlic Extract supplements were marketed to American consumers under the brand name "Kyolic." The brand name combines the Japanese work "Kyo", meaning strong or powerful, with garlic: Kyolic = Powerful Garlic. Since then, Wakunaga of America has become a global force in the natural products market, creating a growing number of supplement formulas based on Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract, as well as additional products designed to benefit specific health needs. In fact, two of these product lines—Kyo-Dophilus and Kyo-Green—have become legacy brands with over 30 years of distribution.