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What Is It
For thousands of years, garlic has been valued for its therapeutic
potential. Egyptian pyramid builders took it for strength
and endurance; Louis Pasteur investigated its antibacterial
properties; and physicians in the two world wars used it to
treat battle wounds. Garlic is related to the onion, scallion,
and other plants in the genus Allium. The entire plant is
odoriferous, but the strongest aroma is concentrated in the
bulb, the site of garlic's healing powers and flavor.
Most of garlic's health benefits derive from the more than
100 sulfur compounds it contains. When the bulb is crushed
or chewed, alliin, one of the sulfur compounds, becomes allicin,
the chemical responsible for garlic's odor and health effects
.In turn, some of the allicin is rapidly broken down into
other sulfur compounds, such as ajoene, which can also have
medicinal properties. Cooking garlic inhibits the formation
of allicin and eliminates some of the other therapeutic chemicals.
What Does It Do
Traditionally, garlic has been employed to treat everything
from leprosy and parasites to hemorrhoids. Today, researchers
are focusing on its potential to reduce the risk of heart
disease and cancer.
Common Uses
• May lower cholesterol levels.
• Reduces blood clotting.
• Fights infections.
• Acts to boost immunity.
• May prevent some cancers.
• May produce a slight drop in blood pressure.
• Combats fungal infections.
Prevention
The liberal use of garlic in Italy and Spain may partly explain
why these countries have such a low incidence of hardening
of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Several studies suggest
that garlic can prevent heart disease in various ways. For
example, garlic makes platelets (the cells involved in blood
clotting) less likely to clump and stick to artery walls,
lessening the chance of heart attack. There's evidence that
the herb dissolves clot-forming proteins, which can affect
plaque development. Garlic also lowers blood pressure slightly,
mainly because of its ability to widen blood vessels and help
blood circulate more freely.
Recent studies examined garlic's effect on cholesterol. Though
the results are not clear-cut, most nutritionally oriented
doctors think that garlic, perhaps in combination with other
cholesterol-lowering supplements, is worth a try. The herb
may interfere with the metabolism of cholesterol in the liver;
as a result, less cholesterol is released into the blood.
Additional Benefits
Garlic may have anticancer properties. It has been found to
be particularly effective in preventing digestive cancers
and possibly even breast and prostate cancers. Researchers
aren't sure how garlic produces these benefits. Several mechanisms
may be involved. First, there's the herb's ability to increase
the level of enzymes that can detoxify cancer triggers. Then,
it blocks the formation of nitrites linked to stomach cancer,
and it's proficient at stimulating the immune system. Garlic's
antioxidant properties are important as well.
Garlic is often effective against infectious organisms (viruses,
bacteria, and fungi) because allicin can block the enzymes
that give the organisms their ability to invade the damage
tissues. The herb has also been shown to inhibit the fungi
responsible for athlete's foot and swimmer's ear.
How To Take It
Dosage: Look for supplements that supply 4,000 mcg
of allicin potential per pill, approximately the same amount
of allicin potential found in one clove of fresh garlic. For
general health or to help high cholesterol: Take a 400 to
600 mg garlic supplement each day. For colds and flu: Take
a 400 to 600 mg garlic supplement four times a day. For topical
benefits: Apply garlic oil two or three times a day. Some
skin conditions, including warts and insect bites, may respond
to garlic oil or a crushed raw garlic clove applied directly
to the affected area.
Guidelines For Use: Garlic can be taken indefinitely.
However, if you are using the herb for cholesterol problems,
have your levels checked in three months to see if they have
changed; if you've derived no benefits, talk to your doctor
about other remedies.
Possible Side Effects
Some people develop heartburn, intestinal gas, and diarrhea
when taking high doses of garlic. Using enteric-coated supplements
may reduce such side effects. Skin rashes have also been reported.
Latest Findings
• In a recent laboratory study, researchers found that
garlic extract was powerful enough to neutralize Helicobacter
pylori, the bacterium that causes ulcers. The next step is
to see whether garlic will do the same in the body.
• Garlic may prevent stiffening of the aorta (the artery
that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body)
which occurs naturally with age. In one study, some 200 people
took either garlic supplements or a placebo daily for two
years. At the end of the study, the aortas of the 70-year-olds
in the garlic group were as supple as those of the 55-year-olds
who didn't take the supplement. A flexible aorta may help
reduce age-related organ damage.
Shopping Hints
• Most experts believe supplements made from garlic
powder are the most effective.
• Enteric-coating prevents garlic breath and allows
the supplement to pass throughout the stomach undigested,
which assures the formation of allicin.
• Deodorized garlic preparations appear to have the
same benefits as regular supplements.
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