Garlic

Healing essence of garlic

Anti-cancer
Cardioprotective
Antioxidant
Anti-diabetic
Immunomodulator
Allium sativa

Used across the globe as a pungent food flavouring, in many societies it is employed as an important medicinal spice with an array of traditional uses.

These include its use as an antiseptic, anti-asthmatic, anti-rheumatic and as a treatment for coughs and colds. Over the centuries, it has also been employed against specific disease scourges, notably leprosy, plague and smallpox.

It is one of the most thoroughly studied of all the spices, and its age-old medicinal reputation has been shown to be well deserved. It is an invaluable source of numerous important phytonutrients and contains over 25 valuable antioxidants.

It is also an effective therapeutic and preventive agent against several acute conditions as well as a range of our most serious chronic diseases.

Medicinal Properties

Cancer

While not all the chemoprotective mechanisms through which it works are understood, it is known to suppress COX-2 activity which is associated with inflammation and malignancy.

It also inhibits Helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach, preventing ulceration caused by this bacteria and thereby reducing the risk of stomach cancer.

Its anti-tumourigenic properties are, in part, due to its protective effect against some harmful ingested toxins. Aflatoxin, for example, is a liver carcinogen derived from the Aspergillus flavus fungus that grows on poorly stored grains, groundnuts and other crops. This puts societies that have inadequate storage facilities particularly at risk of developing liver cancer.

Two of its principal compounds, diallyl sulphide and diallyl disulfide, render aflatoxin harmless by modulating its metabolism and accelerating its breakdown in the liver. It is highly probable that the allyl sulphides and other compounds found in garlic plants also protect us against a range of other carcinogenic substances.

Cardiovascular Disease and Blood Lipids

Lowers blood lipids:
It reduces both cholesterol and triglyceride levels thereby reducing the risk of atherosclerosis.

Reverses atherosclerosis:
It has a direct effect on atherosclerosis by inhibiting and even reversing the deposition of cholesterol in the arterial endothelial layer.

Reduction of platelet stickiness:
By preventing the excessive aggregation of platelets, it can reduce the risk of both heart attacks and thrombotic strokes. This property has been attributed principally to the compound, ajoene.

Lowers blood pressure:
Garlic stimulates the synthesis of nitric oxide which is an important chemical involved in the vascular dilatation mechanism.

Aphrodisiac?
By increasing the levels of nitric oxide in the blood, it increases vasodilatation and thereby lowers blood pressure.

Interestingly, reduced nitric oxide levels are also associated with erectile dysfunction, and drugs such as Viagra work by increasing nitric oxide levels. Thus its reputation in folk lore as an aphrodisiac may be justified after all.

Diabetes

Alzheimer's Disease

Promising laboratory studies show that this spice can reduce amyloid deposition by up to 30 percent, suggesting that, along with turmeric, it is an important spice to use in the prevention, and possibly the treatment of, this disease.

Obesity

Reduction of fat absorption: It contains ajoene which is an inhibitor of lipase, a pancreatic enzyme that breaks down dietary fat. Inhibition of lipase by garlic interferes with the absorption of dietary fat and thereby reduces the calorific intake of high-fat meals.

Appetite control: Leptin is a signalling hormone produced by fat cells that influences the appetite. However, some individuals do not respond normally to leptin, resulting in an insatiable appetite and obesity. By increasing the brain’s sensitivity to leptin, this spice can assist such individuals to reduce their food intake.

Immunomodulation

For example, some of its compounds stimulate the proliferation of several white blood cell lines and induce the infiltration of tumours by white blood cells such as natural killer cells and macrophages.

They also stimulate the release of tumour necrosis factor, interferon and other cytokines that are crucial to the prevention and spread of cancer.

Antimicrobial Effects

Notes on the medicinal use of garlic

However, while techniques such as aging the extract may improve some of its properties, other phytochemicals are lost during these processes.

Thus the final product may not provide the broad spectrum of protection offered by the unadulterated spice.

Dosage:
It is important to take this spice in moderation as there are reports of adverse effects when high quantities of this plant have been ingested.

A sensible guideline is to take no more than the maximum amount that would be used in a recipe that calls for significant quantities of this spice. In the context of prevention, one or two cloves a day should be adequate.

Control of “unsociable” side effects:
The negative effects of garlic on breath can be overcome to a certain extent by ingesting garlic in small amounts on a regular basis rather than larger, single doses of this spice.

Important Phytonutrients

Others: Ajoene, arginine, cycloalliin, diallyl disulfide, diallyl sulphide, tryptophan