Garlic

Description

Garlic (Allium sativa ), is a plant with long, at grasslike leaves and a papery hood
around the owers. The greenish white or pink owers are found grouped together at
the end of a long stalk. The stalk rises directly from the ower bulb, which is the part
of the plant used as food and medicine. The bulb is made up of many smaller bulbs
covered with a papery skin known as cloves. Although garlic is known as the "stinking
rose" it is actually a member of the lily family.

The most active components of fresh garlic are an amino acid called alliin and an
enzyme called allinase. When a clove of garlic is chewed, chopped, bruised, or cut,
these compounds mix to form allicin, which is responsible for garlic's strong smell.
Allicin, in turn, breaks down into other sulfur compounds within a few hours. These
compounds have a variety of overlapping healing properties.

Garlic also contains a wide range of trace minerals. These include copper, iron, zinc,
magnesium , germanium, and selenium . The integrity of the growers and
suppliers of garlic are important to the integrity of the garlic used. A soil rich with the
presence of trace minerals will produce a healthful bulb of garlic, full of those
minerals. Depleted soils produce a depleted product. In addition, garlic contains
many sulfur compounds, vitamins A and C, and various amino acids .

General use

The ancient Indians, Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and other peoples have
used garlic for thousands of years, as food and as medicine. One of the most famed
usages of garlic was during the middle ages, when it was reputed to have been highly
effective against the plague.
As early as 1858, Louis Pasteur formally studied and recorded garlic's antibiotic
properties. Dr. Albert Schweitzer used the herb to successfully treat cholera,

Typhus, and dysentery in Africa in the 1950s. Before antibiotics were widely
available, garlic was used as a treatment for battle wounds during both World Wars.

Garlic can be used in the treatment of a variety of bacterial, viral, and fungal
infections . It has been shown to be effective against staph, strep, E. coli, Salmonella,
Vibrio cholera, H. pylori, Candida albicans, and other microorganisms. Garlic also
helps prevent against heart disease and strokes. Current studies show that garlic can
improve immune function and may even help in the prevention of cancer . To be of
bene t in chronic conditions, garlic should be used daily over an extended period of
time.

Heart disease

One of the main causes of heart disease is the buildup of plaque on the walls of the
blood vessels. This plaque is mostly made up of cholesterol and other fatty
substances found in the blood. When large amounts of plaque get stuck on artery

walls, they block the ow of blood and cause blood clots to form. Parts of the artery
wall may even be destroyed completely.

In arteriosclerosis, otherwise known as "hardening of the arteries," the major

arteries may become so stiff and clogged, that the heart cannot get necessary
nutrients and oxygen. This usually causes a heart attack . High serum cholesterol
levels are a major risk factor for having a heart attack.

Studies show that people who eat garlic regularly have improved serum cholesterol
levels. Some people with high cholesterol have been able to get within normal levels
by eating 1–2 cloves per day. In addition, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and
triglyceride levels are decreased and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels are
increased. This correlates with an overall reduced cholesterol level. These bene ts
are signi cant in preventing heart disease as well as strokes. While garlic's
contribution to reducing levels of harmful plaques has been known for some time, a
2003 study found that garlic also lowered levels of homocysteine, a type of amino
acid that is now considered a major risk factor for heart attacks. Manufactured garlic
supplements appear to be equally as bene cial as eating the fresh cloves. It takes at
least one month of using garlic for laboratory results to be seen.

Hypertension

Hypertension , or high blood pressure, is also a signi cant cause of heart problems. It
is one of the leading causes of disability and death due to stroke , heart attack, heart
failure, and kidney failure. Garlic can help reduce blood pressure through the actions
of its sulfur compounds and its ability to reduce the fatty substances, such as
cholesterol, found in the bloodstream. Use of garlic also can help normalize low
blood pressure.

Platelet aggregation

Platelets clot the blood in order to repair breaks in the blood vessel walls. When
there is an injury, platelets are attracted to the damaged area and become attached
to the wall and to other platelets. Platelet aggregation, as this process is called, plugs
up the break and prevents further blood loss while the injury is being repaired. This is
a good and necessary part of healing an injury.

However, if there are serious problems with the heart and blood vessels and there is
too much injury and clotting, the vessels may become clogged with platelets. This
can lead to strokes and heart disease. The sulfur compounds in garlic—particularly

ajoene—give the platelets a slippery quality. They are less able to clump together,
thus slowing down platelet aggregation. Garlic can be used effectively in the same
way as a daily dose of aspirin to reduce or prevent platelet aggregation over an
extended time.

Cancer

Studies have found that garlic blocks the formation of powerful carcinogens, called
nitrosamines, which may be formed during the digestion of food. This may be why in
populations where people consume a large amount of garlic, there is a decreased
incidence of all types of cancer. The antioxidants found in garlic may also contribute
to this effect by protecting against the cell damage by cancer-causing free radicals.
Studies show that use of garlic may also inhibit the growth of a variety of tumors.
However, cancer-related studies are not conclusive and relate to consumption of raw
or cooked garlic, not garlic supplements.

Infectious conditions

Eating garlic is good for helping the body's immune system resist infections . While
garlic is not as strong as modern antibiotics, it is believed to kill some strains of
bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. Studies have shown garlic treats
yeast infections, and it can kill many of the viruses responsible for colds and u. While
daily consumption of garlic was once highly recommended for HIV -positive
individuals, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported in 2002 that garlic
supplements greatly reduced levels of saquinavir, an HIV protease inhibitor, in
patients' blood. The NIH began cautioning patients who used garlic to control
cholesterol levels who also used saquinavir or combination therapies, since garlic
might interfere with their effectiveness.
Modern doctors have been reconsidering the causes of many diseases. They have
discovered that bacteria and viruses may be the cause of sicknesses that were
formerly not thought to be caused by infections. This includes gastric ulcers, colitis,
and Kaposi's sarcoma . Garlic may be useful in treating or preventing these due to its
antimicrobial properties.
Diabetes

Garlic has the ability to lower and help keep blood sugar stable by helping to increase
the amount of insulin available in the bloodstream. This action, together with garlic's
ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, make it an excellent daily
supplement for people with diabetes. A 2003 report showed that long-term use of
garlic helped improve the blood vessel systems of diabetic rats.

Other health conditions

Garlic is effective in the treatment of numerous other conditions. For example:

The consumption of 1–3 cloves per day is useful for immune support and as a preventive against diseases

and infection.
Warmed garlic oil in the ear canal can be used to treat ear infections.
Garlic can be used to treat respiratory complaints such as asthma and chronic bronchitis .
Garlic helps increase the body's ability to handle the digestion of meat and fats.
Garlic can be used to help kill and expel intestinal worms in both animals and humans.
When added to a pet's food, garlic helps repel eas.
Garlic is helpful in getting rid of athlete's foot.
Garlic relieves gas and other stomach complaints.
The sulfur compounds found in garlic can bind to heavy metals and other toxins and help remove them
from the body.
Garlic can be used externally for cuts, wounds, and skin eruptions.
The taste of garlic in mother's milk stimulates improved nursing. Infants eat more and nurse longer. They
appear to relish the taste of slightly garlicky milk. The components of garlic that reach the infant through
the mother's milk also may be helpful in relieving colic and infections.

Preparations

Used internally

Garlic can be eaten raw or cooked, taken as tablets or capsules, and used as a
tincture or syrup. The raw cloves can be directly applied externally.

The suggested dosage for fresh whole garlic is one to three cloves per day. The cloves
can be chewed and held in the mouth or swallowed. Consuming raw garlic can
actually be a pleasure if the herb is crushed or grated and mixed with food or a
tablespoon of honey. The dosage for tinctures is 2–4 ml or 15–40 drops taken twice
daily. One tablespoon of the syrup should be taken three times a day, or as needed
to relieve coughing. Garlic oil should be slightly warmed, and 1–3 drops should be

put in the affected ear 1–3 times per day.

Tablets and capsules are often more convenient to use than raw garlic, and they are
more likely to be tolerated by garlic-sensitive individuals. Garlic pills also minimize
the garlic taste and odor. Manufacturers vary on which components of the herb are
emphasized.

In general, the following dosages are appropriate, but product labels also should be
consulted:

400–500 mg of allicin, twice daily a dose equaling approximately 4,000 mcg of

allicin potential, once or twice daily 400–1,200 mg of dried garlic powder 1,000–
7,200 mg of aged garlic
a dose equivalent to 0.03–0.12 ml of garlic oil, three times per day

Manufactured garlic pills come in a variety of forms, and a great deal of controversy
continues about what type is best. Studying the manufacturers' literature and other
information is important to make a good decision about which preparation to use.
The types of garlic preparations include:

garlic oil capsules encapsulated

powdered garlic
odorless garlic pills allicin-
stabilized pills aged garlic
extract
Used externally

A poultice can be made using grated or crushed fresh garlic. The herb material
should be placed directly on the site of injury or eruption, either "as is" or mixed with
enough honey to make a paste. The poultice can be held in place with a cloth or
bandage.

A compress of garlic is less messy than a poultice and may be less irritating to the site
of the injury. It is made by wrapping grated or crushed fresh garlic in a single piece of
cheesecloth. As with the poultice, the compress is placed directly on the affected
area.

Garlic oil can be made by putting a whole bulb of grated or nely chopped garlic into a
pint jar of olive oil, and letting it sit undisturbed in a warm place, away from direct
sunlight, for at least two weeks. Then it can be strained and refrigerated. The garlic
oil will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to two years.

A garlic suppository can be used to treat vaginal yeast or mild bacterial infections. A
clove of fresh garlic should be peeled and slightly crushed or bruised. If crushed garlic
irritates the vaginal tissue, an alternative that might lessen the desired antimicrobial
effect is to use the whole, uncrushed garlic clove. The clove should be wrapped in a
single layer of cheesecloth and inserted into the vaginal canal overnight for 5-10
days. Dental oss or a length of the cheesecloth can be used to make the suppository
easier to retrieve. If the garlic causes a burning sensation, this can be eased with the
insertion of plain yogurt into the vagina.

Precautions

Consumers will nd a wide variety of garlic preparations on the market. Therefore, it is

important to study manufacturers' claims, talk to knowledgeable practitioners, and
nd out which formulations are most effective for a given condition.

Due to the high concentration of sulfur compounds in garlic, it should be avoided by

those allergic to sulfur. Garlic inhibits clotting, thereby causing increased bleeding
times. Hemophiliacs and those on anticoagulant medication should consult a
physician before taking garlic on a daily basis. This also applies to individuals who are
preparing to undergo surgery. Medicinal use of garlic should be discontinued for at
least 1–2 weeks before surgery. HIV patients receiving protease inhibitor or
combination therapy should check with their physicians before using garlic
supplements, as garlic may interfere with the therapy's effectiveness.

Side effects

Raw garlic can be very irritating to the digestive system. Excessive intake (usually,
more than three or four cloves a day) can cause bloating, gas, cramping, diarrhea ,
and may even damage the red blood cells. When applied to the skin, garlic may
cause itching , redness and swelling. Garlic that is cooked, aged, or made into pills is
not nearly as harsh on the system. However, these forms may not be as suitable as
raw garlic in treating some conditions, particularly infections.

Garlic travels through the lungs and the bloodstream, giving a pungent garlic odor to
the breath, skin, and perspiration. The odor will be present for at least 4–18 hours,
sometimes even when so-called odorless garlic pills are used.

KEY TERMS
Plaque
—A buildup of fats, cholesterol, calcium, and brous tissue in the blood that tends to attach to and weaken

artery walls.

Interactions

Garlic does well when combined with coltsfoot or lobelia for treating asthma and
bronchitis. Although onion is not as potent as garlic, it has similar actions, and the
two often are combined. Use of garlic is contraindicated in individuals using the
anticoagulant drug warfarin or certain HIV therapies.