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Garlic
Garlic has long been used as a therapy as well as being a popular flavourful ingredient in the kitchen. Garlic contains a large number of chemicals made up of sulphur which give garlic its distinctive smell ‘Allicin’ is the most potent and therapeutic being which is formed in a chemical reaction with an enzyme in the plant once the clove is chopped, crushed or chewed. Like most fruit and vegetables, the health promoting benefits of garlic are reduced by the cooking process.
Garlic has been shown to have antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. Research has shown that allicin is effective at fighting several bacteria (including drug resistant strains of E. Coli), Candida, and common parasites such as Giardia and Entamoeba histoltica1. In addition garlic extract is known to be an antioxidant1, with proven protective function against the effects of “aging, radiation and chemical exposure, and long-term toxic damage”2.
Garlic tablets benefit to the cardiovascular system, they are proven to slow down decreasing elasticity of arteries3, slow the development of plaques in arteries4 and even reverse plaques if taken over 48 months5. Garlic has been shown to succeed in reducing other cardiovascular risk factors including lowering harmful cholesterol, lowering platelet aggregation (that can lead to increased blood viscosity and potential blood clotting) and reducing blood pressure6. Garlic has also been shown to have anti-cancer properties7.
Eating garlic in food is considered to be safe in pregnancy and lactation. Garlic does pass through to the breast milk and can alter the flavour of breast milk. Consider removing garlic from the diet when breast feeding if the infant is suffering from intestinal difficulty or colic. Medicinal garlic is not tested as safe during pregnancy and lactation.8
1 Ankin S, Mirelman D, 1999, Antimicrobial properties of allicin from garlic. A review, Microbes and Infection, 1:125-129
2 Borek, C, 2002, Antioxidant Health Effects of aged Garlic Extract, Journal of Nutrition, 131:1010S-1015S
3 Breithaupt-Grogler K, Ling M, Boudoulas H, Belz GG, 1997, Protective effect of chronic garlic intake on elastic properties of aorta in the elderly, Circulation 1997, 96:2649-55
4 Stevinson C, Pittler MH, Ernst E. 2000, Garlic for treating hypercholesterolemia. A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials, Annals of Internal medicine, 133:420–9.
5 Koscielny J et al., 1999, The anti-atherosclerotic effect of Allium sativum, Athersclerosis, 144(1):237–249
6 Rahman K, Lowe GM, 2006, Garlic and Cardiovascular Disease: A review, American Society for Nutrition, Journal of Nutrition, 136:736-740S
7 Thomson M, Ali M, 2003, Garlic [Allium sativum]: A Review of its Potential Use as an Anti-Cancer Agent, Current Cancer Drug Targets, 3:67-81
8 Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, Retrieved 1st July 2011. Subscription only. http://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com
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