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| Garlic has been used medicinally for at least 3,000 years, but until recently its benefits were considered little more than folklore. Medical studies have shown that garlic can lower cholesterol, prevent dangerous blood clots, protect LDL cholesterol and the endothelial lining of the arterial system against oxidation, reduce blood pressure, prevent cancer, and protect against bacterial and fungal infections. Research is continuing to help define which forms of garlic are best for which purposes. Function; Reasons For Use Just what makes garlic so good? Known scientifically as Allium sativum, garlic contains more than 100 biologically useful chemicals, including substances with names such as alliin, alliinase, allicin, S-allylcysteine, diallyl sulfide and allyl methyl trisulfide. Scientific research has confirmed garlic's role as a natural antibiotic. Garlic holds a promising position as a broad-spectrum therapeutic agent because many of the microorganisms susceptible to garlic extract are medically significant. [Medical Hypotheses 1983;12 pp.227-37]. One way garlic enhances the immune system is by promoting phagocytosis, the ability of white blood cells to fight infections. Another is by stimulating other immune cells, such as macrophages and T-cells to fight bacterial and viral infections and to scavenge for cancer cells. Allicin was once thought to be garlic's principal active ingredient but researchers now know that allicin is rapidly oxidized into more than 100 biologically active compounds. Garlic is so effective in preventing abnormal arterial blood clotting (thrombosis) that some surgeons advise their patients to avoid garlic one week prior to surgery because garlic can cause excessive bleeding during surgery. Otherwise, deodorized garlic provides the desired benefits without the odor. Either way, garlic is good for your health. Eating more than three raw cloves a day can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea and fever in some people. Cooked garlic is gentler on the stomach. |