About Herbs and Nutrition
Echinacea
Ginseng
Ginkgo
Milk thistle
St. John's wort
Saw palmetto
Bay
Bilberry
Black cohosh
Licorice
DHEA
Royal Jelly
Garlic
Ginger
Coenzyme Q10
Lutein
rutin
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All About Garlic:
An Introduction
"Garlic is the greatest."
"El ajo es bueno para tu salud."
What is Garlic ?
Family: Aliaceae
Genus and Species: Alium sativum
Garlic is one of the most popular herb to reduce various risks assocaited with cardiovascular disease in the US and Europe.
Garlic is a common food for flavor and spice, and have been traditionally popular with strong folkloric awareness. Modern
scientific research suggested strong correlations between taking garlic as a food or dietary supplement, and a variety of
health benefits. Garlic contains plentiful of healthful chemical compounds that are anti-oxidants, reduce blood pressure,
lower cholesterol,
fight bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, help with altitude sickness, arthritis, and even cancer, detoxify and protect liver
from toxins including alcohol and synthetic drugs.
Garlic is very easy to grow: traditionally garlic was planted simply by burying individual cloves two to three inches deep in the fall.
The individual garlic cloves multiply to form whole cloves by next summer. Garlic originates from Central Asia, but has spread to
almost everywhere long time ago.
Garlic is a cousin to onions, leeks, chives, and shallots. There are over 300 varieties of garlic grown worldwide. American garlic
with white, papery skin and strong flavor is one of the most common. Italian and Mexican garlic with purple-colored skins have
slightly milder flavor. The flavours of garlic and onion, are produced by a family of flavour precursors (alkyl cysteine sulphoxides)
synthesized within the cells of garlic and onion. An enzyme (alliinase) cleaves them to form compounds with volatile flavours.
The characteristic mixtures of these flavour precursors produce smells unique to the members of the onion family Aliaceae.
Many of the chemistry of the flavors in Aliaceae family still requires further study.
History
Garlic is believed to have been originated from Central Asia over 6,000 years ago.
The use of garlic as a food and medicine dates back to prehistoric time. In Korean legend, a female bear lived on garlic and mugwort for
twenty days to become a woman almost 5,000 years ago. A records in Egyptian papyrus written around 1,500 B.C. noted the use of garlic
for 22 ailments. Egyptians also fed garlic to slaves building the pyramids to increase their stamina. The history of garlic
in China also reaches prehistoric time. Garlic has been widely in use in Europe through Middle Ages against ailments and plagues.
Folklore touted garlic as repellent of vampires and protector against devils and nymphs. And of course, garlic has been used as an
aphrodisiac around the world throughout the ages.
Louis Pasteur demonstrated the anti-bacterial nature of garlic in his report (1858). Garlic was used as an antiseptic for wounds
during World War II since penicillin and sulfa drugs were scarce.
Americans frowned on garlic until recently, and regarded it only as an ingredient of ethnic foods. What happened now? Americans
cosume more than 250 million pounds of garlic each year.
Usage
German Commission E approved the use of garlic as a supportive dietary agent at elevated blood lipid levels and age-dependent
vascular changes. In 1997, European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP) notes the use of garlic in the following:
prophylaxis of atherosclerosis. treatment of elevated blood lipid levels insufficiently influenced by diet. improvement of
blood flow in arterial vascular disease.
ESCOP also notes that garlic has been used traditionally for relief of cough, colds, catarrh, and rhinitis, for which additional
clinial studies are needed. In 1999, WHO wrote that garlic can be used as a supportive dietary agent fo the treatment of
hyperlipidemia and in the prevention of age-dependent atherosclerotic vascular changes. Garlic is also known to be good for
treating and preventing altitude sickness, arthritis, athlete's foot, blood clots, cancer, candidiatis, etc. Garlic also
boosts immune system, and Dr. James A. Lake, the author of The Green Farmacy and many other books, suggests to take garlic
with Echinacea.
"If garlic had been created in the laboratory instead of by nature, it would probably be a high-priced prescription drug"
- by Jack Challem, The Nutrition Reporter.
Chemistry and Pharmacology
A rather complete chemical composition list of garlic can be found in Dr.
Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases.
Of the large number of chemical compuonds found in garlic, only allicin, thiosultinates, is present in sufficient quantity
at normal consumption levels (3-5 grams per day). Allicin has beens shown to be essential to most health effects of garlic.
Ati-cancer effect of garlic might be shared between allicin and other unidentified compounds in garlic. Garlic contains
about 1% alliin, which is converted to allicin by the enzyme alliinase. Chemical composition of garlic bulbs is: approximately
65% water, 28% carbohydrates (mainly fructans), 2.3% organosulfur compounds, 2% protein (mainly alliinase), 1.2% free amino acids
(mainly arginine), 1.5% fiber, 0.15% lipid, and other micro-components such as phytic acid (0.08%), saponins (0.07%), and
beta-sitosterol (0.0015%). Vitamins and minerals are present at very low levels, and garlic is not a meaningful supplement
for them. [reference: Herbal Medicine - Expanded Commission E monographs, by Mark Blumenthal, Alicia Goldberg, and Josef
Brinckmann, first edition, 2000]. Anti-microbial potency of allicin gave garlic a nickname "Russina penicillin", which has been
demonstrated against dozens of different bacterial and fungal (including yeast) species. Garlic has been traditionally used for
the treatment of althletic foot and vaginal infections, etc.
Other Notes
Garlic is on the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list of US Food and Drug Administration.
Garlic has almost no side effects except rare instances of stomach irritation (especially if you eat too much), changes to
the flora of the intestine,
and allergic reactions for those who have allergies to garlic. Also, patients are recommended against taking garlic before
surgery due to blood thinning effects (that could cause severe bleeding) of garlic.
There is another: the odor! Garlic breath is a difficult problem. Taking cooked galric or garlic supplement could be an
idea. Alternatively, take Herbal Breath, and chew some plant seeds.
Garlic Research:
Anecdotal Evidences?
Poeple's awareness about garlic's health benefit is so great that almost anyone should have heard about the greatness of garlic.
Dr. James A. Lake mentioned that "I think garlic and ginkgo have made the biggest dent in the fortress of the physicians."
[Dr. Duke's Essential Herbs, 1999]. It is a trivial task to find books, articles, and readings on garlic and related stories
either online or offline.
Scientific and Clinical Studies
Thousands of research reports on chemical, pharmacological, clinical, and epidemiological studies on garlic were accumulated by the
end of last century. Pharmacological and clinical reports can be roughly grouped into following categories: 1. anti-microbial effects;
2. anti-cancer effects; 3. effects on blood sugar levels; 4. immune stimulation; 5. anti-inflammatory; 6. anti-oxidant; 7. effects
on blood lipids; 8. effects on blood pressure; 9. blood fibrinolysis, coagulation, and flow; 10. platelet aggregation;
11. atherosclerosis.
Examples: Selected of Reports
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11238800&dopt=Abstract
J Nutr 2001 Mar;131(3s):977S-9S - Historical perspective on garlic and cardiovascular disease
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11238803&dopt=Abstract
J Nutr 2001 Mar;
131(3s):989S-93S - Cholesterol-lowering effect of garlic extracts and organosulfur compounds: human and animal studies
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10975959&dopt=Abstract
Ann Intern Med 2000 Sep 19;133(6):420-9 - Garlic for treating hypercholesterolemia. A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10594976&dopt=Abstract
Microbes Infect 1999 Feb;1(2):125-9 - Antimicrobial properties of allicin from garlic
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11525603&dopt=Abstract
Nutr Cancer 2000;38(2):245-54 - Effect of purified allicin, the major ingredient of freshly crushed garlic, on cancer cell proliferation
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11375895&dopt=Abstract
Carcinogenesis 2001 Jun;22(6):891-7 - Growth inhibitory effects of diallyl disulfide on human breast cancer cell lines
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11238818&dopt=Abstract
J Nutr 2001 Mar;131(3s):1067S-70S - Enhanced immunocompetence by garlic: role in bladder cancer and other malignancies
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10892409&dopt=Abstract
Drug Deliv 2000 Apr-Jun;7(2):91-6 - Comparative effects of garlic and aspirin on diabetic cardiovascular complications
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11748382&dopt=Abstract
J Korean Med Sci 2001 Dec;16 Suppl:S81-6 - Colon cancer chemoprevention with ginseng and other botanicals
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11697022&dopt=Abstract
Adv Ther 2001 Jul-Aug;18(4):189-93 - Preventing the common cold with a garlic supplement: a double-blind, placebo-controlled survey
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11587167&dopt=Abstract
Am J Hypertens 2001 Sep;14(9 Pt 1):971-5 - Herbs and alternative therapies in the hypertension clinic
reference source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11894756&dopt=Abstract
Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2001 Aug;11(4 Suppl):57-65 - Garlic and health
Outlook
Garlic has long been a popular food in many cultures and ethnocusines. In recent years, Garlic is becoming increasingly popular
in the US where garlic is already one of the most popular herbs. Due to the wide range of health effects, availability and
affordability - low cost, garlic is the prime candidate of people's health food and medicinal herb.
Garlic Links
www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/links.htm: Gourmet Garlic Gardens - Garlic Link Center
www.forbesthealth.com/Garlic.htm: Best Health and Beauty - Garlic Benefits Index
news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1575000/1575505.stm: BBC News Article - Garlic 'prevents common cold'
www.mrc.ac.za/mrcnews/oct2000/garlic.htm: Medical Research Council, South Africa - Article: More potency than pong
www.lef.org/magazine/mag2000/jan00-report.html: Life Extention Magazine, Jan. 2000 - Garlic, the Bountiful Bulb
asp.wlv.ac.uk/Level4.asp?UserType=6&Level4=228: University of Wolverhampton - Garlic's leading role in fight against cancer
www.internethealthlibrary.com/Plant-Remedies/garlic-research-index.htm: Plant Remedies - Garlic Research Index
www.chiro.org/nutrition/garlic.shtml: The Chiropractic Resource Organization - Research Articles on Garlic
www.greencanyon.com/products/r100023.htm: The GreenCanyon.com - Garlic, an Ancient Herb for Modern Times
www.doctorphyto.com/Library/Botanicals/GHI_herbs/Garlic.htm: DoctorPhyto.com - Garlic Information Page
www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/utcam/summary/garlic.htm: Center for Alternative Medicine Research in Cancer - Garlic Summary
www.niaid.nih.gov/newsroom/releases/garlic.htm: US National Insitute of Health news release - Garlic Supplements Can Impede HIV Medication
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