by: Staff Writer for The Natural Healer

If you only incorporate one food into your daily diet to increase your nutritional needs and support the health of your body, garlic would be a good choice.

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The cross-cultural appeal of garlic is unmatched by any other herb. It is an herb that has been grown and cultivated for over 5000 years. Since ancient times garlic has been hailed as the wonder drug of the herbal world. In the ancient world it was believed to fight everything from evil spirits to a range of illnesses. It was ingested to increase strength and endurance and it was used as a painkiller for such conditions as earaches and toothaches.

Before the discovery of antibiotics, garlic was used to fight infections. It was heavily relied on in the battlefield in WWI and WWII to treat wounds and gangrene. In fact, when antibiotics became scarce due to the high demand for it during the war, the Soviet armed forces relied on garlic so heavily as an alternative that they referred to is as “Russian Penicillin”.

Today garlic continues to be the #1 wonder food and medicinal herb available. Doctors in Europe regularly prescribe garlic to prevent colds, pneumonia and whooping cough as well as a range of intestinal problems.

Scientific study on the healing power of garlic has exploded in recent years and the support for garlic is growing. Dr. Benjamin Lau, MD, PhD, professor of immunology and microbiology, school of Medicine at Loma Linda University in California researched the benefits of garlic with dramatic results. He and his researchers tested Japan’s garlic extract, kyolic, and found that one ounce a day–equivalent to eight to nine cloves of garlic–reduced dangerous LDL cholesterol from ten to fifty percent and boosted the production of beneficial HDL cholesterol.

Professor Eric Block, Ph.D. from Harvard University conducted studies which suggested that people who consume garlic on a regular basis can effectively lower their incidence of developing stomach cancer, stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Further, the British Medical Journal, The Lancet, published a report citing that studies from European laboratories showed that garlic significantly lowers blood pressure and can bring even the most severe hypertension to manageable levels without drugs.

There are dozens of compounds found in garlic which include sulfur compounds, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. However, the main component, which is believed to give garlic much of its magical healing power, is a natural ingredient called alliin. Alliin is transformed into a sulphur-bearing component called allicin when garlic is chewed, chopped or crushed. Allicin itself is strongly antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal and is the chemical that gives garlic its pungent taste and smell. Research conducted using allicin extracts from raw garlic have shown this substance to destroy germs that spread such diseases as botulism, tuberculosis, diarrhea, staphylococcus, dysentery and typhoid.

Numerous published studies and ongoing research support the use of garlic and its many compounds for a number of health benefits which include cholesterol lowering benefits, immunity boosting activities, and lowering risk of heart disease, cancer and heavy metal toxicity. Amino acids contained in garlic also offer protection from free-radical damage. Other reported benefits include the following:

• Antibiotic - destroys or inhibit the growth of other microorganisms and is useful in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases
• Antiviral - destroys or inhibits the growth and reproduction of viruses
• Antioxidant - inhibits oxidation as in the case of vitamin E, vitamin C, or beta carotene which is thought to protect body cells from the damaging effects of oxidation
• Antifungal - destroys or inhibits the growth of fungi and yeast
• Anticoagulant - prevents blood clotting
• Antiprotosoal - destroys or inhibit the growth of protozoan
• Anti-inflammatory - prevents or reduces inflammation
• Anti-tumour - prevents or inhibits the formation or growth of tumours
• Antiparasitic - destroys or inhibits the growth and reproduction of parasites
• Diuretic - tends to increase the discharge of urine
• Decongestant - breaks up congestion, as with the sinuses, by reducing swelling
• Expectorant - promotes or facilitates the secretion or expulsion of phlegm, mucus, or other matter from the respiratory tract.

Though garlic is relatively free from side effects high quantities of raw garlic can be irritating to the digestive tract. Those taking blood thinners and other medications need to exercise caution when taking garlic supplements and be aware of any potential interactions. Garlic can also increase the effectiveness of some drugs including those that are used to lower blood sugar levels as in the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes.

Some may be turned off garlic because of the odour causing problems. There are odourless tablets that can be substituted for fresh garlic that are equally effective. If you choose fresh garlic it may be helpful to ingest fresh parsley, mint or citrus peels to reduce garlic’s offensive odour. But whether you consume garlic cooked, raw or in supplement form, it may be one of the most potent natural healing foods that we have.

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Note: This article originally appeared in The Natural Healer; spring 2005, issue #15 ~ For more on this publication, visit: www.thenaturalhealer.ca

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