Therapeutic Effect of Garlic - Essay Example

1 Introduction Garlic scientifically known as Allium sativum belongs to the Alliaceae family a member of the lily family. Also called Stinking rose, Garlic is a perennial herb with a globose bulb containing five to twenty cloves, enclosed by white or mauve-tinged skin. Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years, and has a special place of importance as a healing herb. 2 History of Garlic Garlic has been treasured and loathed, sought for its healing powers and shunned for its pungent repercussions since ancient times. Native to central Asia, garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world; it has been grown for nearly 5000 years. Ancient Egyptians seem to have been the first to cultivate this plant that played an important role in their culture. Egyptians worshipped garlic and placed garlic bulbs in the tomb of King Tutankhamen, Garlic was so highly-prized; it was even used as currency. In ancient Greece and Rome, garlic was used from repelling scorpions to treating dog bites and bladder infections to curing leprosy and asthma. (The History of Garlic: Natures Ancient Superfood). During World War II, garlic was placed in the wounds of soldiers to prevent infection as antibiotics were scarce. Nearly every culture has used garlic for health and longevity, from ancient Chinese to modern day Americans. 3 Garlic Today Garlic is one of the most extensively and intensively studied herbs in natural medicine at present. A large compilation of results from both clinical and laboratory studies highlight the protective value of garlic against diseases like heart disease, cancer, and infectious diseases. Much of the research is aimed at identifying the compounds responsible for the health-protective effects of garlic. Medical studies have shown that garlic can lower cholesterol, prevent dangerous blood clots, reduce blood pressure, prevent cancer, and protect against bacterial and fungal infections. 4 Active Ingredients of Garlic Garlic contains more than 100 biologically useful chemicals, and are a rich source of allin, allicin, chromium, phosphorous, and sulfur containing amino acids. Raw garlic has very little biological activity but when you crush, slice, cook or chew garlic cloves, the enzyme alliinase immediately converts alliin into allicin, which gives garlic its characteristic odor. The most active medicinal components of garlic are the sulfur-containing compounds, and the compound allicin is the major source of its antimicrobial action. Alliin in itself is an odorless sulfur-containing chemical derived from the amino acid cysteine. Allicin appears to be at least one of the primary active compounds that gives garlic its characteristic odor and many of its healing benefits. Garlic supplements can either be made from fresh, dried, aged, or garlic oil, different preparations have different effects on the body. Garlic also has antioxidant properties, which help destroy free radicals and help fight against heart disease and cancer. Selenium is another compound that can be found concentrated in garlic, and it is found to be effective in cancer prevention. 5 Garlic Benefits on the Cardiovascular System Studies report that garlic consumption may decrease the progression of cardiovascular disease, including raised serum total cholesterol, raised low density lipoprotein (LDL), and an increase in LDL oxidation, increased platelet aggregation, and hypertension. A study conducted by William Harris, Ph.D., director of the Lipid and Arthiosclerosis Prevention Clinic at the University of Kansas Medical Center at Lawrence reported new evidence that garlic protects the LDL particles in a way that makes them less susceptible to free- radical oxidation. Furthermore, the oxidation process has been liked to heart disease. Thus, this preliminary research implies that concentrated garlic tablets may reduce the risk of heart disease through garlics antioxidant powers. (Healing with Flowers, Grass, Herbs and Other Natural Remedies) Adesh K. Jain, M.D., of the Clinical Research Center and Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, reported that garlic can lower blood levels of "total" cholesterol and, particularly, of the dangerous low-density lipoprotein (LDL) form. Jain gave 20 men and women 900 milligrams of garlic powder tablets daily and compared them to 22 people getting just a placebo. By the end of the 12-week study, total blood cholesterol levels dropped by an average of 6 percent among those taking the garlic tablets, compared with only a 1 percent drop among those taking a placebo. The garlic takers also benefited from an 11 percent decrease in the LDL form of cholesterol, compared with a 3 percent reduction in the placebo group (The American Journal of Medicine). Garlic is also an anticoagulant - a natural blood thinner. H. Kieswetter, M.D., of the University of Saarlandes, Hamburg, Germany, found that garlic could help patients suffering from peripheral arterial occlusive disease, characterized by blood clots in the legs. Typically, patients with the condition are asked to walk, but they are easily discouraged because of extreme pain experienced after walking only a short distance. Kieswetter gave 32 patients 800 milligrams of garlic powder tablets daily for 12 weeks, while another 32 patients received a placebo. He then measured their "pain-free walking distance." For the first several weeks, both groups of patients progressed about as they would in a typical walking program. As time went on however, patients taking garlic were able to walk about one-third farther without pain. The results indicate that garlic tablets helps to increase blood flow and reduce the number of clots (Clinical Investigator). 6 Garlic benefits Against Cancer Garlic is also said to strengthen the immune system that may help the body fight diseases such as cancer. Garlic has been seen to lower the risk of stomach and colon cancer and may inhibit tumor formation and protect against damage from radiation and chemotherapy. Professor M. M. El-Mofty of Alexandria University, Egypt, fed Egyptian toads either freshly minced garlic, garlic oil, or corn oil (placebo) for four months, and then exposed them to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a food contaminant that can cause liver cancer. Only 3 percent of the toads fed fresh garlic and only 9 percent of the 65 animals fed garlic oil developed tumors. In contrast, 19 percent of those fed corn oil developed liver and kidney tumors. The results show that feeding toads minced garlic or garlic oil resulted in a marked reduction in the incidence of tumors induced by AFB1. According to El-Mofty wrote that fresh garlic showed a greater inhibitory effect, suggesting that there are additional highly active components in fresh garlic." (Nutrition and Cancer) John Milner, Ph.D., of Pennsylvania State University, University Park found that garlic could dramatically reduce the number of "adducts" in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Adducts are chemicals that attach nitrosamines to DNA, setting the stage for cancerous changes. Milner exposed a group of laboratory rats to nitrosamines, but some of the animals were also given large amounts of aged garlic powder, 2 to 4 percent of the diet. Depending on the amount of garlic they ate, the rats had a 40 to 80 percent reduction in adducts in the liver. In addition, garlic-eating rats benefited from 55 to 69 percent fewer mammary gland adducts, according to Milner. (Carcinogenesis) Using garlic supplement for less than 3 to 5 years was not associated with decreased risks of breast, lung, gastric, colon, or rectal cancer. But some case-control studies suggest that high dietary garlic consumption may be associated with decreased risks of laryngeal, gastric, colorectal, and endometrial cancers, and adenomatous colorectal polyps. (Garlic: Effects on Cardiovascular Risks and Disease, Protective Effects against Cancer, and Clinical Adverse Effects) 7 Garlic Benefits Microbial and Fungal Infections Scientific research has also confirmed garlics role as a natural antibiotic. Allicin is also known as Russian Penicillin as it is active against many bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. In 1983, Benjamin Lau, M.D., Ph.D noted in that garlic extract has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against many genera of bacteria and fungi. Lau has also noted that garlic can combat Candida infections. In one study, he injected an aged garlic extract into mice with Candida infections. After a day, the Candida colonies numbered 400, compared with 3,500 among the mice given only a salt-water solution. After two days, the garlic-treated mice were free of Candida. (Medical Hypotheses) Adverse Effects Garlic Other than the obvious smelly breath and body odor, further possible, but not proven, adverse effects of garlic include flatulence, esophageal and abdominal pain, small intestinal obstruction, contact dermatitis, rhinitis, asthma, bleeding, and myocardial infarction. Adverse effects of inhaled garlic dust include allergic reactions such as asthma, rhinitis, urticaria, angioedema, and anaphylaxis. Undesirable effects of topical exposure to raw garlic include contact dermatitis, skin blisters, and ulcero-necrotic lesions. In one study excessive intake of Allium species showed that it may interfere with hemoglobin production and may lead to lysis of red blood cells. Prolong feeding of high levels of raw garlic to rats resulted in anemia, weight loss and failure to grow. "Therapeutic values of onion (Allium Cepa L.) and garlic (Allium Sativum L) Conclusion Hate it or love it garlic has held an extensive and considerable role as a medicinal herb. Though there is insufficient data to draw conclusions regarding garlics effects on cardiovascular outcomes, cancer and other diseases presently, it is definite that the medicinal properties of garlic need to be further studied and incorporated in medicinal uses. The studies of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other diseases may be inconclusive for the time being, but it seems that the benefits of garlic outweigh the negative effects. 1-Lasinski, Kirsten, The History of Garlic: Natures Ancient Superfood 2-Dr. Schulze, Healing with Flowers, Grass, Herbs and Other Natural Remedies 3-Adesh K. Jain, M.D., of the Clinical Research Center and Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, The American Journal of Medicine (June 1994;94:632-5). 4-Kieswetter, H., M.D. of the University of Saarlandes, Hamburg, Germany Clinical Investigator (May 1993;71:383-6). 5-El-Mofty, M. M. Professor of Alexandria University, Egypt (Nutrition and Cancer, 1994;21:95-100) 6-Milner, John -"Dietary garlic Suppresses DNA Adducts Caused by N-nitoroso Compounds". Carcinogenesis. February 1994. 15(2):349-52 7-Garlic: Effects on Cardiovascular Risks and Disease, Protective Effects Against Cancer, and Clinical Adverse Effects. Summary, Evidence Report/Technology Assessment: Number 20. AHRQ Publication No. 01-E022, October 2000. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. 8-Lau, Benjamin M.D., Ph.D Medical Hypotheses (12:227-37) 9-Augusti. K. T. "Therapeutic values of onion (Allium Cepa L.) and garlic (Allium Sativum LIndian Journal of Experimental Biology. July 1996. 34(7):634-40. 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