Could Garlic Really Be That Good For You?

I've always loved the taste of garlic. Garlic bread, pastas with garlic, even pizza's with garlic on them are great. But, a few years ago, I began to wonder if this wonderful vegetable/herb was worth more that just a great addition to Italian food. So, I did some research on this "bulb of a plant" and here's what I came up with.

Health Benefits and Uses

Garlic's health benefits and medicinal properties have long been known (1). Garlic has long been considered an herbal "wonder drug", with a reputation in folklore for preventing everything from the common cold and flu to the Plague! It has been used extensively in herbal medicine (phytotherapy, sometimes spelt phitotherapy). Raw garlic is used by some to treat the symptoms of acne and there is some evidence that it can assist in managing high cholesterol levels.

In general, a stronger tasting clove of garlic has more sulphur content and hence the more medicinal value it's likely to have. Some people have suggested that organically grown garlic tends to have a higher sulphur level and hence greater benefit to health. In my experience it certainly tastes better, so I buy organic whenever possible whether or not it's best for my health.

Modern science has shown that garlic is a powerful natural antibiotic , albeit broad-spectrum rather than targeted. The body does not appear to build up resistance to the garlic, so its positive health benefits continue over time.

Healthy Antioxidant

Studies(2) have shown that garlic can have a powerful antioxidant effect. Antioxidants can help to protect the body against damaging "free radicals".

Side-Effects

Raw garlic is very strong, so eating too much could produce problems, for example irritation of or even damage to the digestive tract.

There are a few people who are allergic to garlic. Symptoms of garlic allergy include skin rash, temperature and headaches. Also, garlic could potentially disrupt anti-coagulants, so it's best avoided before surgery. As with any medicine, always check with your doctor first and tell your doctor if you are using it.

What Is Allicin? (for the chemistry of Allicin click here)

Allicin is the most powerful medicinal compound derived from garlic and provides the greatest reputed health benefits. Allicin does not occur in "ordinary" garlic, it is produced when garlic is finely chopped or crushed. The finer the chopping and the more intensive the crushing, the more allicin is generated and the stronger the medicinal effect.

Allicin starts to degrade immediately after it is produced, so its medical effectiveness decreases over time. Cooking speeds up this degradation and microwaving appears to destroy allicin totally and eliminate any health benefits.

So for the most powerful medicinal effect, crush a little raw garlic and combine with the cooked food shortly before serving. Remember too that raw, crushed garlic also has the most powerful flavor so don't add to much.

Garlic's antibiotic properties have been more extensively studied than some of its other reputed health benefits. Louis Pasteur examined garlic's use as an antibacterial back in the nineteenth century and showed how it killed bacteria under laboratory conditions. Numerous modern studies confirm that garlic has definite antibiotic properties and is effective against many bacteria, fungi and viruses. According to Wright State University (1), garlic is approximately one per cent as potent an antibiotic as penicillin.

Researchers have compared the effectiveness of garlic with that of commercial prescription antibiotics. The result is often that garlic can be more effective as a broad spectrum antibiotic. However if a particular bacterium or virus is being treated, a more specifically targeted antibiotic if available could be a more effective treatment than garlic.

One significant advantage of garlic is that the body does not seem to build up a resistance to it as it does to many modern antibiotics.

information taken from www.garlic-central.com

My own opinion:

-I grow my own garlic. This ensures the freshness of it and I know exactly where it came from. It is very easy to grow.
-As far as if it really works medicinally- First, you have to understand that every-body is different. It might be really effective on some but won't do a thing for someone else. For me, I find garlic effective if I take it right when I feel a sickness coming on. It shortens the life of the illness or takes it away completely. On the other hand, if I am well into my cold/flu and I start to take garlic, I haven't seen it work as well, but it does seem to break up my sinuses. I also think garlic is a great way to combat viruses when there isn't a lot of other options as far as medicines to take.
-As far as how much to take: Me, I chop up 1 clove 2-3 times a day and swallow it with water. (like a bunch of little pills), I only have to do it for about 3 days before the symptoms are gone. My children take a 1/2 of a clove 3 times a day mixed with honey on a spoon. We recently took care of a bad sore throat this way and felt better in about 2 days .
-Why not just take a antibiotic? I like to reserve this powerful medicine for the "really bad stuff." I want to try and assist the bodies immune system to take care of itself with a more natural approach first. The more antibiotics you take, the more you will weaken your bodies ability to fight off a future sickness on its own the next time one comes around.

Try your own experiment next time your sick and see if Garlic works for you!

-Shanda