Garlic: Nature's Gift for Life
(Page 2 of 3)
August/September 2008
By VICKI MATTERN
Detoxifies
Garlic has reduced levels of toxic heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium and arsenic, in animal studies. For more about garlic’s effectiveness against arsenic, see Page 13. Researchers believe this is due to the antioxidants in garlic, as well as to garlic’s ability to boost the activity of several liver enzymes.
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Helps prevent cancer
Garlic’s antioxidants help prevent the cell damage that can lead to cancer. Garlic seems especially protective against colon and stomach cancers. Lab studies have shown that a garlic compound inhibits the growth of human stomach cancer cells, and a 2005 analysis of the diets of 1,900 people in China showed a negative association between garlic consumption and stomach cancer. A preliminary (2006) analysis of a European study of 519,978 subjects also showed that eating garlic and onions appears to reduce the risk of stomach and intestinal cancers.
Keeps the heart healthy
Many studies have suggested that garlic can help lower blood pressure and prevent blood clotting, which can trigger strokes and heart attacks. And although a 2007 study showed that neither fresh garlic nor garlic supplements helped lower cholesterol, other studies indicated that garlic can reduce cholesterol for at least one to three months.
To take full advantage of garlic’s powerful health benefits, try to consume at least one fresh, raw (or slightly cooked) clove daily. Mince or crush the cloves to unleash disease-fighting compounds, including the sulfur compound allicin.
For those of us who love the subtle heat and pungency of garlic, eating a clove a day comes naturally. You’ll find some of the tastiest sources of fresh raw garlic among classic Mediterranean dishes, such as Caesar salad, scampi, linguine with garlicky clam sauce, pesto and hummus. Or, choose garlic supplements, such as Kyolic or Kwai, if you dislike garlic’s flavor or have trouble digesting it.
An Ancient Cure-All
Long before modern scientists began studying garlic, cultures throughout the world recognized this allium’s potent healing abilities. Pliny the Elder, the first-century Roman historian, cited dozens of garlic recipes for treating diverse ailments, including snakebites, dizziness and intestinal parasites. In China, garlic was used to treat colds, digestive ailments and fungal infections of the skin as early as A.D.500. And although the 19th-century English physician Nicholas Culpeper found "its heat very vehement, and all vehement hot things send up ill-favoured vapours to the brain," the good doctor prescribed garlic for snakebites, earache and "any plague, sore or foul ulcer."