Garlic has been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians and Romans for its medicinal properties. Scientists today realize many of these effects are caused by allicin, the chemical in garlic responsible for its pungent odor. Hundreds of studies are already finding that allicin might help treat and prevent certain diseases.
Antibacterial
Spurred by the rise of drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospitals, researchers are testing various replacement medicines. In a study conducted at the University of East London School of Health and Bioscience, a new type of allicin extract was tested on MRSA in vitro, and it effectively killed 100 percent of the bacteria at a dosage of 256 micrograms per milliliter.
Anti-fungal
Studies have been conducted on allicin’s anti-fungal properties, including one at the Taihe Hospital of YunYang Medical College in China. Researchers there discovered that a pure allicin extract had significant anti-fungal activity in vitro against six tested fungi: Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichophyton rubum, Microsporum gypseum, M. canis and Epidermophyton floccosum.
Blood Pressure
Researchers at the Hartford Hospital in Connecticut discovered a link between garlic-associated reductions in blood pressure in patients with an elevated systolic blood pressure. A review of several other studies, published in a 2008 issue of BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, summed up the research by stating its meta-analysis showed garlic preparations are superior to a placebo in reducing blood pressure in patients with hypertension.
Cancer
Although garlic isn’t a cure for cancer, Chinese studies found that allicin has significant anti-proliferation effects on one human colon cancer cell line, as well as arresting the cancer’s cell cycle. Allicin also had the effect of enhancing the cancer cell-eradication effects of the standard chemotherapy drug Irinotecan, or CPT-11, on the colon cancer cell line.
Clotting
Garlic has properties that inhibit platelet aggregation, one reason that patients taking blood-thinners such as Coumadin are cautioned against taking garlic supplements. A study conducted by the Department of Environmental Medicine at Odense University in Denmark verified that garlic possesses components that inhibit uptake of calcium into platelets as well as those that exert their effects at various stages involved in the process of platelet aggregation.
Coronary Artery Disease
A study published in 1999 in the journal Coronary Artery Disease, reported that allicin exerts a beneficial effect on lipid profiles in laboratory animals. The same researchers found that allicin reduces formation of fatty streaks in animals with high cholesterol levels.
