Garlic

Garlic : A natural Medicine

Common Name: garlic

Local Name: Rosun

Latin Name: Allium sativum

Introduction

Garlic is the edible bulb from a plant in the lily family. It has been used as both a medicine and a spice for thousands of years. Garlic’s most common folk or traditional uses as a dietary supplement are for high cholesterol, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Other folk or traditional uses include prevention of certain types of cancer, including stomach and colon cancers. Garlic cloves can be eaten raw or cooked. They may also be dried or powdered and used in tablets and capsules. Raw garlic cloves can be used to make oils and liquid extracts. It's more available in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Research

• Cardiovascular: A 2013 meta-analysis concluded that garlic preparations may effectively lower total cholesterol by 11–23 mg/dL and LDL cholesterol by 3–15 mg/dL in adults with high cholesterol if taken for longer than two months. The same analysis found that garlic had a marginally positive effect on HDL cholesterol, no significant effect on blood triglyceride levels, and that garlic preparations were generally well tolerated with very few side effects.[1]

A 2012 Cochrane review of two randomized controlled trials found that the effect of garlic supplementation on blood pressure is unclear and that there is insufficient evidence to determine if garlic lowers cardiovascular death and disease rates in people with hypertension.[2]

• Cancer: A 2014 meta-analysis of observational epidemiological studies found that garlic consumption is associated with a lower risk of stomach cancer in the Korean population.[3] Similarly, a 2013 meta-analysis of case-control studies and cohort studies found limited evidence suggesting an association between higher garlic consumption and a lower risk of prostate cancer. However, the association was only significant in the case-control studies and the authors noted there was evidence of publication bias.[4]

• Common cold: A news source reported garlic supplements may prevent the common cold,[5] but there is insufficient clinical research to confirm this effect.

Side Effects and Cautions

• Garlic appears to be safe for most adults.
• Side effects include breath and body odor, heartburn, upset stomach, and allergic reactions. These side effects are more common with raw garlic.
• Garlic can thin the blood (reduce the ability of blood to clot) in a manner similar to aspirin. This effect may be a problem during or after surgery. Use garlic with caution if you are planning to have surgery or dental work, or if you have a bleeding disorder.

References

1. Ried K, Toben C, Fakler P (May 2013). "Effect of garlic on serum lipids: an updated meta-analysis". Nutrition Reviews 71 (5): 282–99. doi:10.1111/nure.12012. PMID 23590705.
2. Stabler SN, Tejani AM, Huynh F, Fowkes C (August 2012). "Garlic for the prevention of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in hypertensive patients". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 8: CD007653. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007653.pub2. PMID 22895963.
3. Woo HD, Park S, Oh K, Kim HJ, Shin HR, Moon HK, Kim J (2014). "Diet and cancer risk in the Korean population: a meta- analysis" (PDF). Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 15 (19): 8509–19. doi:10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.19.8509. PMID 25339056.
4. Zhou XF, Ding ZS, Liu NB (2013). "Allium vegetables and risk of prostate cancer: evidence from 132,192 subjects" (PDF). Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 14 (7): 4131–4. doi:10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.7.4131. PMID 23991965.
5. "Garlic 'prevents common cold'". BBC. October 3, 2001.