Current research shows that garlic may have some real health properties and has significant potential as a safe and efficacious natural remedy to cancer. In this article, we discuss the many health benefits of garlic.
An ancient remedy
Various records exist today that document the use of garlic as medicine throughout history. So many cultures are steeped in folklore and old wives’ tales about the plant and its properties. There are, in fact, few ailments for which garlic has not been prescribed at one time or another. Because it is easy to cultivate and grows prolifically, garlic has also retained an image as the miracle cure that even people experiencing poverty can afford.
Ancient Roman physicians used it as an antiseptic dressing for wounds. The Indian system of medicine known as Ayurveda still recognizes its effectiveness against digestive disorders. The Egyptian Book of the Dead references 22 garlic remedies, and the plant has always found favor in Oriental medicine as well.
Diuretic, laxative, cough suppressant, giver of strength, and disease preventative: garlic has been employed for all these uses and more. But do the healing powers ascribed to it by old, natural traditions of medicine have any factual basis? Although some aspects of garlic’s action and what it can cure remain unclear, modern science has confirmed many benefits people have attributed to the plant since ancient times.
A natural remedy to cancer?
The chief source of garlic’s therapeutic power lies in its volatile oil. This oil contains a substance known as alliin that transforms into allicin when the garlic is crushed or cut. Allicin, in turn, becomes diallyl disulfide (DADS) after exposure to air, and this final substance acts as a strong antibacterial agent.
Recent research suggests that DADS could be a promising agent for future natural chemotherapy and has significant potential as a safe and efficacious natural remedy to cancer. Cancer is a life-threatening disease caused by the uncontrolled division of cells, which culminates in a solid mass of cells known as a tumor or liquid cancer. It is the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and the number of cancer patients has been increasing at an alarming rate, with an estimated 20 million cases expected by 2030. Thus, the use of complementary or alternative therapeutic techniques that can help prevent cancer has been the subject of increased attention.
Garlic, the most widely used plant medicinal product, exhibits a wide spectrum of biological activities, including antibacterial, hypo-lipidemic, antithrombotic, and anticancer effects. Recently, several experimental studies have demonstrated that DADS exhibits anti-tumor activity against many types of tumor cells, including gynecological cancers (cervical cancer, ovarian cancer), hematological cancers (leukemia, lymphoma), lung cancer, neural cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer, gastrointestinal tract and associated cancers (esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer), hepatocellular cancer cell line, etc. (Mitra et al., 2022).
More health benefits of garlic
Garlic helps to destroy the kinds of bacteria that attack the body whilst encouraging beneficial bacteria to form in the digestive tract. Its antiseptic properties are even effective against respiratory infections like coughs and common colds because the natural oil is excreted through the lungs. Garlic can be applied topically because the oil is absorbed through the skin and then carried by blood to the lungs.
In addition to the work of its volatile oils, the alkaline salts and sulfur components within garlic act as blood purifiers. Its juice can be applied as an antiseptic on wounds. Regular eating of garlic – at least a clove a day – will aid in the production of healthy white blood cells that fight infections, contribute to good digestion and the maintenance of optimum blood pressure, help rid the body of parasites, and act overall as a good disease preventative.
How to consume garlic
Unfortunately, roasting, grilling, and steaming garlic will alter its chemical composition and squander many beneficial attributes. Many countries now have garlic capsules filled with oil extracted by steam from crushed bulbs. There is some debate concerning the strength of this form as opposed to raw garlic.
Another option is to blend a clove with other foods; for example, crush and mix it into salad dressing. The purer the form of garlic that you can bear to take, the more health benefits you will reap from it.
