FULLY CLOVED
Take a beneficial bite of household garlic.
Garlic’s history as a distinctive flavoring agent might be as extensive as that of its medicinal use. The popular herb, as a food or supplement, is now commonly considered in the treatment of conditions related to the heart.
In ancient Roman times, soldiers would rub garlic on their wounds to prevent infection. For thousands of years, it has been a general cure-all, and, lest we forget, a powerful defense against vampires and spirits [7]. Many cultures incorporate garlic into their cuisine, realizing it offers more than just a savory finish.
The German Commission E, the agency charged with overseeing the use of herbs in Germany, has listed garlic as a treatment for hypertension [1]. Multiple studies have also confirmed that garlic offers mild to moderate effect in lowering high blood pressure, in some cases as much as 11 points [2, 3]. The potent herb also has a blood thinning effect similar to aspirin, adding benefit to the heart and blood vessels [12].
As if that weren’t persuasive enough, research has confirmed its modest aid to elevated cholesterol, even improving HDL [4, 5]. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is considered the healthier form of cholesterol, and should be above 50 for men and above 60 for women. This is often the hardest marker to change on the cholesterol panel, so take note of what a clove can do [6].
Using garlic as an antibiotic, the soldiers of the past were ahead of their time. It does exhibit antimicrobial properties that combat many bugs, including bacteria, viruses, parasites and yeast [8, 9, 13]. The beauty of garlic as a microbial agent is that it does little, if any, harm to the good bacteria that we need inside our bowels, called lactobacillus [8]. A concern with modern antibiotics is that, even though they may successfully target an infectious agent, they take out some of the good bacteria in the process. This allows other potentially harmful bugs not killed by the antibiotic to flourish and cause further damage. Though it generally should not be relied upon alone to fight bacterial infection, it can be a great weapon against viral illnesses like the common cold.
Most likely we haven’t heard the final word on the pros of this ancient medicinal plant. Garlic is commonly used by nutritional doctors to detoxify heavy metals, like mercury, from the system. This is a growing concern as the toxicity of our environment rises. Two separate studies using rats confirm that garlic plays a role in protecting the system against heavy metal exposure and the release of metals [10, 11]. The herb is certainly jockeying to be a premier food and supplement for optimal health.
Dosing depends on the form. As food, 1-2 garlic cloves can be eaten a day. When exposed to high heat, garlic will lose many, or all, of its benefits. One of the main active ingredients in garlic is allicin, which becomes active when the herb is chopped or crushed. Prepare garlic by chopping the cloves 10-15 minutes ahead of the meal to allow the allicin content to activate. The cloves can be eaten safely raw in salads, soups or pasta. If cooked, try to add it toward the end of preparation, so that it retains some of its medicinal benefits.
When purchasing a garlic supplement, the bottle should make some reference to the allicin content, as that is the active ingredient. Ideally, the garlic supplement will provide alliin, which will be converted to allicin in the stomach. The dosage of garlic extracts are typically 350-1,400 mg, divided, a day. I prefer freeze-dried garlic extracts for greater therapeutic effects.
Side effects of garlic are limited, but include a light blood thinning effect, like aspirin. Interactions with the blood thinner Coumadin have been documented. Patients taking blood thinners should consult their physician before starting supplementation. If garlic supplements are not an option, patients may try adding garlic cloves into recipes during the week, which should have less negative effect. Other side effects may include indigestion, stomach upset, and of course, a change in breath odor. Vampires beware!
References:
1. BlumenthalM, editors. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications, 2000.
2. Auer, W., Eiber, A., Hertkorn, E., et al. (1990). Hypertension and hyperlipidaemia: Garlic helps in mild cases. Br J Clin Pract, 69:3-6.
3. Silagy, C.A. (1994). A meta-analysis of the effect of garlic on blood pressure. J Hypertens, 12(4):463-84. Jain, A.K., Vargas, R., et al. (1993). Can garlic reduce levels of serum lipids? A controlled clinical study. Am J Med, 94:632-635.
5. Vorberg, G., Scneider, B. (1990). Therapy with garlic: Results of a placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Br J Clin Pract, 7-11.
6. Bordia, A. (1981). Effect of garlic on blood lipids in patients with coronary heart disease. Am J Clin Nutr, 34:2100-2103.
7. Foster, S., Tyler, V. (4th Edition). Tyler’s Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies. p171-176.
8. Rees, L.P., Minney, S.F., Plummer, N.T., Slater, J.H., Skyrne, D.A. (1993). A quantitative assessment of the antimicrobial activity of garlic (Allium sativum). World Journal of Microbial & Biotech, 9:303-7. Found from the Pharmax technical monograph.
9. Harris, J.C., Plummer, S., Turner, M., Lloyd, D. (2000). The microaerophilic flagellate Giardia intestinalis: Allium sativum (Garlic) is an effective antigiardial. Microbiology, 146:3119-27.
10. Lee, J.H. (1999). Protective effects of garlic juice against embryotoxicity of methylmercuric chloride administered to pregnant Fischer 344 rats. Yonsei Med J, 40(5):483-9.
11. Cha, C.W. (1987). A study on the effect of garlic to the heavy metal poisoning of rats. J Korean Med Sci, 2(4):213-24.
12. Bordia, A. (1978). Effect of garlic on human platelet aggregation in vitro. Atherosclerosis, 30:355-360.
13. Tsao, S. (2001). In vitro activity of garlic oil and four diallyl sulphides against antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae (PNEUMONIA?). J Antimicrob Chemother, 47(5):665-70.
