GARLIC – A WONDER PLANT
Preethi
II B.Sc (CBZ)
preehtipreethu1000@gmail.com Ph: 9591452850
Govt. First Grade College, Tumkur
Garlic is an herb that is grown around the world. It is related to onion, leeks, and chives. It is thought that garlic is native to Siberia, but spread to other parts of the world over 5000 years ago.
Garlic is used for many conditions related to the heart and blood system. These conditions include high blood pressure, low blood pressure, high cholesterol, inherited high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, heart attack, reduced blood flow due to narrowed arteries, and "hardening of the arteries" (atherosclerosis). Some people use garlic to prevent colon cancer, rectal cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, and lung cancer.
It is also used to treat prostate cancer and bladder cancer. Garlic has been tried for treating an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia; BPH), cystic fibrosis, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, osteoarthritis, hay fever (allergic rhinitis), traveler's diarrhea, high blood pressure late in pregnancy (pre-eclampsia), yeast infection, flu, and swine flu. It is also used to prevent tick bites, as a mosquito repellant, and for preventing the common cold, and treating and preventing bacterial and fungal infections.
Garlic is also used for earaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, menstrual disorders, abnormal cholesterol levels caused by HIV drugs, hepatitis, shortness of breath related to liver disease, stomach ulcers caused by H. pylori infection, exercise performance, exercise-induced muscle soreness, a condition that causes lumps in the breast tissue called fibrocystic breast disease, a skin condition called scleroderma, and lead toxicity. Other uses include treatment of fever, coughs, headache, stomach ache, sinus congestion, gout, joint pain, hemorrhoids, asthma, bronchitis, shortness of breath, low blood sugar, snakebites, diarrhea and bloody diarrhea, tuberculosis, bloody urine, a serious nose and throat infection called diphtheria, whooping cough, tooth sensitivity, stomach inflammation (gastritis), scalp ringworm, and a sexually transmitted disease called vaginal trichomoniasis. It is also used for fighting stress and fatigue.
Some people apply garlic oil to their skin or nails to treat fungal infections, warts, and corns. It is also applied to the skin for hair loss and thrush. Garlic is used in the vagina for yeast infections. Garlic is injected into the body for chest pain. In foods and beverages.
How does it work?
Garlic produces a chemical called allicin. This is what seems to make garlic work for certain conditions. Allicin also makes garlic smell. Some products are made "odorless" by aging the garlic, but this process can also make the garlic less effective. It's a good idea to look for supplements that are coated (enteric coating) so they will dissolve in the intestine and not in the stomach.
Uses & Effectiveness
Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). As people age, their arteries tend to lose their ability to stretch and flex. Garlic seems to reduce this effect. Taking a specific garlic powder supplement (Allicor, INAT-Farma) twice daily for 24 months seems to reduce how much hardening of the arteries progresses. Higher doses of this product seem to provide more benefits in women than men when taken over a four-year period. Research with other products containing garlic along with other ingredients (Kyolic, Total Heart Health, Formula 108, Wakunaga) have also shown benefits.
Diabetes. Garlic seems to modestly reduce pre-meal blood sugar levels in people with or without diabetes. It seems to work best in people with diabetes, especially if it is taken for at least 3 months. It's not known if garlic reduces post-meal blood sugar levels or HbA1c levels.
High cholesterol. While not all research agrees, the most reliable evidence suggests that taking garlic can reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, "bad" cholesterol) by a small amount in people with high cholesterol levels. Garlic appears to work best if taken daily for more than 8 weeks. However, taking garlic doesn't help increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL, "good" cholesterol) or lower levels of other blood fats called triglycerides.
High blood pressure. Taking garlic by mouth seems to reduce systolic blood pressure (the top number) by about 7-9 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by about 4-6 mmHg in people with high blood pressure.
Prostate cancer. Men in China who eat about one clove of garlic daily seem to have a 50% lower risk of developing prostate cancer. Also, population research shows that eating garlic may be associated with a reduced risk of developing prostate cancer. But other research suggests that eating garlic does not affect prostate cancer risk in men from Iran. Early clinical research suggests that taking garlic extract supplements might reduce the risk of prostate cancer or reduce symptoms associated with prostate cancer.
Tick bites. People who consume high amounts of garlic over about an 8-week period seem to have a reduced number of tick bites. But it's not clear how garlic compares to commercially available tick repellants.
Ringworm. Applying a gel containing 0.6% ajoene, a chemical in garlic, twice daily for one week seems to be as effective as antifungal medication for treating ringworm.
Jock itch. Applying a gel containing 0.6% ajoene, a chemical in garlic, twice daily for one week seems to be as effective as antifungal medication for treating jock itch.
Athlete's foot. Applying a gel containing 1% ajoene, a chemical in garlic, seems to be effective for treating athlete's foot. Also, applying a garlic gel with 1% ajoene seems to be about as effective as the medicine Lamisil for treating athlete's foot.
Dosing
The following doses have been studied in scientific research:
BY MOUTH:
For hardening of the arteries: A 300 mg garlic powder tablet (Kwai, Lichtwer Pharma), taken as a single dose or three times daily for up to 4 years, has been used. Also, 150 mg of a specific garlic supplement (Allicor, INAT-Farma) twice daily for 24 months has been used. Combination products containing garlic have also been used. A specific aged garlic extract supplement (Kyolic, Total Heart Health, Formula 108, Wakunga) containing 250 mg of aged garlic extract taken daily for 12 months, has been used. Also, a combination product containing 300 mg aged garlic extract, taken at a dose of four tablets daily for one year, has been used.
For diabetes: Garlic powder 600-1500 mg daily has been used for at least 12 weeks. A 300 mg garlic tablet (Allicor, INAT-Farma) taken two to three times daily with medications called metformin or sulfonylurea, for 4 to 24 weeks has been used.
For high cholesterol: A dose of 1000-7200 mg of a specific aged garlic extract (Kyolic, Wakanuga) has been used daily in divided doses for 4-6 months. A dose of 600-900 mg of a specific garlic powder tablet (Kwai, Lichtwer Pharma) has been taken daily in two or more divided doses for 6-16 weeks. Also, 300 mg of another specific garlic powder product (Garlex, Bosch Pharmaceuticals) taken twice daily for 12 weeks has been used. Also, 1,200 mg of garlic powder plus 3 grams of fish oil daily for 4 weeks, or 500 mg of garlic oil plus 600 mg of fish oil daily for 60 days, has been used.
For high blood pressure: 300-1500 mg of garlic tablets taken in divided doses daily for 24 weeks has been used. 2400 mg of a specific garlic powder tablet (Kwai, Lichtwer Pharma) taken as a single dose or 600 mg daily for 12 weeks has been used. Capsules containing 960-7200 mg of aged garlic extract, taken daily in up to three divided doses for up to 6 months, have been used. Specific products containing aged garlic extract include Kyolic (Garlic High Potency Everyday Formula 112, Wakunga/Wagner). 500 mg of garlic oil plus 600 mg of fish oil daily for 60 days has been used.
For prostate cancer: 1 mg/kg of a water-soluble garlic extract, taken daily for one month, has been used.
For tick bites: Capsules containing 1200 mg of garlic taken daily for 8 weeks have been used.
APPLIED TO THE SKIN:
For fungal skin infections (ringworm, jock itch, athlete's foot): Garlic ingredient ajoene as a 0.4% cream, 0.6% gel, and 1% gel applied twice daily for one week has been used.