GARLIC

Benefits

• Daily doses may help to lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol
• Acts as a nasal decongestant
• Has antiviral and antibacterial properties

Drawbacks 

• Makes the breath smell
• May induce migraines
• Occasionally causes contact dermatitis

Herbalists and naturopaths regard garlic as something of a miracle food and use it as a remedy for dozens of complaints, ranging from asthma to arthritis. Garlic’s reputation has some basis in truth, and the bulb’s healing properties - as an antiviral and antibacterial agent - are now backed up by scientific evidence.

Garlic can be eaten raw in order to reduce nasal congestion as well as to help to relieve the other symptoms of a cold. The medicinal properties of garlic are the result of the sulphur compounds it contains, including those that are responsible for the pungent odour released when a bulb is crushed. There is some dispute as to whether garlic offers the same health benefits when eaten cooked as when taken raw, as many of the volatile components are lost through cooking.

In several studies scientists have shown that the compounds in garlic are good for the heart: they lower Blood Pressure, suppress Cholesterol production in the liver, reduce harmful cholesterol and raise levels of the beneficial high-density lipoproteins in the blood. In Germany, garlic is processed into a drug for lowering blood cholesterol levels. The recommended daily dose of fresh garlic is about 4 grams, equivalent to one or two small cloves.

Garlic can also inhibit blood clotting and increase the rate at which blood clots are broken down, but large amounts - ten or more cloves per day - may have to be eaten before any effect is noticed. Dried garlic preparations also have a slight effect in reducing blood pressure and blood cholesterol.

Animal studies have shown that the garlic compound allyl disulphide may also help to prevent the growth of malignant tumours. A 1991 population study conducted in Shandong, an area in China with one of the world’s highest rates of gastric cancer, suggests that eating garlic on a regular basis may provide some protection. However, there is no convincing evidence that people who eat a lot of garlic are generally less prone to cancer.

The principle drawback to eating garlic is that it makes the breath smell. And in a few people it can trigger allergies, it can also induce migraine in susceptible people and, when handled, it can irritate the skin causing contact dermatitis.

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