Garlic

Garlic (Allium sativum) is the edible herb form the lily family native to Europe and central Asia. Allicin (thiosulfinates) is one of the active constituents of garlic.^1,2 Traditionally, garlic has been valued as a culinary herb and for its use in herbal formulas.

Health Benefits

Garlic is a beneficial ingredient for heart health. Garlic may increase healthy cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) levels while lowering bad cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) and fat (triglycerides) levels in the blood.^1-⁵ Garlic may aid in lowering blood pressure, platelet aggregation, and inflammation.^6-8 Fermented Garlic may reduce the arteriosclerotic diseases in individuals with elevated blood lipid levels.⁵ In addition, garlic may have antibacterial activity and may reduce tumor size by inducing cell death.^9,10

Cautions

Garlic may cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in some individuals.⁷

References

Garlic. MedlinePlus. NIH. Accessed in July 2015. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/300.html
Garlic. American Botanical Council. Accessed in July 215. http://cms.herbalgram.org/expandedE/Garlic.html
Rotzsch W, Richter V, Rassoul F, Walper A. [Postprandial lipemia under treatment with Allium sativum. Controlled double-blind study of subjects with reduced HDL2-cholesterol]. Arzneimittelforschung. 1992 Oct;42(10):1223-7. German. PubMed PMID: 1472142.
Duda G, Suliburska J, Pupek-Musialik D. Effects of short-term garlic supplementation on lipid metabolism and antioxidant status in hypertensive adults. Pharmacol Rep. 2008 Mar-Apr;60(2):163-70. PubMed PMID: 18443377.
Sumioka I, Hayama M, Shimokawa Y, Shiraishi S, Tokunaga A. Lipid-lowering effect of monascus garlic fermented extract (MGFE) in hyperlipidemic subjects. Hiroshima J Med Sci. 2006 Jun;55(2):59-64. PubMed PMID: 16813070.
Ried K, Frank OR, Stocks NP, Fakler P, Sullivan T. Effect of garlic on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2008 Jun 16;8:13. doi: 10.1186/1471-2261-8-13. Review. PubMed PMID: 18554422
Srivastava KC, Tyagi OD. Effects of a garlic-derived principle (ajoene) on aggregation and arachidonic acid metabolism in human blood platelets. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 1993 Aug;49(2):587-95. PubMed PMID: 8415808.
Higdon, Garlic. Linus Pauling Institute: Oregon State University. 2005 Acessed in July 2015. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/garlic
Viswanathan V, Phadatare AG, Mukne A. Antimycobacterial and Antibacterial Activity of Allium sativum Bulbs. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2014 May;76(3):256-61. PubMed PMID: 25035540; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4090836.
Tilli CM, Stavast-Kooy AJ, Vuerstaek JD, Thissen MR, Krekels GA, Ramaekers FC, Neumann HA. The garlic-derived organosulfur component ajoene decreases basal cell carcinoma tumor size by inducing apoptosis. Arch Dermatol Res. 2003 Jul;295(3):117-23. Epub 2003 May 20. PubMed PMID: 12756587.