Garlic

 

Allium sativum

fresh bulb.

 

Vitaklenz: 80mg

Vitaklenz for Kidz: not present

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Garlic has been traditionally used to treat parasitic worms in such diverse cultures as East Asia, India, Italy, North America, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the West Indies. Traditional practitioners in Greece have long used garlic extracts to protect against amoebic infections. 1 Laboratory tests (both in test tubes and in animals) have demonstrated that fresh garlic has antimicrobial activities (including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-protozoal, and anti-parasitic). 1 2 3 Particular activity against B. subtilis, E. coli, P. mirabilis, S. typhi, methicillin-resistant Staph aureus, S. faecalis, Salmonella enteritidis, and V. cholerae have been noted. 2 3

 

Hippocrates, Galen, Pliny the Elder, and Dioscorides all reported its use for conditions including parasites, low energy, and respiratory & digestive disorders. Louis Pasteur confirmed its antibacterial properties in 1858. 4 Chinese medicine has used garlic since AD 510, 4 and is still using it for amoebic and bacterial dysentery, tuberculosis, scalp ringworm and vaginal trichomoniasis. Other cultures have used garlic for treating colds and flu, fever, coughs, headache, hemorrhoids asthma, arteriosclerosis, low blood pressure, both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, cancer and as an aphrodisiac. 2 5 Garlic has also been used to treat pinworms. 5

 

Garlic is taken orally to reduce high blood pressure, prevent heart disease and atherosclerosis, treat earaches, stimulate both the immune and circulatory systems and prevent cancer. Other applications include treating diabetes, arthritis, colds and flu, fighting stress and fatigue and maintaining healthy liver function. 2

 

Various official monographs list garlic as being both antibacterial and antimycotic (suppresses the growth of certain fungi). 5 6 7 Consequently garlic is administered to treat Helicobacter pylori infections, 2 3 8 and to inhibit the growth of Candida albicans, particularly in cases of recurrent yeast infections. 4 An epidemiological study in China suggested that garlic consumption might have a protective effect against H. pylori and the development and progression of precancerous gastric lesions. 9 10

 

The garlic bulb contains an amino acid derivative called alliin, which is odourless and contains no antibacterial properties. However, when the garlic bulb is crushed or ground, alliin comes into contact with an enzyme (alliinase) that converts the alliin into allicin. Allicin is the reason for garlic’s distinctive odour, and is a potent antibacterial agent. 11

 

Bacteria shown to be susceptible to garlic in the test tube include species from Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Escherichia, Proteus, Salmonella, Providencia, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Hafnia, Aeromonas, Vibrio and Bacillus genera. 3 Studies have shown that garlic consumption is active against multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Clostridium botulinum. 1 12 13 14 Garlic, along with other herbal extracts, showed proven antibacterial activity against Vancomycin resistant (VR) Staphylococcus aureus in one study. 15 VR enterococci, MRSA (including ciprofloxacin-resistant MRSA), methicillin-resistant (MR) S. epidermidis, and CR P. aeruginosa have all been established as vulnerable to the high antibacterial activity of garlic. 16 17

 

Mycoplasma and Mobiluncus spp, which play an important role in developing bacterial vaginosis (BV), are commonly resistant to antibiotics creating renewed focus on locating herbal alternatives. Pure garlic extract has shown significant antibacterial effect on gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and vaginal creams made of garlic were effective in improvement of signs and complications of BV. Garlic has matched metronidazole in treatment success rate of BV while causing less side effects. 18

 

Parasitic worms are also apparently susceptible to garlic. The World Health Organization “Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants” reports garlic has having been used to treat roundworm (Ascaris strongyloides) and hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum and Necator americanus) infestations, listing allicin as the active anthelmintic constituent. 7 The embryogenesis and larval motility of ascaris roundworms is inhibited by ethanolic garlic extract. 19 Flatworms have shown susceptibility to garlic, with tests in mice showing garlic close to praziquental in effectiveness in eliminating adult Schistosoma mansoni worms and eggs. 20

 

The United States Department of Agriculture lists garlic as being a viricide on its Medicinal Plant Database. 21 Antiviral effects of garlic have been demonstrated against human cytomegalovirus, with 47 patients in a Chinese hospital who received allogenic bone marrow transplantation given garlic extract intravenously. Garlic extract proved to be an excellent protection against HCMV, and appears to be effective on the early protein synthesis of the virus. 22 23

 

Garlic also has potential for topical treatments, with studies confirming that various garlic preparations eliminated warts and corns following application. Interestingly, when only one or two large warts were treated, small warts located in the same area disappeared without application of any garlic extract. It is hypothesized this may be due to the immunological responses elicited by garlic. 24

 

Fungi demonstrated to be susceptible to garlic in lab tests include the genera Microsporum, Epidermophyton, Trichophyton, Rhodotorula, Torulopsis, Trichosporon, C. neoformans, and Candida, including C. albicans. It is reported that garlic is more effective against pathogenic yeasts than nystatin, especially C. albicans. 2 3 1 25 The “wide therapeutic window” of aqueous garlic extract (AGE) has clinically justified this herb for use in multi-drug resistant bacterial infections and candidiasis, with researchers concluding that the sensitivity of these pathogens and parasites to AGE renders it “naïve” to the drug resistance factors of these organisms. 26

 

Essential garlic oils were active on E. histolytica in clinical trials, confirming its potential for anti-amoebic activity. Anti-protozoan activity has also been demonstrated in lab tests against P. caudatum. 1 Action against B. hominis has also been suggested in literature. 27

 

Garlic has also shown itself in lab tests to have several immune-enhancing effects. 3 Fresh garlic, garlic extracts, oil and oleoresin have been generally recognized as safe when consumed in amounts commonly found in food. Garlic has been used for medicinal purposes in clinical studies lasting up to 4 years without reports of significant toxicity. The American Herbal Products Association Botanical Safety Handbook claims that high doses could be dangerous or even fatal for children. There are, however, no reported cases of significant adverse reactions or mortality in children associated with the ingestion of garlic. 2

 

There are no reports of garlic adversely affecting pregnancy, although it is wise to avoid consuming large amounts during these times. (Theoretically large amounts might act as an abortifacient causing uterine contractions.) There is a lack of information on the use of garlic while breastfeeding, but it has been generally accepted that consuming it in amounts commonly found in food would be safe. 2

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