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| least 3,000 years. The Codex Ebers, an Egyptian medical papyrus compiled in 1550 B.C., describes garlic as effective in treating a variety of ailments, including worms, tumors and headaches. In other cultures, garlic has been recommended for the treatment of sore throats, toothaches, coughs, dandruff, earaches, infections, hypertension, atherosclerosis, hysteria and diarrhea. |
| Garlic contains 33 sulfur compounds, 17 amino acids and several minerals, including germanium, calcium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, selenium and zinc. In addition, it contains vitamins A, B and C. |
| In the 1940s the substance allicin was discovered. It is a chemically unstable, colorless liquid that provides garlic's pungent odor. For several years, allicin was believed to be the most active ingredient in garlic, accounting for its therapeutic benefits. That claim is still made by the makers of garlic supplements. However, more recent research has shown that garlic contains several ingredients that help improve health. Allicin, because it is so unstable, is difficult to preserve in any manufactured supplement, and the benefits of a high allicin supplement may not be superior to those of other brands. Of course, fresh garlic is an excellent source of not only allicin but all of garlic's compounds. |
| An impressive body of research documents the many benefits of the pungent clove, especially with regard to heart disease and the circulatory system. In addition to those benefits, garlic has been shown to help prevent cancer; it apparently has an antitumor effect. Garlic is also antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiprotozoan and antibacterial. Research conducted 50 years ago showed that both garlic juice and allicin inhibit the growth of staphylococcus, streptococcus, brucella, salmonella, mycobacteria and other gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. This makes it of interest to researchers dealing with AIDS, diar- |
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