Bad For Your Breath, Good for Your Health

Perhaps it was the history of how garlic was fed to Egyptian slaves for stamina that sparked the boom in scientifically researching the herb. Maybe, it was the Chinese documents that showed that it was used to treat a variety of ailments from bronchitis to skin problems.
Regardless of its instigation, the thousands of scientific research studies involving the herb over the past twenty years collectively offer evidence of the power of the clove.
Garlic has been proven to act as an antibiotic that kills infecting bacteria and concurrently protects the body from the toxins that are causing the infection; it is approximately 1% as potent as penicillin in its antibiotic properties. Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium responsible for producing the toxin anthrax, is very sensitive to garlic.
According to the Garlic Information Centre, even the blood of garlic eaters can kill bacteria and it is reported that the vapor from freshly cut garlic can kill bacteria at a distance of 20 cms.
Donald Hensrud, M.D., a nutrition and preventive medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic, stated that, “We’re reasonably certain of garlic’s ability to lower cholesterol and reduce (blood) clotting.”
A study conducted at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill compared six studies of garlic consumption on colorectal cancer, and the data collected has supported the hypothesis that garlic may protect against cancer. Although an astounding 30 to 50% reduction in colorectal cancer occurred in people who ate more garlic, researchers warn that more study is needed to make such bold claims.
Garlic has also accepted the credit of helping to prevent red blood cells from clumping together. According to the Frederick A. White Health Center, the natural thinning of the blood by the herb helps every aspect of blood flow within the body and is the safest source of prevention of heart attacks and strokes.
“Garlic contains a natural inhibitor that blocks some of the negative effects of insulin on the body,” shares Dr. Wesley Gray. “And there is also an ingredient that lowers cholesterol levels, which in turn lowers hypertension.”
In conclusion garlic, whose cousins include, onions, scallions, chives and shallots, offer a variety of health services- from functioning as a coagulant to reducing the risks of a heart attack.