Garlic is a herb that is consumed by many on account of its health benefits. Its antioxidants prevent free radicals that can cause illness and aging and once it has been digested, it converts into sulphur compounds that are anti-cancerous.
It has been used for medicinal purposes for over 5,000 years and for 3,000 of those years it has been used in Chinese medicine. It is a natural antibiotic and was used in both world wars to prevent gangrene in soldiers.
The healing properties of garlic are not an old wives tale or an alternative fad. There has been years of scientific research proving the benefits of garlic, including its abilities to shrink colon cancer tumors.A review of the literature, published in the Journal of Nutrition, states, "One randomized controlled trial reported a statistically significant 29 percent reduction in both size and number of colon adenomas in CRC patients taking aged garlic extract. Five of eight case control/cohort studies suggested a protective effect of high intake of raw/cooked garlic and two of eight of these studies suggested a protective effect for distal colon. A published meta-analysis of seven of these studies confirmed this inverse association, with a 30 percent reduction in relative risk. Eleven animal studies demonstrated a significant anticarcinogenic effect of garlic and/or its active constituents. On balance, there is consistent scientific evidence derived from RCT of animal studies reporting protective effects of garlic on CRC."
The US National Institutes for Health says,"Preliminary human studies suggest that regular consumption of garlic (particularly unprocessed garlic) may reduce the risk of developing several types of cancer including gastric and colorectal malignancies."
Another study concluded that garlic extract reduced the size of colorectal tumors, "Aged garlic extract (AGE) has a suppressive effect on progression of colorectal adenomas in humans. This effect seems to be multifactorial and reduces many risk factors of cancer."
Eating garlic in addition to regular portions of fresh vegetables seems to enhance this positive effect. Harbin Medical College, department of epidemiology in China studied 336 people with colorectal cancer (111 cases of colon cancer and 225 cases of rectal cancer). The patient’s diet and lifestyle was examined, including their alcohol intake. Researchers found that the people who ate regular portions of fresh vegetables and grains, gained protection against colorectal cancer.
‘Vegetables, particularly green vegetables, chives and celery, have a strong protective effect against colorectal cancer. Alcohol intake was found to be an important risk factor for developing colon cancer and male rectal cancer.’
How to Take Garlic
1. Fresh, raw garlic has been shown to be more effective at preventing or treating illnesses so add it to salads to get the full benefit.
2. Garlic powder has some limited effect and this can be added to food when you’re cooking.
3. Eating fresh garlic in conjunction with regular amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables has been shown to reduce the size of colorectal tumors.
4. Don’t drink alcohol when trying garlic as this may negate the effects. Alcohol, particularly in men, increases the risk of colorectal cancer.
5. If you have a blood clotting disorder, talk to your doctor before trying garlic, as it can thin the blood.
6. Garlic has not been shown to interact with cancer drugs so you will be able to try it in conjunction with drug therapies.
Sources: Ngo S N T, et al. Does Garlic Reduce Risk of Colorectal Cancer? A Systematic Review. Journal of Nutrition 2007;137:2264-2269.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-garlic.html
American Society for Nutrition J. Nutr. 136:821S-826S, March 2006
International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 20, number 2, pp.362-367, June 1991.
Joanna is a freelance health writer for The Mother magazine and Suite 101 with a column on infertility, http://infertility.suite101.com/. She is author of the book, 'Breast Milk: A Natural Immunisation,' and co-author of an educational resource on disabled parenting, in addition to running a charity for people damaged by vaccines or medical mistakes.