Garlic and cancer prevention

Garlic is a member of the same group of plants as the Onion. The bulb is the part used for consuming or as medicine. Epidemiological as well as laboratory studies have shown that garlic and onion consumption reduces certain cancer incidences in the stomach, colon, mammary, cervical, etc. Garlic is known as allium sativum

Garlic & Parsley, Source Naturals
Garlic and its key constituents have been the subject of hundreds of scientific studies. Garlic has been used around the world for thousands of years for its nutritional value. Parsley is favorite herb for salads, and cooking. It also is refreshing and soothing and contains assimilated essential minerals. Source Naturals Garlic & Parsley oil contains true oils of garlic and parsley seed, extracted from whole fresh garlic bulb and parsley seed, and suspended in pure soy bean oil. It is a convenient way to receive the benefits of garlic and parsley seed in concentrated form, without the taste and odor.

Garlic Supplement Facts per 2 caps
Garlic Oil 5 mg  (equivalent to 500 mg of fresh garlic)
Parsley Seed Oil 200 mcg (equivalent to 100 mg of fresh parsley)

Garlic Chemistry
Garlic has been shown to metabolized into N-aceryl-S-allyl cysteine, allyl mercaptan, diallyl disulfide, diallyl sulfide, diallyl sulfoxide, diallyl sulfone, and allyl methyl sulfide. Garlic has been thought to bring about its anticarcinogenic effect through a number of mechanisms, such as the scavenging of radicals, increasing gluathione levels, increasing the activities of enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase, catalase, inhibition of cytochrome p4502E1, DNA repair mechanisms, prevention of chromosomal damage etc.

Health Benefit of Garlic
It appears that garlic may lower the risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), but not necessarily through lowering cholesterol levels. Garlic may have anti-platelet activity.
Garlic anti-microbial activity in the mouth.
Eating just one clove of raw or cooked garlic daily may help protect against stomach, esophagela, and colon cancer. That's the conclusion reached by a researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who analyzed 17 international population studies examining the eating habits of more than 100,000 people. For example, the incidence of stomach cancer is low in a region of Italy where people commonly eat a garlic-rich pesto with their food, compared with other regions where much less garlic is consumed.
Garlic can combat intestinal parasites, perhaps fungal infections such as athlete's foot and perhaps vaginal yeast infections.

Garlic and Blood Pressure
An ingredient in garlic appears to prevent a potentially deadly type of high blood pressure affecting the lungs, at least in rats. The garlic ingredient, called allicin, seems to ward off pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in the arteries that bring blood to the lungs. In humans, pulmonary hypertension can lead to potentially fatal complications in the heart and blood vessels. Humans would need to eat two cloves of garlic every day to equal the rats' dose of allicin. Garlic has also been evaluated in regular hypertension.

Cancer
In an analysis of eight studies from Italy and Switzerland, researchers found that older adults with the highest onion and garlic intakes had the lowest risks of a number of cancers -- including colon, ovarian and throat cancers.

Garlic and memory enhancement
Repeated administration of fresh garlic increases memory retention in rats.
J Med Food. 2008 Dec;11(4):675-9. Haider S, Naz N, Khaliq S, Perveen T, Haleem DJ. Neurochemistry and Biochemical Neuropharmacology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
Garlic (Allium sativum) is regarded as both a food and a medicinal herb. Increasing attention has focused on the biological functions and health benefits of garlic as a potentially major dietary component. Chronic garlic administration has been shown to enhance memory function. Evidence also shows that garlic administration in rats affects brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) levels. 5-HT, a neurotransmitter involved in a number of physiological functions, is also known to enhance cognitive performance. The present study was designed to investigate the probable neurochemical mechanism responsible for the enhancement of memory following garlic administration. Sixteen adult locally bred male albino Wistar rats were divided into control (n = 8) and test (n = 8) groups. The test group was orally administered 250 mg/kg fresh garlic homogenate, while control animals received an equal amount of water daily for 21 days. Estimation of plasma free and total tryptophan (TRP) and whole brain TRP, 5-HT, and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Brain TRP, 5-HT, and 5-HIAA levels were significantly increased following garlic administration. A significant improvement in memory function was exhibited by garlic-treated rats in the passive avoidance test. Increased brain serotonin levels were associated with improved cognitive performance. The present results, therefore, demonstrate that the memory-enhancing effect of garlic may be associated with increased brain 5-HT metabolism in rats. The results further support the use of garlic as a food supplement for the enhancement of memory.

Garlic and Allicin
 An ingredient in garlic appears to prevent a potentially deadly type of high blood pressure affecting the lungs, at least in rats. The garlic ingredient, called allicin, seems to ward off pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in the arteries that bring blood to the lungs. In humans, pulmonary hypertension can lead to potentially fatal complications in the heart and blood vessels. Humans would need to eat two cloves of garlic every day to equal the rats' dose of allicin.

Garlic extract
Garlic pills are sold in various extracts, including aged garlic and garlic extract with 2% Allicin. I prefer to eat a fresh garlic clove rather than to take a garlic supplement, but each person has a different preference. Each garlic clove is about 2 to 5 grams.

Garlic side effects or caution
Besides the obvious garlic bad breath, it may be a good idea to not consume high doses of garlic if you plan to have surgery because of the possible blood thinning properties of garlic. Very high intake of garlic may cause easy bruising.

Garlic breath
Consider the use of mint, parsley, or fennel seeds to partially counteract garlic breath.

Garlic Research Update
Garlic and heart risk factors - In a study of 90 overweight smokers, European researchers found that those who took a garlic powder supplement for three months showed no changes in their cholesterol levels or several other markers of heart disease risk. The study adds to the conflicting evidence on garlic and heart health. A number of studies have found that garlic supplements may help lower blood cholesterol, and possibly blood pressure, but other studies have failed to find such benefits. In the new study, researchers looked at whether a garlic supplement could affect heart risk factors other than the usual suspects of high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Along with blood cholesterol, they measured participants' levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and other blood proteins that indicate the degree of inflammation in the arteries. They also measured several blood substances that reflect how well the blood vessel walls are working. Both of these factors -- inflammation and blood vessel function -- are believed to be key in heart disease risk. However, the study found that garlic may have no effect on them. After three months, men and women who were assigned to take the garlic supplement showed no changes in either these measures or their cholesterol levels. In contrast, those given the cholesterol drug atorvastatin ( Lipitor ) showed a drop not only in cholesterol, but also in levels of CRP and another inflammation marker called TNF-alpha. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 2006.

Comparison of the Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Potentials of Fresh and Cooked Polish, Ukrainian, and Israeli Garlic.
J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Apr 6;53(7):2726-2732.
Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is an essential part of Polish, Ukrainian, and Israeli cuisine. The aim of this investigation was to compare the changes in bioactive compounds, proteins, and antioxidant potentials in fresh Polish, Ukrainian, and Israeli garlic samples after subjection to cooking temperature. Dietary fiber and essential trace elements were comparable. The antioxidant potentials were determined by four scavenging methods using beta-carotene, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO), and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS(*)(+)) radical cation with K(2)S(2)O(8) or MnO(2) assays. Polyphenols, tocopherols, proteins, and antioxidant potentials were higher in Polish garlic, but not significantly (P > 0.05). The SDS- and native-PAGE electrophoretic patterns of all three fresh garlic samples were without significant differences. Most of the proteins were in the molecular mass range of 24-97 kDa, and the more intensive major bands were concentrated at 50 and 12 kDa. The 50 kDa protein nearly disappears and the intensity of the 12 kDa lectin bands slightly decreases during cooking. It was observed that the bioactive compounds, antioxidant potential, and proteins in garlic decrease significantly after 20 min of cooking at 100 degrees C. In conclusion, (a) the bioactive compounds, electrophoretic patterns, and antioxidant potential of fresh Polish, Ukrainian, and Israeli garlic samples are comparable; (b) garlic samples subjected to 100 degrees C during 20 min preserve their bioactive compounds, antioxidant potential, and protein profile and are comparable with fresh garlic; and (c) fresh garlic should be added to dishes cooked at 100 degrees C in the last 20 min of the cooking process.

Garlic clove -- garlic has diallyl sulfide which inhibits chemical carcinogens activated by CYP2E1. Garlic has hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and anticancer effects. Garlic odor or garlic breath is caused by conversion of alliin to volatile sulfur compounds. Heated, cooked, or roasted garlic is less healthy. Garlic bread is not a good way to get the benefit of garlic since there is little actual garlic and much of the ingestion is white bread with no nutritional value.

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) has been used as an herbal medicine, but there is no report on the health benefits of the skin or peel. The extract of garlic skins (peels) showed strong antioxidant activity, and some responsible constituents were isolated and identified. These compounds were phenylpropanoids, N-trans-Coumaroyloctopamine, N-trans-feruloyloctopamine, guaiacylglycerol-beta-ferulic acid ether, and guaiacylglycerol-beta-caffeic acid ether were identified as were trans-coumaric acid and trans-ferulic acid.

Garlic has long been used medicinally, most recently for its cardiovascular, antineoplastic, and antimicrobial properties. Sulfur compounds, including allicin, appear to be the active components in the root bulb of the garlic plant. Studies show significant but modest lipid-lowering effects and antiplatelet activity. Significant blood pressure reduction is not consistently noted. There is some evidence for antineoplastic activity and insufficient evidence for clinical antimicrobial activity. Side effects generally are mild and uncommon. Garlic appears to have no effect on drug metabolism, but patients taking anticoagulants should be cautious. It seems prudent to stop taking high dosages of garlic seven to 10 days before surgery because garlic can prolong bleeding time.

Garlic supplement benefit emails
Q. I suspect you've all been asked this question many times before, but I thought I'd ask if you can briefly tell us if you believe that garlic or garlic supplements provide the health benefits so often claimed for them. If you believe garlic provides any or all of these benefits, are you also of the opinion that these benefits are nullifed if the garlic supplements are not "enteric coated?"
     A. We do think garlic, just like onions, is very valuable and should definitely be part one's diet, but not at the expense of other spices or vegetables. Each vegetable or spice has a role to play in health and a wide variety is crucial. We prefer eating fresh garlic as opposed to pills or capsules. We have not seen any studies regarding enteric coated... our instincts tell us that enteric coated garlic is not necessary.

Q. Is it okay to take chrysin pills along with garlic? What about in combination with Bioperine?
   A. We don't see any untoward side effects with these combinations.

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