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Is garlic a 'cure-all'?

 Garlic was thrust into the spotlight following the publication of a study which suggested regular consumption could halve the risk of stomach cancer and cut the incidence of colon cancer by two-thirds.

Actually, garlic has long had a reputation as a cure-all. References to its medicinal use stretch back to the ancient Egyptians, and garlic has been touted as an effective treatment for heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, colds, flu and other infections.

So, do the proposed benefits of garlic stand up to scientific scrutiny, or are they based more in folklore than fact?

Over the past 20 years, garlic has been the subject of numerous scientific studies. While not all the research supports the claims often made for it, there is a wealth of evidence which points to garlic being one of the most versatile natural substances we have for maintaining and promoting our health.

Garlic - botanical name Allium sativum - is rich in a substance known as alliin (pronounced al- ee-in). Once garlic is chopped or crushed, an enzyme in the plant, called allinase, converts alliin into another compound known as allicin. While alliin is relatively odourless, allicin is responsible for garlic's characteristic pungent odour and taste.

Allicin is also thought to be behind many of garlic's therapeutic properties. Once absorbed by the gut, it is eliminated via the lungs and the skin. This is why garlic taints the breath and sweat of those eating it.

Much has been made of garlic's ability to reduce the risk of heart disease. It was thought that at least part of garlic's heart-protective action cholesterol.

However, in recent years, garlic's reputation as a natural remedy has been tarnished by a well-publicised study which suggested that taking garlic supplements had no effect on cholesterol. Just last week, while on a lecture assignment in America, I was talking to a doctor specialising in the prevention of heart disease. She cited this negative study as reason to dismiss garlic as a heart disease protector. However, I pointed out that two meta-analyses (a meta-analysis combines the results of several studies) show garlic has the potential to reduce cholesterol levels by about 10 pc.

Besides, garlic has a number of other effects in the body which are likely to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Another beneficial effect of garlic on the cardiovascular system concerns blood pressure. Recent research reported in the Journal of Hypertension showed that garlic consumption could reduce blood pressure by 5 to 10 pc.

The authors concluded that just this effect alone might reduce heart disease and stroke rates by up to 40 and 35 pc respectively.

Another study showed that individuals who consumed more garlic were less likely to develop stiffening of the aorta.

Garlic also has the ability to reduce the tendency for the formation of blood clots.

As blood clots can trigger heart attacks and strokes, this tendency to thin the blood is likely to help prevent these conditions.

Garlic has also been shown to help break down clots. For this reason, I recommend garlic to sufferers of thrombophlebitis - a painful condition characterised by inflammation and blood clots in the veins of the legs.

But while I am an enthusiastic advocate of garlic, there are a few instances when I advise against its use. Because it thins the blood and can increase bleeding, I usually advise individuals on blood-thinning drugs such as warfarin to avoid garlic. For the same reason, I recommend anyone having an operation to stop eating garlic ten days before surgery.

Over the centuries, garlic has been used to treat all manner of infections. Laboratory studies confirm that garlic can kill certain parasites, bacteria, virus and yeast organisms. How garlic exerts its infection-fighting effects has yet to be elucidated, though recent research showed it can disable substances bacteria use to invade the body's tissues.

A study is about to start to look at the effect of garlic on the frequency and severity of colds and flu. Individuals interested in participating should contact The Garlic Information Centre, Battle, East Sussex TN33 9DP.

To get maximum benefit from garlic, it seems best to eat a clove or two of raw garlic a day. But because of its strong taste and odour, many people prefer to take it in a supplement. These come in a variety of forms, including aged garlic, garlic oil and garlic powder preparations (usually as tablets).