Herbal Medicines and How They Work: Garlic

Garlic supplements are the fourth most commonly purchased health supplement in the United States, according to surveys conducted by National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. When I began this blog, I thought that I could cover herbal medicines and how they work in one post, but, because there are so many different herbal medicines and how they work depends on the different compounds found in the herbs, I felt that the only way to provide the information that people are looking for was to first write posts covering the most popular herbal medicines. Eventually, I hope to cover as many herbs as possible on this site, but today, I'm focusing on garlic.

What are the health/medicinal benefits of garlic?

There are many health benefits of garlic, but first lets look at a component called allicin.

Long before modern antibiotics were available, physicians were using garlic to treat bacterial and fungal infections. Why? When crushed, garlic yields allicin. Allicin is a compound that kills bacteria and fungi. With the widespread use of penicillin, antibiotics and anti-fungal medications, the medicinal benefits of garlic for the purpose of treating fungal and bacterial infections was relegated to that of a "folk remedy". As with most folk remedies, modern scientists have been able to explain why they work, but sometimes they are not used correctly. For example, a fairly popular remedy for cold, coughs, flus and sore throat is a ginger root and garlic tea. Ginger root is a natural anti-inflammatory and fever reducer. Crushed garlic has natural anti-biotic properties, but cooking garlic all but destroys the allicin that was released by crushing it. So, over cooking or even over seeping in a tea could render the component ineffective. This is probably the reason that the ginger root and garlic tea does not always work.

Garlic and Cholesterol

The relationship between garlic and cholesterol levels is a subject of modern interest. Modern antibiotics and other medications have allowed us to conquer many of the life-threatening diseases that were the primary concerns of ancient physicians. So, now modern physicians hope to conquer one of our biggest killers; heart disease.

We know that certain types of cholesterol stick to the walls of our arteries and blood vessels, causing them to become less flexible over time, causing atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Eventually, the cholesterol becomes hard plaques creating blockages that can cause strokes and heart attacks. Can garlic slow or reverse this process? Some physicians, researchers and nutritionists think so. But, recent research conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has cast doubt on whether garlic can effectively lower LDL or bad cholesterol. To read the results of their research click here and then come back, because there are supplements that can help you naturally control unhealthy cholesterol levels. They are considered alternatives to statin drugs and the risks associated with their use. I call them Heart Healthy Supplements. Click here to learn more. Instead of focusing on a single herb, these supplements contain a number of herbs, vitamins and other natural components that have been shown to help lower unhealthy cholesterol levels. Because of the number of ingredients, it is impossible for me to touch on all of them and how they work, but many are covered in detail at Heart Health Diet Tips.com.

Next post: St. John's Wort