Garlic the wonder herb

If the term “wonder drug” can be applied to any herb, it is garlic which can get that honor.  Garlic is the most powerful and most researched herb of our times.

The entire ancient world from Spain to China loved garlic but Egyptians enjoyed it more than others.  Garlic was found even in the tomb of King Tut.  Garlic played a major role in the lives of slaves who built the pyramids.  The Egyptians believed that garlic prevented illness and increased strength and endurance, hence; they gave their slaves daily ration of garlic.

Greek athletes ate garlic before any major race and Greek soldiers munched on garlic before a battle.  During World War I, British, French and Russian army doctors treated infected wounds of soldiers with garlic juice.  They also prescribed garlic to prevent and treat amoebic dysentery.

Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin in 1928 started the age of antibiotics and by World War II, penicillin had largely replaced garlic as the choice of treatment for infected wounds.  But Russia’s 20 million casualties in World War II depleted the supply of antibiotics, so Red Army physicians relied on garlic.  That’s when garlic came to be known as Russian penicillin.

When researchers at Sandoz Pharmaceuticals in Switzerland isolated alliin from the garlic in 1920s, the antibiotic constituent of this wonder herb solved many mysteries. Alliin by itself has no medicinal value but when garlic is chewed, chopped or crushed, the alliin comes in contact with a garlic enzyme known as, allinase, which transforms it into another chemical, allicin, which is a powerful antibiotic.

No standard drug can match garlic when it comes to many cardiovascular risk factors.  Several studies confirm garlic’s ability to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.  Garlic helps prevent internal blood clots that generally triggers heart attack.

Researchers have found that one medium sized garlic clove has antibacterial properties of about 100,000 units of penicillin.  Oral penicillin doses typically range from 600,000 to 1.2 million units.  Hence the equivalent in garlic would be about 6 to 12 cloves.  If you find it hard to chew 12 cloves of garlic together, it is better to chew 4 cloves three times a day in order to reap the benefits.

Garlic belongs to Amaryllidacae family of herbs.  Others herbs of this family are onions, chives and shallots.  Its botanical name is Allium sativum and its bulb is used in cooking.

Most Indians use garlic in vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes thus making them tasty and healthy.