Natural Medicine
Garlic
Botanical Name: Allium sativum 
Common Name: L'Ail
Overview
Herbalists worldwide consider garlic one of the most important herbal medicines. It has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years. However, the pungent odour of garlic, which is offensive to some people, is noticeable on your breathand even your skin after you eat it. The construction workers who built the Egyptian pyramids ate large amounts of garlic to protect themselves from diseases. Gravediggers in early eighteenth-century France drank a concoction of crushed garlic in wine to keep them from getting a plague that killed many people in Europe. During both World Wars I and II, soldiers were given garlic to prevent gangrene.
For years, people have taken garlic to help prevent atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and high blood pressure, colds, coughs, bronchitis, gastrointestinal problems, and menstrual pain. Medical research shows that garlic can kill many types of bacteria, some viruses and fungal infections, and even intestinal parasites. Garlic is also an antioxidant and it can boost your immune system. Garlic may even help prevent cancer. Garlic is best known for its favorable effects on cardiovascular health. Garlic is effective in preventing and treating high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, atherosclerosis, and respiratory infections such as colds and cough. Garlic is also effective in helping to prevent certain cancers, such as colon cancer.
Plant Description
Garlic originally came from central Asia, and is now found throughout the world. Garlic is a perennial that can grow two feet high or more. The most important part of this plant for medicinal purposes is the compound bulb. Each bulb is made up of 4 to 20 cloves, and each clove weighs about 1 gram.
What's It Made Of?
The main active ingredient in garlic is alliin. Alliin is an odorless chemical relative of the sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine. When garlic bulbs are crushed, alliin is converted into another compound called allicin. Allicin is the active compound that gives garlic its characteristic odor and many of its healing benefits.
Fresh garlic contains about 0.25 to 1.15% of allicin. The total amount of sulfur-containing substances in garlic is about 25 to 35% after the bulbs have been crushed. Allicin gives garlic its antibiotic effects. Allicin also helps lower cholesterol by blocking cells from making more cholesterol. Ajoene is another important active compound in garlic that helps prevent hardening of the arteries and stroke.
Available Forms
Garlic products are made from whole fresh garlic, fresh or dried garlic cloves, or the oil of garlic. But the amount of allicin in commercial products can vary, depending on how the product was prepared, or on the percentage of active compounds in fresh garlic cloves. Not all garlic contains the same amount of active ingredients.
Aged garlic products are made by fermenting garlic. These products are odor-free, but they don't have many health benefits. Fermentation inactivates most of the active ingredients, so it's important that you carefully read the label on all garlic products. It is best to use standardised garlic products to be sure you are getting a specified concentration of allicin and other active substances.
How to Take It
Pediatric
There are no reports about the use of garlic as an herbal supplement in children.
Adult
You can take garlic in the following forms to help prevent cardiovascular problems and the common cold:
