Garlic is a popular herb with a long history of medicinal applications. In terms of popularity as a flavoring, garlic is right behind salt, according to an article published by The Scripps Research Institute. Several chemicals found in garlic can effectively kill microorganisms such as fungi, and treatments made from garlic extracts can treat fungal infections of the skin, including ringworm. Like any alternative medicine, ask your doctor before using garlic extracts to treat ringworm.
Ringworm
Despite the name, ringworm has nothing to do with worms. Instead, ringworm is the name applied to fungal infections of the skin caused by a variety of different species of fungi, including Tinea pedis, Epidermophyton floccosum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. When these fungi infect the feet, the infection is usually called athlete's foot, while infections of the groin area are usually called jock itch. Technically speaking, all three conditions may be caused by infection with the same type fungi.
Killing Fungi
Garlic has been used for thousands of years to kill fungal infections, and modern research is beginning to understand why. In laboratory experiments, garlic extracts were able to kill up to 90 percent of fungal species isolated from fungal infections of the skin, reports a study published in the April 1995 issue of the "International Journal of Dermatology." Researchers suspect that chemicals in garlic disrupt the metabolism of fungal cells, slowing growth and eventually causing death.
Treating Fungal Infections
In a clinical study involving human subjects, a skin cream containing garlic extracts was able to treat fungal infections as effectively as other known anti-fungal medicines, according to a study published in the November 2000 issue of the "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology." This particular skin cream contained a 1 percent solution of a chemical called ajoene, which forms when other chemicals in garlic break down.
Chemicals in Garlic
Garlic contains a variety of volatile sulfur-containing chemicals, which are responsible for the strong odor and taste of garlic as well as the potent antimicrobial properties, explains The Scripps Research Institute. One well-studied chemical is called alliin, which transforms into another chemical called allicin once a garlic clove is crushed or chopped. Allicin, in turn, breaks down to form other chemicals such as ajoene. Many of the allicin-derived chemicals, including ajoene, can effectively kill fungi, as well as bacteria and other microorganisms.
References
- The Scripps Research Institute News & Views: Vampires Beware: Scientists Describe the Molecular Basis of Raw Garlic's Pungency; Jason Socrates Bardi; June 2005
- MedlinePlus; Garlic; December 2010
- "International Journal of Dermatology"; Antidermatophytic Activity of Garlic (Allium Sativum) In Vitro; P.V. Venugopal; April 1995
- "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology"; Efficacy of Ajoene in the Treatment of Tinea Pedis: a Double-Blind and Comparative Study With Terbinafine; Eliades Ledezma, et al.; November 2000
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