Garlic, or Allium sativa, is a member of the lily family used as an herb in cooking and also for medicinal purposes. Those who use garlic medicinally in pill form are in good company, as it has been used by people all over the world since ancient times because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Unfortunately, along with its helpful traits, garlic does provide something you may view as a drawback: Its pungent smell is excreted by your body and may be noticeable on your breath and your skin.
Why Garlic Is Beneficial
Garlic bulbs, the part of the plant used in cooking and medicinally, contain an amino acid called allinin and an enzyme called allinase. Crushing, biting, chopping or otherwise breaking up a clove of garlic causes those two components to mix together, forming allicinin, the sulfurous-smelling compound that provides most of garlic's benefits. Garlic is also rich in antioxidants, the vitamins that help destroy harmful free radicals in your body.
Most of the studies that have been conducted on garlic and its benefits have focused on either aged garlic extract, or AGE, or enteric coated garlic tablets or pills, popular because most people feel they offer less odor than fresh garlic.
Garlic and the Blood Vessels
One of garlic's main uses is in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The National Institutes of Health, or NIH, rates garlic in all its forms, including pill form, as "possibly effective" for treating high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. People with high blood pressure who used garlic reported a 7- to 8-percent decrease in their blood pressure in studies, NIH reports. Garlic also seems to reduce the inflexibility of the vessels that causes atherosclerosis.
While several studies have shown promising results in garlic's usefulness at lowering overall blood cholesterol, there is not yet enough strong evidence to declare garlic a beneficial treatment for this purpose. NIH still classifies garlic as "possibly ineffective" for lowering cholesterol. Talk to your physician about whether garlic pills could be helpful for you.
Other Uses for Garlic
While garlic in any form is not nearly as strong as modern antibiotics, it has been found to have antibacterial properties that make it useful in treating infection. Garlic cloves have been found to be useful in topically treating fungal infections like vaginal yeast infections and ringworm.
The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that studies have shown garlic to be effective at reducing the duration and severity of the common cold and in providing an immune system boost that may help to fight cancer. Garlic also may play a part in decreasing the side effects of chemotherapy in some cancer patients.
Studies use different forms of garlic. Some rely on AGE, some on fresh crushed garlic or whole cloves, some on dietary garlic and some on enteric-coated tablets. Talk with your physician about which garlic variety would be best for you.
Minimizing Odor
Unfortunately, the distinctive garlicky odor that comes along with allicin is difficult to avoid. The odor occurs when components of garlic travel to your bloodstream and into your lungs and skin, causing garlic breath and an overall garlicky smell. Since garlic by-products are also excreted in your perspiration, the smell can be an all-over one. While there are "odor-free" garlic pills available, even these can cause odor, although most people find the results less pungent than fresh garlic. Garlic stays in your system and can cause odor for between four and 18 hours, so some people avoid the smell by taking garlic supplements at night.
Fresh garlic is most suitable for treating some conditions, so the smell can be unavoidable in those cases.
References
- "Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine"; Teresa Odle; 2005
- Medline Plus: Garlic
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Garlic
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