Garlic, or Allium sativum, is an herb used both in flavoring food and for medicinal purposes. Garlic has been linked to a variety of positive health effects, such as lowering high blood pressure, reducing the likelihood of some cancers, improving blood vessel elasticity and treating some fungal infections. Because of its anti-fungal properties, some people opt to use raw garlic to treat their candida, or yeast infection.
Garlic as Medicinal Plant
Aromatic garlic contains the trace minerals copper, iron, zinc, selenium and magnesium, although the content depends on the richness of the soil in which the garlic was grown. Most of garlic's beneficial properties come from two of its components: the enzyme allinase and an amino acid called allinin. When a garlic clove undergoes chewing, cutting or crushing, the two compounds combine to form a third: the sulfuric allicin, which exhibits anti-bacterial and anti-fungal qualities. Garlic is used to help prevent heart disease and some cancers, to boost natural immunity, treat minor maladies such as the common cold, and as an anti-fungal to fight conditions such as athlete's food and candida, or yeast infections.
Candida
Candida, or Candida albicans, is a fungus that causes candidiasis; or what is more commonly known as a yeast infection. While humans all naturally have yeast on their skin and in their bodies, when conditions are such that an overgrowth of yeast occurs and you experience unpleasant symptoms, it is referred to as a yeast infection or candidiasis. Yeast infections most commonly occur in the vagina, as a diaper rash in young children, as thrush in nursing infants and their mothers, or as skin infections in people who are immunocompromised. Treatment for candidiasis usually involves anti-fungal medications or alternative therapies such as probiotics, vinegar or garlic.
Treating Topical Candidiasis With Garlic
While some people report great success treating their candidiasis with raw garlic or other garlic therapies, you should talk with your physician before beginning any treatment regimen. The "Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine" suggests that to treat a vaginal yeast infection, you should take a single clove of peeled raw garlic, wrap it in sterile gauze and insert it into your vagina. Change this insert twice a day for five to ten days, or until symptoms subside. An entire bulb of raw garlic can also be chopped and placed in a pint of olive oil. Leave it for two weeks, then strain out the garlic pieces and store it in the refrigerator. Garlic oil is useful to treat topical candidiasis and to relieve external itching associated with vaginal yeast infections.
Garlic as Oral Treatment
The National Institutes of Health provides a few guidelines for the amount of raw garlic you should take as a general health aid. Studies using garlic to address high blood pressure have used 4 g, or about one clove of raw garlic, per day, while cancer prevention research has focused on doses of between 3.5 and 29 grams per week. Because garlic is generally considered safe, it would be difficult to overdose on it. However, garlic has properties that can be dangerous if you suffer from a clotting disorder. Talk with your doctor before beginning any treatment regimen.
References
- "Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine"; "Garlic"; Patience Paradox et al; 2005
- "Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine"; "Candidiasis"; Judith Sims et al; 2005
- Medline Plus: Garlic
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