Garlic, originally from the Mediterranean, is a pungent and versatile seasoning with medicinal qualities and has been a prized herb in many cultures. Egyptians used garlic during mummification and workers on the the pyramids are said to have gone on strike when garlic shortages occurred. Among garlic's many uses, scientific research has revealed benefits of garlic in the treatment of fungal and yeast infections.
Oxidation
Allicin, the compound that gives fresh garlic its characteristic aroma, is the same substance that is responsible for garlic's anti-fungal properties, say researchers at the Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen University in Germany. In their test-tube study, they demonstrated antifungal activity of garlic against yeast cells and found out that allicin works by disrupting yeast cell walls and inducing apoptosis -- programmed cell death. Allicin has an oxidizing effect on yeast that, the researchers say, is a different method of antifungal activity than prevously thought. The study was published in the December 2010 issue of the journal "Free Radical Biology and Medicine."
Delivery System
Garlic was used successfully to treat Candida yeast infection using a delivery system that incorporated the garlic extract diallyl sulfide together with the lipid molecule phosphatidyl choline, also known as lecithin. Diallyl sulfide is not very soluble, and combining it with the highly fat-soluble lecithin molecule improves its absorption and distribution. Results of the laboratory animal study showed the garlic hybrid molecule caused a significant decrease in fungal infection and had no toxic effects. Researchers are hopeful that garlic extract may become a viable alternative to conventional antifungal drugs. The study was published in the March 2010 issue of the journal "Bioscience Reports."
Fresh Garlic
A clove of chopped fresh garlic each day may help you gain control over chronic yeast infections, according to the Reader's Digest book, "Fight Back with Food: Use Nutrition to Heal What Ails You." Research in the last few decades has confirmed some of the traditional medicinal uses of garlic and identified several active components. One, ajoene, shows more biological activity than the others, say researchers at the Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Oriente, Núcleo Anzoátegui, Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela. Among is attributes, ajoene provides anti-clotting, anti-tumor, antifungal and antiparasitic effects and has been shown in clinical trials to be effective against several types of fungal infections.
Antifungal Drugs
Garlic performed better than pharmaceutical drugs against Aspergillus mold in the treament of otits externa, external ear infection, in a study published in the March 2010 issue of the journal "Bioscience Reports." Both water extract and concentrated garlic oil showed antifungal activity. The garlic preparations were effective at similar concentrations to standard drugs and produced similarly effective or superior results.
References
- "Free Radical Biology and Medicine": Allicin Disrupts the Cell's Electrochemical Potential and Induces Apoptosis in Yeast; M. Gruhlke, et al; December 2010
- "Bioscience Reports": Potential Use of Liposomal Diallyl Sulfide in the Treatment of Experimental Murine Candidiasis; A. Maroof; March 2010
- "Fight Back With Food: Use Nutrition to Heal What Ails You"; Readers Digest; 2002
- "Revista Iberoamericana de Micologica": Ajoene, the Main Active Compound of Garlic (Allium Sativum): a New Antifungal Agent; E. Ledezma, et al; June 2006
- "Letters in Applied Microbiology": Antifungal Effects of Allium Sativum (Garlic) Extract Against the Aspergillus Species Involved in Otomycosis; S. Pai, et al; January 1995
- "Edible: an Illustrated Guide to the World's Food Plants"; National Geographic; 2008
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