Garlic might help fight a chest infection due to possible antimicrobial properties. Using garlic to relieve chest congestion from the common cold is a time tested remedy, primarily used in ayurvedic medicine and as a folk remedy. Few well-controlled studies have been performed in the U.S. Chest infection should be diagnosed and treated by a licensed health care practitioner. The reported antibacterial properties of garlic might help fight chest infection, combined with guided medical care.
Allicin in Garlic Fights Infection
The main ingredient in garlic that might help fight chest infection, especially when started early, is allicin. According to researchers from the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at the PLA General Hospital in Beijing, China, allicin in garlic has the ability to destroy a wide range of bacteria, especially if used in conjunction with traditional antibiotics. According to Mary Hardy, M.D., from the Integrative Medicine Medical Group at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, consuming garlic raw or as a chicken soup ingredient can support the immune system and ease symptoms of runny nose and chest congestion from a cold.
Expectorant Properties of Garlic
Chest infection causes inflammation and sputum production that can sometimes be difficult to clear from the airways. Garlic can thin chest secretions when an infection is present, making it easier to breathe. Garlic can be used as a steam inhalant or taken orally. Larry Steckel, assistant professor of plant science at the University of Tennessee, says wild garlic that grows in winter months in the Eastern U.S. was used by Native Americans as a treatment for asthma and as an expectorant.
Available Forms and Dosing
Garlic is available as supplements or can be consumed raw, as an oil, cooked, dried or freeze-dried. Recommendations for children regarding dosing have not been established, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Adults can consume 2 to 4 g of whole clove daily. One garlic clove is equivalent to approximately 1 g. In tablet or freeze-dried form, the dose is 2 to 200 mg tablets three times a day. Garlic extract can be split into divided doses of 600 to 1,200 mg per day.
Warnings and Precautions
Garlic can increase the risk of bleeding for individuals taking medications that interfere with blood clotting, such as warfarin, clopidrogel, aspirin, dipyridamole and indomethacin. Garlic can also decrease blood levels of medications given for HIV, known as protease inhibitors. Side effects reported from study reviews conducted in the U.K. by researchers at the University of Exeter show the most common side effects of consuming garlic are gastrointestinal upset and breath odor.
References
- ScienceDaily; A Baker's Dozen: Cold Remedies That Still Work a Century Later; November 1999
- "The Journal of Antibiotics"; Antibacterial Activity of Allicin Alone and in Combination With B-Lactams Against Staphylococcus Spp. and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa; Yun Cai, et al.; April 2007
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Garlic
- The University of Tennessee: Wild Garlic
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; Garlic for Treating Hypercholesterolemia; A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials; Clare Stevinson, BSc, MS, et al.; September 2000
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