The benefits of garlic
Garlic has been used for several hundred years to treat various health conditions. A very large number of studies have been carried out in order to better understand the active principles of garlic and their physiological effects. In these studies, garlic is used in different forms: fresh, dehydrated, as well as in the form of an extract, oil or tincture. It should be noted that this sheet is devoted solely to the effects of consuming fresh garlic (raw or cooked) as used in various food preparations.
Garlic, a protective ingredient against certain chronic pathologies
Several prospective and epidemiological studies have shown that a high consumption of vegetables and fruits reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers and other chronic diseases. More specifically, studies have shown that the consumption of vegetables from the allium family (garlic, onion, shallot, chives, spring onion, leek) would have a protective effect against stomach and intestinal cancers.
Garlic and cancers
Garlic could slow the development of certain cancers, both through its protective action against the damage caused by carcinogenic substances and through its ability to prevent cancer cells from growing. The sulfur compounds contained in garlic could play an important role in this. Thus, garlic, at the rate of a consumption of two cloves per day (i.e. approximately 6 g of garlic), is part of a list of foods containing molecules with anticancer potential to be favored in an optimal diet aimed at prevent cancer.
The results of a meta-analysis of 18 epidemiological studies published between 1966 and 1999 show a 30% reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer and around 50% in the risk of stomach cancer in the event of high consumption of garlic. Among all the studies identified, such consumption was equivalent to approximately 18 g of raw and cooked garlic per week (or about six cloves). Since the amounts ingested varied greatly from one study to another, it is difficult to determine more precisely the minimum amount of garlic to consume in order to benefit from its effects on colorectal and stomach cancers. Also, it is important to remember that a food alone cannot be effective in protecting against cancer.
Other studies have observed an inverse relationship between garlic consumption and the incidence of laryngeal, prostate and breast cancers. However, no general conclusion can be drawn for the moment, given the too small number of studies on the subject. So far, the data are insufficient to establish a link with other types of cancers such as esophageal and lung cancers.
