Re: Digestive Disturbances- Natural Remedies (Garlic)

[Guest guest]

As a follow up with more detailed information on Garlic that can be

used to help alleviate digestive problems, I have pasted below a

part of a peer-reviewed medical resource called Healthnotes. This

resource was the brainchild of one of the most respected alternative

medical doctors, Alan Gaby, MD. Gaby is a professor at the most

prestigious alternative medical college in the nation, Bastyr

University, so I feel very comfortable as to the accuracy and

reliability of this information.

So you feel completely comfortable with the accuracy, I am copying a

summary of a description of the publication. The Healthnotes

writing team is composed of experts in complementary and alternative

medicine from the fields of medicine, pharmacy, nursing,

naturopathy, public health, and chiropractic, overseen by our Chief

Medical Editor, Alan Gaby, MD. No other organization has a group

with so much combined expertise as practitioners and educators in

this emerging field. Crucial to the integrity of Healthnotes

information is the balance, objectivity, and discipline upon which

our writers insist. Combing through over 550 journals on a regular

basis, the team prides itself on being completely up-to-date in each

member's area of expertise.

Beth

GARLIC

Botanical name: Allium sativum

HEALTH CONDITIONS

PRIMARY; Atherosclerosis, BPH, Breast-feeding support, Colon cancer

SECONDARY; Common cold, High blood pressure, high cholesterol, High

triglycerides, intermittent claudicatioin, Warts OTHER; Athlete's

foot, Chronic candidiasis, Ear infections, HIV support, Infection,

Parasites, Peptic ulcer, Sickle cell anemia

BOTANY

Garlic has been used since time immemorial as a culinary spice and

medicinal herb. Garlic has been cultivated in the Middle East for

more than 5,000 years and has been an important part of Traditional

Chinese Medicine. The region with the largest commercial garlic

production is central California. China is also a supplier of

commercial garlic. The bulb is used medicinally.

HISTORICAL or TRADITIONAL USE

Garlic is mentioned in the Bible and the Talmud. Hippocrates, Galen,

Pliny the Elder, and Dioscorides all mention the use of garlic for

many conditions, including parasites, respiratory problems, poor

digestion, and low energy. Its use in China was first mentioned in

A.D. 510. Louis Pasteur studied the antibacterial action of garlic

in 1858.

ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS and PROPOSED MECHANISM of ACTION

The sulfur compound allicin, produced by crushing or chewing fresh

garlic or by taking powdered garlic products with allicin potential,

in turn produces other sulfur compounds: ajoene, allyl sulfides, and

vinyldithiins.(1) Aged garlic products lack allicin, but may have

activity due to the presence of S-allylcysteine.

Many publications have shown that garlic supports the cardiovascular

system. While earlier trials suggest it may mildly lower cholesterol

and triglyceride levels in the blood,(2 3 4) more recent trials

found garlic to have minimal success in lowering cholesterol and

triglycerides.(5 6 7) Garlic also inhibits platelet aggregation and

increases fibrinolysis,(8) which results in a slowing of blood

coagulation. It is mildly antihypertensive(9) and has antioxidant

activity.(10)

Garlic's cardiovascular protective effects were illustrated in a

four-year clinical trial on people 50–80 years old with

atherosclerosis.(11) It was found that consumption of 900 mg of a

standardized garlic supplement reduced arterial plaque formation by

5–18%. The benefits were most notable in women.

In in vitro studies garlic has been found to have antibacterial,

antiviral, and antifungal activity.(12) However, these actions are

less clear in humans and do not suggest that garlic is a substitute

for antibiotics or antifungal medications.

Human population studies suggest that eating garlic regularly

reduces the risk of esophageal, stomach, and colon cancer.(13 14)

This may be partly due to garlic's ability to reduce the

formation

of carcinogenic compounds.

RECOMMENDED DOSAGE

People who wish to consume garlic and have no aversion to its odor

can chew from one to two whole cloves of raw garlic daily. For those

who prefer it with less odor, enteric-coated tablets or capsules

with approximately 1.3% allin are available. Clinical trials have

used 600–900 mg (delivering approximately 5,000–6,000 mcg of

allicin

potential) per day in two or three divided amounts.(15 16) Aged-

garlic extracts have been studied in amounts ranging from 2.4–7.2

grams per day.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Many people enjoy eating garlic. However, some people who are

sensitive to it may experience heartburn and flatulence. Because of

garlic's anti-clotting properties, people taking anticoagulant

drugs

should check with their doctor before taking garlic.(17) Those

scheduled for surgery should inform their surgeon if they are taking

garlic supplements. Garlic appears to be safe during pregnancy and

breast-feeding. In fact, two studies have shown that babies like

breast milk better from mothers who eat garlic.(18 19)

Are there any drug interactions?

Certain medicines may interact with garlic. Refer to drug

interactions for a list of those medicines.

REFERENCES:

1. Koch HP, Lawson LD (eds). Garlic: The Science and Therapeutic

Application of Allium sativaum L and Related Species, 2d ed.

Baltimore: and Wilkins, 1996, 62–4.

2. Warshafsky S, Kamer R, Sivak S. Effect of garlic on total serum

cholesterol: A meta-analysis. Ann Int Med 1993;119:599–605.

3. Silagy C, Neil A. Garlic as a lipid-lowering agent—a meta-

analysis. J R Coll Phys London 1994;28:39–45.

4. Neil HA, Silagy CA, Lancaster T, et al. Garlic powder in the

treatment of moderate hyperlipidaemia: A controlled trial and a meta-

analysis. J R Coll Phys 1996;30:329–34.

5. McCrindle BW, Helden E, Conner WT. Garlic extract therapy in

children with hypercholesterolemia. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med

1998;152:1089–94.

6. Isaacsohn JL, Moser M, Stein EA, et al. Garlic powder and plasma

lipids and lipoproteins. Arch Intern Med 1998;158:1189–94.

7. Berthold HK, Sudhop T, von Bergmann K. Effect of a garlic oil

preparation on serum lipoproteins and cholesterol metabolism. JAMA

1998;279:1900–2.

8. Legnani C, Frascaro M, Guazzaloca G, et al. Effects of a dried

garlic preparation on fibrinolysis and platelet aggregation in

healthy subjects. Arzneim-Forsch Drug Res 1993;43:119–22.

9. Silagy CA, Neil HA. A meta-analysis of the effect of garlic on

blood pressure. J Hyperten 1994;12:463–8.

10. Kleijnen J, Knipschild P, Ter Riet G. Garlic, onion and

cardiovascular risk factors: A review of the evidence from human

experiments with emphasis on commercially available preparations. Br

J Clin Pharmacol 1989;28:535–44.

11. Koscielny J, Klüendorf D, Latza R, et al. The

antiatherosclerotic effect of Allium sativum. Atherosclerosis

1999;144:237–49.

12. BG, Lawson LD. Antimicrobial effects of Allium sativum L.

(garlic), Allium ampeloprasum L. (elephant garlic) and Allium cepa

L. (onion), garlic compounds and commercial garlic supplement

products. Phytother Res 1991;5:154–8.

13. Dorant E, van den Brandt PA, Goldbohm RA, et al. Garlic and its

significance for the prevention of cancer in humans: A critical

review. Br J Cancer 1993;67:424–9.

14. Fleishauer AT, Poole C, Arab L. Garlic consumption and cancer

prevention: meta-analyses of colorectal and stomach cancers. Am J

Clin Nutr 2000;72:1047–52.

15. Brown DJ. Herbal Prescriptions for Better Health. Rocklin, CA:

Prima Publishing, 1996, 97–109.

16. Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, et al. (eds). The Complete

Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines.

Boston, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1998, 134.

17. Brown DJ. Herbal Prescriptions for Better Health. Rocklin, CA:

Prima Publishing, 1996, 97–109.

18. Mennella JA, Beauchamp GK. Maternal diet alters the sensory

qualities of human milk and the nursling's behavior. Pediatr

1991;88:737–44.

19. Mennella JA, Beauchamp GK. The effects of repeated exposure to

garlic-flavored milk on the nursling's behavior. Pediatr Res

1993;34:805–8.

Copyright © 2004 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved.

www.healthnotes.com

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug

Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat,

cure or prevent any disease.