Using Garlic to Fight Cancer
There are some foods that provide the total package – flavor, aroma, and health benefits.
By now, you must have heard about the healing powers of garlic. It is naturally anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-microbial. You can also help prevent and even fight cancer with garlic!
Throughout history, it’s been used to prevent infections and protect from illness. While garlic may be as old as the pyramids, modern day scientific studies have confirmed the incredible benefits of garlic and its’ active compounds.
The primary disease-fighting compound that makes garlic so powerful is called allicin. This sulfuric substance is what makes garlic a cancer-fighter.
A member of the allium family (relatives are onions, leeks, chives, and shallots), garlic is a health-boosting food you should really consider adding (or increasing) in your own diet.
The Power of Garlic
- Garlic is nutrient dense. High in the good stuff like manganese, vitamins B6 and C, selenium, and fiber – garlic gives your body what it needs without heavy calories. They even have a bit of protein and carbs.1
- Garlic is excellent for your heart. Researchers in Saudi Arabia found that the equivalent of four cloves of garlic was as effective as a hypertension drug called Atenolol.2 Your red blood cells convert the sulfuric compounds of garlic into hydrogen sulfide gas, which helps to expand blood vessels and lower pressure.
It also lowers LDL “bad” cholesterol by as much as 15% overall and has been proven to help prevent hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). - Garlic boosts your immune system. One study conducted during prime cold season in the United Kingdom found that participants using garlic had 60% fewer colds that wrapped up faster (with less extreme symptoms) than those on a placebo.3
Steeping crushed garlic in tea (with a bit of lemon and honey) could be the cold relief you’ve been looking for all your life! - Garlic is a powerful antioxidant. Free radical damage that leads to body-wide inflammation is the root cause of many diseases and conditions including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, aging, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.
Garlic “ramps up” your body’s ability to fight free radicals. If you suffer from an auto-immune disease (a growing epidemic around the globe), you need garlic in your diet!4 - Garlic is effective against fungus and parasites. Regular consumption of garlic can help prevent negative effects of bacteria and parasites in your food (including food poisoning). Studies have included using fresh garlic to treat E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enteritidis.5
Also, for those who suffer from athlete’s foot, jock itch, or live in areas where worms and parasites are a problem, adding garlic to your eating plan is an excellent way to get these problems under control. You can grind garlic into a paste, mix with coconut oil, and apply topically to problem areas. It was even used by soldiers in both World Wars to prevent gangrene. - Garlic is a natural (and highly effective) detoxifier. Not only is garlic excellent at mopping up free radicals, it is also effective against heavy metals in the blood. One study found that lead in the body of men who worked in a battery factory went down by 19% using garlic.6
- Garlic is great for your skin. The sulfuric compounds in garlic are excellent against inflammatory conditions of the skin such as psoriasis, eczema, and acne.
While you don’t want to walk around smelling like garlic, you should give a garlic and coconut oil mask a try! The next time you see a pimple forming, rub a slice of raw garlic clove over the area.7
Using garlic to fight cancer (or prevent it in the first place) is honestly common sense. It has the ability to detoxify, lower free radical damage, and boost your overall immune system. It’s a natural choice.
Cancer-Fighting Garlic Facts
Cancer cells become damaged from dietary and environmental toxins, rampant inflammation, and a compromised immune system, to name a few. Garlic specifically targets these weak spots, giving you an extra layer of protection without dangerous side effects.8
In laboratory settings, garlic appears to kill leukemia cells as well as slow the growth of tumors in prostate, bladder, colon, and stomach tissue. More human trials are needed but there are many reasons to make garlic part of your anti-cancer lifestyle. Alongside the powerful effects of allicin, garlic also contains cancer-fighting quercetin.
Over several years, men and women who regularly consumed garlic in their diet had a 30% lower risk of colorectal, esophageal, and stomach cancers. The greatest benefits came from raw or chopped, cooked garlic…supplements didn’t have the same dramatic results.
Chemotherapy and radiation treatments ravage your immune system.
If you’re currently undergoing conventional cancer therapies, including garlic in your diet can provide a 50% boost your immune system. This is critical in helping cancer patients prevent colds, flus, and infections.
How to Prepare
A garlic bulb or head contains between 10-20 individual cloves. They should be chopped, minced, or crushed raw to release the allicin. You shouldn’t cut up garlic after cooking because it loses many of its powerful antioxidant properties.
Eat it raw (or as close to raw) as you can for the maximum effects.
When cooking, chop the garlic first and allow it to sit for a few minutes while you prep other ingredients. This gives the allicin time to release and then it can be cooked as usual.
Use it as a garnish on soups and salads, blend crushed cloves in homemade mayonnaise for sandwiches, and add it to fresh salad dressings.
Your Body Needs the “Stinking Rose”
Every proven health benefit of this little vegetable is also going to help fight cancer. Garlic is good for your entire body…from baldness (seriously) to colorectal cancer to athlete’s foot.
There are no downsides to adding cancer-fighting garlic to your regular eating plan.
It may be considered a “stinking rose” but a little bad breath after your delicious salad with chopped raw garlic is absolutely worth it to fight cancer, prevent colds, and detox from heavy metals!
References:
1 The World’s Healthiest Foods: Garlic
2 Pak J Pharm Sci. 2013 Sep;26(5):859-63. Effects of Allium sativum (garlic) on systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension.
3 Adv Ther. 2001 Jul-Aug;18(4):189-93. Preventing the common cold with a garlic supplement: a double-blind, placebo-controlled survey.
4 Medical News Today: Garlic: Proven benefits
5 Authority Nutrition: 11 Proven Health Benefits of Garlic
6 American Institute for Cancer Research: AICR’s Foods That Fight Cancer
7 Huffington Post: Benefits of Garlic: 11 Healthy Reasons To Eat More Of This Smelly Superfood
8 National Cancer Institute: Garlic and Cancer Prevention
