AEGiS-GMHC: Common Alternative Therapies: Garlic

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Common Alternative Therapies: Garlic

Gay Men's Health Crisis: Treatment Issues, Volume 7 no. 11/12 - Winter, 1993/94
Bree Scott-Hartland

Garlic (Allium sativium), a member of the lily family, has been used for medicinal purposes from as early on as 3,000 B.C. It is made up of sulfur compounds, amino acids, minerals like germanium, selenium and zinc, and vitamins A, B and C. Allicin, a sulfur containing compound in garlic, is believed to be primarily responsible for most of the suggested benefits of garlic - along with the unique odor.

Garlic has been used for many medicinal purposes in folk and holistic treatment for heart disease, hypertension, heavy metal toxicity and is now being looked at for immunotherapy. A review of the literature on garlic appeared in The Journal of the National Medical Association. The clinical and basic studies suggested a broad spectrum of potential uses.[1]

Animal models have demonstrated that garlic may be a non-specific biologic response modifier[2]. Some researchers have postulated that garlic works as an antioxidant against free-radicals because of its germanium and selenium content.[3] A 1951 study in Science described how mice injected with cancer cells died within sixteen days, but when mice were treated with garlic extract no deaths occurred in the mice for six months.[4]

Claims of garlic's effectiveness against AIDS-related opportunistic infections are based on test tube studies that showed garlic was an anti-bacterial,[5, 6] and anti-fungal agent.[7, 8] There have been no studies as yet that have looked at garlic closely for its uses with immunomodulation, but protocols are constantly being written and submitted by community researchers and activists.

Toxicity with garlic usage occurs when too much raw garlic is ingested. The high sulfur content can cause dermatitis; and colitis occurs by an overkill of the normal flora in the gut. In high doses, garlic also may inhibit blood clotting and interfere with proper thyroid function.

1. Abdullah TH, et al. Journal of the NMA. 1988: 80:41.

2. Lau, B, et al. Journal of Urology, 1986; 136:701-05.

3. Pierson, H. Oral Presentation. Conference on Oxidative Stress in HIV/AIDS. November 8-10, 1993 Bethesda, MD.

4. Weisberger AS. Science.126:1112, 1951.

5. Cavallito CJ, et al. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 1945; 67:1032-33.

6. Johnson MG, et al. Applied Microbiology. 1969; 17:903-5.

7. Tansey MR et al. Mycologia 1975; 67:409-413.

8. Yamada Y, et al. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 1980; 11:123-6.

see also:

Doostan D. "The stinking rose: a clove a day keeps the doctor away?" IHITTG. 1992; 7.

Copyright © 1993 - Treatment Issues. Reproduced with permission. Treatment Issues is published twelve times yearly by GMHC, Inc. All rights reserved. Noncommercial reproduction is encouraged. Subscription lists are kept confidential. GMHC Treatment Issues, The Tisch Building, 119 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011 fredg@gmhc.org http://www.gmhc.org

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