Understanding Herbs - Garlic (Allium sativum)

Often considered by some as a purely food-oriented herb, garlic has a generous history in medical Herbalism. Other than having its pungent taste and smell that some love and others hate, garlic is known for its anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and detoxifying properties.

Found as far back as pre-medieval medical texts, there are recipes found where garlic has been used historically for serious maladies such as sepsis and other severe infections. Even the first female physician Hildegard von Bingen mentions its many uses in the 9th century. Garlic was widely used in ancient Sumer, and thus is considered to be one of the most ancient herbal medicines.

Whether you love garlic, or hate it, this medicinal herb is a pungent and thorough healer.

Family:  Liliaceae
 
Parts Used: Bulb (Fresh)
 
Common Name: Garlic, Ajo, Allium
 
Actions:
Pungent                               Anti-Tumour                      Promotes Leucocytosis
Antiseptic                            Anti-Microbial                   Antibiotic
Anti-Bacterial                     Anti-Viral                             Anti-Fungal
Anti-Parasitic                     Anthelmintic                      Hypoglycemic
Anti-Diabetic                      Anti-Pyretic                        Diaphoretic
Anti-Histaminic                 Expectorant                       Detoxifier
Anti-Thrombotic               Anti-Coagulant                  Vasodilator
Hypotensive                      Hypolipidemic                   Fibrinolytic
Anti-Cholesterol               Anti-Antherosclerosis    Cholagogue
Aphrodisiac                        Antispasmodic                  Amoebicidal

Chemical Constituents:
Enzymes (allinase)
Volatile Oils (over 14 sulfur containing components including alliin, citral, geraniol, linalool, and phellandrene)
Nutrients (Vitamin B and Minerals)
Fiber
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Amino Acids (Arginine, Glutamic Acid, Asparagic Acid, Methionine, and Threonin)
Lipids
Prostaglandins

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What Are Its Uses?

Head, Ears, Eyes, Nose, and Throat:

• Hay fever
• Ear infections
• Catarrh deafness (plugged ears from pressure or stuffy nose)
• Tonsillitis
• Ear aches
• A clove placed in the mouth near an abscess will help remove the swelling and pain
• Four or five cloves of garlic infused in water, vinegar, or wine, makes an excellent wash for the scalp to stimulate hair growth or clear up dandruff
• Hoarseness
• Chronic inflammation of the tonsils

Integumentary System (Skin):

• Acne (topical)
• Boils (topical)
• Ringworm (topical)
• Fungal infections (topical)
• Psoriasis
• Wounds – “ The raw juice is expressed, diluted with water, and put on swabs of sterilized Sphagnum moss, which are applied to the wound. Where this treatment has been given, it has been proved that there have been no septic results, and the lives of thousands of men have been saved by it’s use” – MRS Grieve, in regard to its use during WWI
• To disperse hard swellings
• Scrofulous sores (pounded and employed as a poultice)
• Athletes foot (External)

Mental Health:

• Effects of Stress (anti-inflammatory)

 
Nervous System:

• Epilepsy – An infusion of the bruised bulbs, given before and after every meal, has been considered of good effect in epilepsy – MRS Grieve

 
Respiratory System:

• Specific for chronic bronchitis and bronchitis – Specific in the British Pharmacopoeia. Its properties have been attested to by modern experimental and clinical research.
• Colds
• Flus
• Whooping cough – “Bruised and mixed with lard, it has been proved to relieve whooping-cough if rubbed on the chest and between the shoulder-blades” – MRS Grieve
• Bronchial asthma
• Asthma by way of its histaminic action and reducing allergy related asthma

Digestive System:

• To stimulate bile and digestion of fats
• GIT catarrh
• Viral, bacterial, or fungal infections of the GIT
• Mucosal colitis
• Intestinal worms and parasites of the GIT
• Destroys foreign pathogens while supporting the positive gut flora of the intestine
• Gallstones
• Obesity
• Peptic ulcers
• Diarrhea (Essential Oil)
• Dysentery (Essential Oil)
• TB (Essential Oil)
• Hepatitis
• Garlic increases secretion from the mucosa to improve digestion and lubricate the passage of viscid mucus, stimulates internal metabolism, and kills bacteria through direct attack (like a sulfa drug) and by changing the environment in which they thrive – Matthew Wood
  
  

Excretory System:

• Pinworms (Humans and Pets)
• Constipation

 
Urinary/Renal System:

• Urinary tract infections

 
Endocrine System (Hormones):

• Diabetes Mellitus – (Do NOT use in place of diabetic medications). Garlic appears to have significant blood-glucose-lowering action. The active principles are believed to be the sulfur-containing compounds allyl propyl disulfide (APDS) and dially disulphide oxide (allicin), although other constituents such as flavonoids may play a role as well. Garlic has a wide range of additional well documented effects useful for the diabetic, including helping to improve blood glucose control, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and inhibit some of the factors associated with increased risk of vascular complications of diabetes such as increased fibrinogen levels.
  
  

Cardiovascular System:

• Reduces cholesterol
• Reduces triglycerides
• Fibrinolysis
• Reduces the thrombosis process
• High blood pressure
• High lipids
• Atherosclerosis
• Arteriosclerosis
• To protect from heart disease and age-related vascular change
• Promote blood flow in arterial vascular disease
  
  Circulatory System:
• To reduce the risk of strokes
  
  
• Immune/Lymphatic System:
• Increases white blood cells
• Helps reduce antioxidant damage
• Inhibits growth in some types of tumours
• Viral infections
• Bacterial infections
• Fungal infections (including candida)
• Parasitic infections
• As part of some cancer therapies
• To assist in the detoxification of lead poisoning
• Cancer prevention (5 cloves/week) – Garlic consumption reduces colorectal cancer risk to 0.69 and stomach cancer to 0.53

Reproductive System:

• Candida and other vaginal infections (taken orally, do NOT use vaginally) – Garlic has demonstrated significant antifungal activity. In fact, its inhibition of candida in both animal and test tube studies has shown it to be more poteen than nystatin, gentian violet, and six other reputed antifungal agents. Chronic candidiasis requires a daily dose of at least 10mg allicin (a constituent in garlic) or a total allicin potential of 4,000mg. This amount is equal to approximately one clove (4g) of fresh garlic. Going beyond this dosage, even with odorless preparations, usually results in a detectable odor of garlic.

Musculoskeletal System:

• Rheumatism – A clove or two of garlic, pounded with honey and taken two or three nights successively, is good in rheumatism. – MRS Grieve

 
Specific Diseases/States/Infections/Viruses/Bacteria:

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Silent inflammatory conditions/Silent inflammation
• It was used in the First World War for preventing gangrene and sepsis
• In olden days, Garlic was employed as a specific for leprosy
• Believed that it has most beneficial results in cases of smallpox, if cut small and applied to the soles of the feet in a linen cloth, renewed daily.
• Formed the principle ingredient in the “Four Thieves Vinegar,” which was adapted so successfully at Marseilles for protection against the plague when it prevailed there in 1722.

 
Combinations:

• Lack of Appetite “Someone who disdains eating should take sage, and a little less chervil, and a bit of garlic, and pound these together with vinegar, and so make a condiment. He should dip foods which he wishes to eat in it, and he will have an appetite for eating” – Hildegard von Bingen 9th Century Physician

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Safety and Concerns:

• Ok in culinary amounts.
• Considered a food herb, generally regarded as safe.
• Fresh garlic at 5gm prevented hepatotoxicity from acetaminophen (Tylenol) and was partially protective at 0.5gm as shown by serum enzymes and liver biopsy (in mice). Garlic ant its S-allyl components inhibited cytochrome P450 2E1 oxidation of acetaminophen and thereby reduced its bioactivation.
  • Aged garlic alcoholic extract does not prevent acetaminophen hepatoxicity, though its components S-allyl cysteine and

S-allylmercapto cysteine can prophylactically reduce it (in vitro)

• Glutathione depletion was prevented in a dose-dependent manner (in vitro) from acetaminophen (Tylenol).
• Garlic powder dose-dependently protected the heart, liver, and pancreas from damage induced by isoprenaline, especially in combination with hawthorn (in rats)
• Use caution when taking therapeutic amounts during lactation – may give colic to baby.
• Use only small, diluted amounts for children
• Caution in acid reflux from the stomach into the esophagus (speculative) due to the relaxing effect on the lower esophageal sphincter of aromatics like peppermint oil (in human study).
• Caution for people using insulin – insulin dose may require adjusting (speculative) due to hypoglycemic effects of garlic, its juice or ether extract (in rats and rabbits) and its constituent allicin (in rabbits).​
• Do not use with acute inflammation or acute irritation
• Do not used with acute or chronic stomach inflammation (empirical) or marked irritation or inflammation of other mucosal surfaces since the concentrated garlic volatile disulfide components can cause gastroenteritis (empirical).
• Due to its emmenagogue effect (empirical) and its uterine stimulant action (in vitro or animal studies) excessive use should be avoided in early pregnancy.
• Caution in cases with low thyroid function (speculative) when high levels of purified constituents are used on a regular basis since this may cause a reduced iodine uptake by the thyroid.
• Do not use before/after surgery (due to blood thinning effects)
• Heavy consumption prior to surgery led to increased clotting time or reduced platelet aggregation (in human case reports). This is also shown when consuming 4 cloves (2 grams) daily led to a spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (in human case reports).
• Do not use with hyper coagulative conditions.
• Taking pearls or tablets reported doubled the INR of 2 patients stabilized on warfarin (in human case reports( due to increased fibrinolytic activity (in human case reports) and diminished human platelet aggregation (in human case studies) associated with the garlic components allicin, ajoene, vinyl dithiins, and trisulfides (in vitro).
• In some people, higher doses may cause a burning sensation in mouth and GIT, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
• May cause changes to friendly gut bacteria in therapeutic doses
• Can counter effect the use of probiotics in therapeutic doses – stagger dose
• Do not use full doses in children under the age of 12
• Do not use with anti-coagulant, anti-thrombotic medications, or with aspirin, or diabetic medications/insulin (may further lower blood sugar)
• If using as part of an infused oil for ear drops – do not use if ear drum is ruptured.​​

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References:

• Medicinal Herbs Quick Reference Guide – Revision 7 by Julieta Criollo DNM, CHT – Self Published 2017
• Jeanne Rose Herbal Body Book by Jeanne Rose – Frog Ltd. Berkeley California 2000
• Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions Third Edition by Francis Brinker ND – Eclectic Medical Publications Sandy Oregon 2001
• The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine Third Edition – By Michael T. Murray ND and Joseph Pizzorno ND – Atria Publishing, New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, New Delhi 2012
• Hildegard Von Bingen’s Physica – The Complete English Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing – Translated from Latin by Priscilla Throop – Healing Arts Press Rochester VT 1998
• The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils – The Complete Guide to the Use of Aromatic Oils in Aromatherapy, Herbalism, Health & Well-Being By Julia Lawless – Conari Press 2013
• A Modern Herbal by MRS. M. Grieve – Dover Publication NY 1971
• The Earthwise Herbal A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants by Matthew Wood- North Atlantic Books Berkeley, California 2008