Garlic Protects Our Lungs

Raw garlic may be the key to the health of our lungs. Find out about the results of exciting new research here.

Raw garlic may be the key to the health of our lungs according to new research out of the Jiangsu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. In a study of nearly 6,000 people, researchers were surprised to find that “garlic may potentially serve as a chemo-preventive agent for lung cancer.” Even smokers may be able to reduce their risk of lung cancer by around 30 percent by eating raw garlic two or more times a week. 

In order to gain insight into the eating habits and lifestyle patterns of their subjects, researchers conducted face-to-face, standardized interviews between 2003 and 2010, with 1,400 lung cancer patients and 4,500 healthy individuals. The researchers were particularly interested in how much garlic they ate and whether they smoked. This type of study is considered a population based, case-control study.

In the US, tobacco use accounts for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths and 87 percent of lung cancer deaths, according to The American Cancer Society.

The Chinese researchers suggested that diallyl sulphide - a compound released when a garlic bulb sprouts into cloves - might be at the root of garlic’s preventative potential. Diallyl sulphide is a breakdown of allicin, an antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory compound found in raw garlic. It is released after it is crushed or chopped; unfortunately it is largely depleted by cooking.

Garlic has been the object of many studies and has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine. NutraIngredients.com reports that, The World Health Organization’s guidelines recommend a dose of around one clove of fresh garlic for adults per day. Moreover, garlic tablets are a licensed drug in Germany where they are prescribed for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Garlic is also known to be great for the immune system as well as protecting against colon cancer.

According to the researchers of the current study, the “effective components in garlic in lung cancer chemoprevention warrant further in-depth investigation.”

SupermarketGuru suggests you include garlic in your regular cooking. Garlic adds great flavor and can take the place of extra sodium in many recipes.

For more: American Association for Cancer Research