For thousands of years, garlic has been used for both its culinary and medicinal properties. The distinctive characteristics of garlic are sulfur, which accounts for almost 1% of its dry weight.
Although garlic is generally not a major source of essential nutrients, it can contribute to several potentially beneficial dietary factors, including the presence of oligosaccharides, arginine-rich proteins, and selenium and flavonoids. Recent research shows that regular consumption of raw can significantly reduce the risk of cancer.
44% reduction in cancer risk:
Researchers at the Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention claim to have found a protective association between ingesting raw garlic and lung cancer, saying "garlic can potentially be used as a chemopreventive agent for lung cancer ".
The study, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, notes that Chinese medicine has been using garlic for 2000 years before our era. The authors suggest that compounds such as diallyl sulfide, may contribute to its potential preventive powers against cancer.
Diallyl sulphide is a degradation of allicin, an antibiotic and antifungal compound largely depleted by cooking or stripping.
In addition, increased nitrosamine formation is considered one of the most likely mechanisms by which garlic prevents cancer.
The ability of garlic to inhibit tumors due to different cancer-inducing agents and tissues indicates that a generalized cellular event is probably responsible for altering tumor incidence and that the response is highly dependent on biological or other aggression. .
Since metabolic activation is required for many of these carcinogens, it is likely that phase I or II enzymes are altered.
While the study focused mainly on raw garlic, it can also be consumed as tablets, oil or powder. Garlic (allium sativum) is an important ingredient of Chinese medicine and can be found in many traditional herbal remedies and traditional Chinese medicines (TCM).