Garlic may possess anti cancer properties

By April Clarkson, April 26th, 2013 | Health | 0 Comments

Garlic is a pungent herb that has been linked to lower cholesterol levels. Researchers are indicating that garlic possesses some anti-cancer properties and lowers the risk of developing cancer.
Researchers at the Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center report that the risk of cancer development, a process called carcinogenesis, was directly proportional to the amount of garlic consumed. The more the garlic consumption, the less was the risk of cancer development.

The researchers indicated that the main focus was on bodily processes associated with nitrogen-containing compounds. These compounds are converted into carcinogens (substances that trigger the development of cancer).

“What we were after was developing a method where we could measure in urine two different compounds, one related to the risk for cancer, and the other, which indicates the extent of consumption of garlic,” said senior author Earl Harrison, Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Human Nutrition at Ohio State.

To their pleasant surprise, the researchers found that high levels of the marker for garlic consumption were associated with low levels of the marker for the risk of cancer. The details of the study appear in the issue of the journal Analytical Biochemistry.

According to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, garlic is used to prevent certain types of cancer, including stomach and colon cancers, but there is no scientific evidence to support this theory. Garlic might also be used in preventing the development of atherosclerosis, which hardens arteries and is the first step in the development of heart disease.

Garlic must be used with caution in people who have a bleeding disorder, because it is a powerful blood thinner. Other side effects include bad breath, body odor, heartburn, upset stomach, and allergic reactions.

If results of the above study are duplicated in larger trials, then scientists may actually be close to developing a natural preventive measure for cancer.