What's in Garlic that Makes it a Powerful Natural Medicine?

It is used to treat skin fungus infections. Others use it to alleviate toothache. Ever-present in the kitchen, garlic has always likewise been regarded as a powerful natural medicine. And being a species of the onion family, it sounds perfectly right to say, "A clove of garlic a day keeps the doctor away."

Well, you really don't need to consume an entire fresh clove each day to avoid taking that unwanted trip to your local medical center. Various scientific studies concluded that consuming even just half a clove of garlic daily may significantly lessen the risk of a number of health-related problems. Often it makes us wonder what's really in garlic that makes it such a potent cure for many diseases.

Garlic contains numerous enzymes, a number of sulfur compounds, and one particular mineral that explain its medicinal potency. The peculiar smell that garlic gives off when it is minced or masticated is caused by allicin, a pungent compound that is the major reason for the healing properties that garlic possesses. Another sulfur compound - S-allyl-cystein (a derivative of allicin) - is known to guard against certain types of cancer, particularly colon cancer. On the other hand, garlic produces an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase which helps in neutralizing harmful carcinogens. Garlic also contains selenium. This trace mineral is known to help defend body cells from damage that may lead to cancer.

When ranged against penicillin, garlic may only be about 1 percent as effectual in destroying many of the microorganisms that are known to cause diseases. However, garlic does operate against a wide range of viruses and bacteria - even some that penicillin can't kill. In some studies, it was proven that garlic can hold in check the development of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori which is a known cause of stomach ulcer.