by Robert Pendergrast, MD, MPH
In most traditional cultures, there have always been foods that were regarded also as medicines. Think of how often you heard someone talk about having chicken soup for a cold, for example.
One of the best examples of this is garlic, which has been a part of healing traditions around the world for centuries. In fact, garlic is one of the few foods that are also considered “tonics.” A tonic is an herbal (plant) medicine that has broad effects in multiple health systems in the body, and which generally strengthens the whole system.
Tonics are often claimed to increase stamina and endurance, decrease fatigue and stress and improve immunity, and they also may have well-researched medical benefits in several areas at once. This is very different from pharmaceutical drugs, which are usually designed to fit like a key in a lock for only one narrow medical concern. But the health benefits of a tonic are more widespread, and there is not a better tonic to start with than garlic.
Garlic’s botanical name is allium sativum. The family of allium vegetables also includes onions, which I highlighted in the last column for The Augusta Press. One of the most delightful parts of studying herbal and nutritional medicine is considering how modern science has confirmed the painstaking observations of our ancestors, and this is certainly true for garlic. One can only imagine the number of thoughtful village healers and keepers of the “medicine” in cultures around the world who noticed over time how garlic in the diet kept people well, and sometimes made sick people get better. And now, with centuries of hindsight in our favor, we can find more than 3,000 scientific papers on the medical use of garlic; we would do well when reading those papers to stop and give thanks for our ancestors who had only the laboratory of their own eyes and ears.
MORE: Augusta neurosurgeon first in U.S. to use new 3D-modeled cage for spinal fusion
Why do I use garlic as a prime example of a tonic? Garlic has great benefits for the cardiovascular system. Studies have shown a modest decrease in total and LDL cholesterol (fresh or dried powdered extracts). It decreases tendency to form clots in blood vessels, tends to open up vessels where circulation may be restricted and helps to normalize blood pressure. One 4-year trial of garlic supplements showed a slight reversal in arterial plaques.
Long term regular ingestion of garlic as a food also has shown value in preventing both stomach and colorectal cancer. It also has broad activity against many germs that cause infection. Some of my teachers have claimed that one may be able to stop the progression of a cold or sore throat by chewing up a raw clove of garlic at the first sign of illness (warning, this is not for the fainthearted… it’s really strong!). But remember this caution: because it decreases tendency to clot, it should be stopped seven days before any surgery.
Even while there is ongoing debate among scientists over the exact components of garlic that are responsible for the benefits, and whether cooked or raw is better, I still encourage you to eat some garlic every day, however you can. A single clove per day would be a good goal, and consider a tablet form supplement on other days. But my preference is to enjoy it as food and continue to discover new ways to let it add spice and interest to my dinners!
To your health!
