Immune system garlic

Garlic bulb also has a choleretic and spasmolytic effect, which explains its use as a carminativum, whereas the disinfections action is the basis for its use in the case of dyspepsia and chronic intestinal infections. Furthermore, an aqueous extract of fresh garlic bulb has bactericidal and fungicidal effects. Also, effects on the immune system have been reported. 

One of the important virtues of garlic is its strengthening of the immune system, essential for fighting cancer. Garlic also showed protective effects on the cardiovascular system, and it is a potent natural antibiotic. ... 

At present, a limited number of studies on immune stimulatory constituents in garlic were reported and the active principle(s) is far from conclusive. A variety of constituents in garlic may contribute to its effects, i.e. since the immune system involves several types of immuno-responder cells, different constituents may affect different responders. For example, our recent results suggest that AGE contains two types of SH-compounds one stimulates interleukin-2 release from mouse spleen cells and the other suppresses the release (unpublished data). 

Kandil O, Abdullah TH, Elkadi A (1987) Garlic and the immune system in humans its effect on natural killer cells. Fed Proc 46 441... 

Examples of phytochemicals and their biological effects include isothiocyanates and sulforaphane which are found in vegetables such as broccoli and have been shown to trigger enzyme systems that block or suppress cellular DNA damage and reduce tumor size in animal studies (4) Allylic sulfides, found in onions and garlic, can enhance immune function, increase the production of enzymes that help to excrete carcinogens, decrease the proliferation of tumor cells, and reduce serum cholesterol levels (5). Isoflavonoids in soy have also been shown to reduce serum cholesterol levels in humans (6). 

Garlic, a well-known culinary herb, is thought to have originated in the high plains of west central Asia and has been used medicinally for some five thousand years. This is the most powerful herb for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant disease (followed by grapefruit seed extract). No other herb comes close to the multiple system actions of garlic, its antibiotic activity, and its immune-potentiating power. 

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