Garlic

Gathered from CNN Online, 7/21/97

While the medicinal powers of garlic have been acclaimed for more than 2,000 years, it has only been recently that scientific studies have demonstrated that chemical compounds in garlic are good for you. One study, at the Mercy Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh, showed that garlic helped slow the growth of tumors. "We have shown that some of these compounds prevent cancer in animals, and we hope that's the case in humans," said Shivendra Singh of the institute. The researchers in Pittsburgh hope to launch experiments involving humans next year. Studies at West Virginia University have found that garlic can inhibit the growth of breast cancer. Researchers at the university think garlic may also help boost the immune system in laboratory mice, thereby reducing the growth of cancerous cells. Whether it works on humans remains to be seen. "Garlic very significantly reduced the growth of bladder tumors in mice," added Dr. Donald Lamm of West Virginia University. Other studies show that garlic may prevent everything from heart disease to the common cold.

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