From kitchen staple to natural shield: What garlic can do for our health

Garlic is not just a common kitchen ingredient and a flavour enhancer, but also a potent medicine. For ages it has been part of traditional medicines and Ayurveda regards it as an effective cure for several ailments. From applying garlic-infused oil to eating a clove of garlic on an empty stomach, it has always been part of some or the other cure. Now that modern science is finally backing up, research indexed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) reveals that garlic doesn’t just add taste, it also helps to fight off real infections, even some that resist standard medication. With more than 4500 studies published, garlic is the powerhouse of medical treatment.Garlic vs MRSA: Challenging a superbugMethicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria that causes infections in different parts of the body and is resistant to many commonly used antibiotics, including methicillin, penicillin, and amoxicillin, making it truly dangerous. But, there might be a hope! In a study published in Phytomedicine, researchers gave mice infected with MRSA oral garlic extracts, and the results were astonishing. It showed that bacterial levels significantly dropped in the blood and the organs, and even inflammation markers such as interleukin-6 were also reduced. Garlic’s sulfur compounds, especially diallyl disulfide, seem to directly attack the bacteria while also calming inflammation. Another study published on PubMed Central found that garlic extract could disrupt MRSA biofilms, a slimy shield that protects bacteria, making it easy for antibiotics to do their assigned job.Candida Albicans, a type of yeast that causes infections such as oral thrush, digestive issues, and yeast infections in the body. It is quite motivating to stay attached to our bodies, but garlic might offer some relief here too! A 2023 study by Khounganian et al., published in Cureus, tested the antifungal power of garlic, onion, and lemon extracts against Candida albicans. Only pure garlic extract showed significant fungal inhibition due to allicin, a potent compound in garlic. Onion and lemon showed no effect, suggesting garlic’s strong potential as a natural antifungal agent.Helicobacter pylori is a common bacterium that is known to cause ulcers and gastritis. A study published in the National Library of Medicine titled “ Assessment of antibacterial effect of garlic in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori using urease breath test” concluded that raw garlic has antibacterial effects against H. pylori residing in the stomach and may be prescribed along with other routine drugs for the treatment of gastric H. pylori infections.Very few studies have been conducted on the effect of garlic in the treatment of UTIs, but one study has revealed that garlic had a significant effect on attenuating the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vivo, in an experimental UTI model. This study was not conducted on humans; it involved in vivo experimentation on infected organisms.In simple words- Garlic extract made the bacteria less aggressive in the living infection model, supporting its potential as a natural intervention against antimicrobial-resistant uropathogens.