Using Garlic For Respiratory Wellness

  • Tanvi Shukla Master of Pharmacy - MPHARM, Nirma University
  • Richa Lal MBBS, PG Anaesthesia, University of Mumbai, India

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Brief overview of garlic's historical use and medicinal properties

Before antibiotics, garlic was highly regarded for its medicinal properties, often seen as a comprehensive medicine. While some historical beliefs about garlic's powers have been considered pointless, many enduring suppositions persist to the present day.

Garlic was named ‘Russian penicillin’, ‘natural antibiotic’, ‘vegetable viagra’, ‘plant talisman’, ‘rustic's theriac’, ‘snake grass’ etc.1 Gradually, people's thoughts about garlic have changed, helping doctors handle its challenges better and using garlic to improve health and wellness.

Garlic (Allium sativum L. Fam. Liliaceae) is a globally renowned plant. During epidemics and outbreaks of diseases like typhus, dysentery, cholera, and influenza, garlic was used as a treatment.

Recent scientific studies have shown that garlic can effectively treat many conditions and highlight the importance of research studies about the history of garlic to help pharmacists and doctors in their profession.1

Garlic has a mild smell but releases a strong odour due to sulfur compounds when peeled, sliced, or crushed.

In 1844, the chemical composition of garlic oil obtained through distillation was studied and in 1944, researchers isolated allicin from garlic and discovered its potent antibacterial properties even in minimal amounts.

Another compound, alliin, from garlic lacks antibacterial properties. However, when combined with the enzyme alliinase from fresh garlic it transforms into allicin, which exhibits antibacterial effects.

Potential benefits of garlic for respiratory health

Several studies suggest that garlic contains essential nutritional factors which are crucial for human health and can be used in treating various diseases.

Experiments in vitro and on animals suggest that consuming raw garlic may have a protective effect against lung cancer.2 Several approaches have been proposed to explain how garlic can work to prevent cancer, including inhibiting harmful metabolic processes, preventing DNA damage, scavenging free radicals, and affecting cell growth and tumour development. 

Additionally, garlic may help control infections, reduce inflammation, and shield the lungs from cancer-causing substances like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This evidence gathered from the experiments supports that eating raw garlic may help lower the risk of lung cancer.2

A study in horses shows that garlic supplements help in respiratory health care by increasing their hematologic values.3

The findings indicate that prolonged intake of dried garlic at a dosage of 32 mg/kg body weight lessens tracheal symptoms and the buildup of tracheal exudates in horses. A decrease in the number of neutrophil cells in the tracheal mucus of horses supplemented with garlic is noticed. However, throughout the 83-day study, the garlic-supplemented horses showed a slight decline in haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (HcT), and red blood cell (RBC) values which suggests that even low levels of garlic supplementation might have adverse effects on the horse's blood composition if provided over a long time.

Nutritional composition in garlic

Overview of the key nutrients found in garlic

The main nutrients in 1 clove of raw garlic are as follows: 

Protein0.57 g
Total lipid 0.04 g
Carbohydrate, by difference2.98 g
Energy13.41 kcal
Sugar, total0.09 g
Calcium16.29 mg
Iron0.15 mg
Sodium-1.53 mg
Potassium36.09 mg
Vitamin C2.81 mg

Role of allicin in respiratory health

Allicin, the active compound found in freshly crushed garlic, is a sulfur-containing compound known for its distinctive smell. It acts as a volatile substance effective against microorganisms when released into the air and is considered a promising drug for fighting infections. 

Developing drugs based on allicin and combining it with traditional antibiotics, could be beneficial for treating lung infections directly through inhalation mode. Historical reports suggest that inhaling garlic vapour was successful in treating tuberculosis before antibiotics were available.4

Due to the challenges of achieving sufficient concentrations of allicin through oral consumption, direct inhalation proves to be an appealing alternative for treating lung infections.

Garlic oil has the potential to reduce the toxicity of compounds like tributyltin and increase the cellular uptake of the antibiotic polymyxin B, enhancing its effectiveness against fungal infections. Animal studies show that a garlic supplement of 5 mg/kg body weight has anticoagulant effects.5

Antioxidant actions of garlic

Both whole garlic and aqueous garlic extract possess direct antioxidant properties and increase serum levels of catalase and glutathione peroxidase, two important antioxidant enzymes. Fresh garlic's sulfur compounds are approximately 1000 times more potent as antioxidants compared to those found in aged garlic extract.5

Garlic extract and Nigella sativa oil have been shown to protect against most of the haematological and biochemical changes in schistosomiasis-infected mice improving their antioxidant capacity compared to untreated infected mice. The antioxidant and antischistosomal effects of these substances vary depending on the treatment regimen.6

Antilipemic actions of garlic

Garlic showed positive effects on cardiovascular diseases– hyperlipidaemia, hypertension and platelet aggregation. Its anti-atherosclerotic properties such as lipoprotein modification and inhibition of LDL uptake and degradation by immune cells like macrophages are mainly because of allicin, which is produced upon crushing the garlic clove.

Antimicrobial effects

Garlic oil and allyl alcohol, derived from alliin in garlic strongly inhibit yeast growth. Garlic is effective against certain harmful bacteria found in stool samples, especially those causing diarrhoea like E.coli.7 However, the ability of garlic to fight microbes decreases when it's stored or heated and is best to use fresh garlic and avoid boiling it for more than 5 minutes. 

Chopped garlic can slow down bacterial growth in ground meat, but its effectiveness isn't always achieved. Both fresh garlic and garlic powder fight off harmful microorganisms, act as antioxidants and are useful for preserving meat products.

Antineoplastic effects

Research suggests that S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC), a compound derived from garlic may enhance the effectiveness of docetaxel-based chemotherapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer treatment.8

Potential toxicity of garlic

Currently, there are no identified harmful compounds in garlic and its extracts. However, a study on rats showed that chronic consumption of garlic powder at 50 mg per day inhibited sperm production and was accompanied by lower levels of sialic acid in reproductive organs and reduced Leydig cell function, indicating anti-androgenic properties.9

Higher doses of garlic powder (200 mg/ml) caused significant liver cell damage in rats.

Long-term dosage of garlic extract in rats resulted in improved antioxidant enzyme activity in the liver and kidney at a dose of 250 mg/kg per day. However, higher doses (500 and 1000 mg/kg per day) decreased antioxidant levels and caused liver injury.7

Noticeable side effects include heartburn, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, flatulence, bloating, mild orthostatic hypotension, flushing, tachycardia, headache, insomnia, sweating and dizziness.7

Dosage

In adults, the recommended dose is 2-5 grams  (one to two cloves) of raw garlic per day or one 300-mg dried garlic powder tablet twice or thrice per day.

It is recommended to consult your doctor for the proper dosage,

Summary

Garlic has shown a positive impact on respiratory wellness through its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Several researches indicate that garlic may help combat respiratory infections by inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria and viruses while also reducing inflammation in the respiratory tract. 

Additionally, garlic's antioxidant compounds may contribute to lung health by protecting against oxidative stress and cellular damage. However, it's important to use garlic in moderation since excessive consumption may lead to adverse effects and potential toxicity.

Incorporating garlic into your diet with other lifestyle modifications may contribute to maintaining respiratory wellness.

References

  1. Petrovska BB, Cekovska S. Extracts from the history and medical properties of garlic. Pharmacogn Rev [Internet]. 2010 [cited 2024 Sep 4]; 4(7):106–10. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249897/.
  2. Jin Z-Y, Wu M, Han R-Q, Zhang X-F, Wang X-S, Liu A-M, et al. Raw garlic consumption as a protective factor for lung cancer, a population-based case-control study in a Chinese population. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) [Internet]. 2013 [cited 2024 Sep 4]; 6(7):711–8. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3718302/.
  3. Saastamoinen M, Särkijärvi S, Hyyppä S. Garlic (Allium Sativum) Supplementation Improves Respiratory Health but Has Increased Risk of Lower Hematologic Values in Horses. Animals (Basel) [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2024 Sep 4]; 9(1):13. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356413/.
  4. Reiter J, Levina N, Linden M van der, Gruhlke M, Martin C, Slusarenko AJ. Diallylthiosulfinate (Allicin), a Volatile Antimicrobial from Garlic (Allium sativum), Kills Human Lung Pathogenic Bacteria, Including MDR Strains, as a Vapor. Molecules [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2024 Sep 4]; 22(10):1711. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6151386/.
  5. Rana SV, Pal R, Vaiphei K, Sharma SK, Ola RP. Garlic in health and disease. Nutr Res Rev [Internet]. 2011 [cited 2024 Sep 4]; 24(1):60–71. Available from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0954422410000338/type/journal_article.
  6. El Shenawy NS, Soliman MFM, Reyad SI. The effect of antioxidant properties of aqueous garlic extract and Nigella sativa as anti-schistosomiasis agents in mice. Rev Inst Med trop S Paulo [Internet]. 2008 [cited 2024 Sep 4]; 50(1):29–36. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0036-46652008000100007&lng=en&tlng=en.
  7. El-Saber Batiha G, Magdy Beshbishy A, G. Wasef L, Elewa YHA, A. Al-Sagan A, Abd El-Hack ME, et al. Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of Garlic (Allium sativum L.): A Review. Nutrients [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2024 Sep 4]; 12(3):872. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7146530/.
  8. Howard EW, Lee DT, Chiu YT, Chua CW, Wang X, Wong YC. Evidence of a novel docetaxel sensitizer, garlic‐derived S ‐allyl mercapto cysteine, as a treatment option for hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Intl Journal of Cancer [Internet]. 2008 [cited 2024 Sep 4]; 122(9):1941–8. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.23355.
  9. Mathew B, Biju R. Neuroprotective Effects of Garlic A Review. Libyan J Med [Internet]. 2008 [cited 2024 Sep 4]; 3(1):23–33. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3074326/.

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Bhashwati Deb Barma

Bachelor of Physiotherapy,M.S., Ramaiah Medical College, India

Bhashwati is a Physiotherapist with a firm grasp of Paediatric physiotherapy and is currently working with special children in the community.

She has 6 years of experience working in hospitals and non-profit organizations set up. As a writer by passion, she is putting up her practical and academic knowledge into her articles.

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