"Garlic: A Review of Its Relationship
to Malignant Disease"
Preventive Medicine, May 1990;19(3):346-361
This is an extensive review article
on the physiologic aspects of garlic with regards to cancer
prevention and treatment. This article lists approximately 30
studies from 1949 through 1986 on garlic and cancer. Epidemiologically
garlic and onion consumption is associated with reduced mortality
from cancer. Garlic is rich in sulfur compounds and may be important
in several detoxification pathways. Garlic has antitumor and
cancer inhibition properties. There is presently no data from
the National Toxicology Program regarding the toxicity of garlic
though in animal models negative health effects at very high
doses have been reported. Other documented effects of garlic
include antiobiotic and antifungal activity, fibrinolysis and
platelet aggregation inhibition. The trace elements selenium
and germanium, antioxidants in their own right, are constituents
of Japanese garlic. Further studies in humans on garlic and
cancer are encouraged. 10,040
