garlic benefit

7/29/2019 Garlic Benefit

1/12

Of the many beneficial actions of garlic, inhibition of thegrowth of cancer is perhaps the

most remarkable. Our previousanimal studies demonstrated that aged garlic extract was

highlyeffective, and unlike the approved immunotherapy for human bladdercancer,bacillus Calmette-Gurin (BCG), garlic was effectivewhen added to the diet. To

elucidate the mechanism of this antitumoreffect, the literature describing antitumor and

immune-enhancing

effects of garlic is reviewed. Garlic can detoxify carcinogens

bystimulation of cytochrome P450 enzymes, antioxidant activityor sulfur compound binding.

Studies demonstrate a direct toxiceffect of garlic to sarcoma and gastric, colon, bladder

andprostate cancer cells in tissue culture, but these effects cannotexplain the inhibition ofgrowth of transplanted cancer in animalmodels. The most likely explanation of this effect

is immunestimulation. Comparison of the effects of garlic to BCG immunotherapy

reveals many similarities. Both stimulate proliferation of lymphocytesand macrophage

phagocytosis, induce the infiltration of macrophagesand lymphocytes in transplantedtumors, induce splenic hypertrophy,stimulate release of interleukin-2, tumor necrosis

factor- andinterferon- , enhance natural killer cell, killer cell and lymphokine-activated

killer cell activity. These activities represent effective stimulationof the immune

response. Studies suggest that garlic may be useful

in preventing the suppression ofimmune response that is associatedwith increased risk of malignancy. Data suggest that

maintenanceof immune stimulation can significantly reduce the risk of cancer.Clinicaltrials should be initiated to test the hypothesis that the immune stimulation and other

beneficial effects of garlicare able to reduce the incidence of cancer.

KEY WORDS: immunocopetence garlic cancer bladder mouse

\E Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder is highly susceptible toimmunotherapy and

is one of a very few human malignancies forwhich immunotherapy is the current

treatment of choice. Immunotherapy

with bacillus Calmette-Gurin (BCG)

3

is superior tochemotherapy in the treatment of carcinoma in situ of the bladder;unlike chemotherapy,

it provides long-term protection from tumorrecurrence and disease progression. Clinicalefficacy in the treatmentof bladder cancer has also been reported with other

immunotherapies,including Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), interleukin-2 (IL-2),

interferon- (INF- ) and the interferon inducer, bropirimine.

Previous studies have demonstrated that BCG immunotherapy is superior tochemotherapy with thiotepa, doxorubicin or mitomycinin clinical trials, and laboratory

studies have suggested thesuperiority of BCG over alternative immunotherapies. We

were,therefore, surprised by the report of Lau et al. (1990) thatintralesional aged garlic

extract (AGE) was more effective than

BCG in the treatment of transplanted transitionalcell carcinomain the mouse model. In an effort to develop improved treatments for

bladder cancer, we evaluated AGE in the murine model. Theseresults and the data that

suggest that the antitumor activityof garlic may be related at least in part to immunestimulationwill be reviewed.

Antitumor activity of garlic
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#FN2http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B8http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#FN2


2/12

The recorded use of garlic in the treatment of tumors dates all the way back to 1550 BC

when ancient Egyptians administered itorally and topically; the modern era, however,

begins in the1950s when Weisberger and Pensky (1958) demonstrated in vitro andinvivo that thiosulfinate extracts of garlic inhibited thegrowth of malignant cells and

prevented growth of sarcoma 180ascites tumor. Since that time, garlic has been

demonstrated

in epidemiologic studies to be associated with a reduced risk

of stomachcancer (You et al. 1989 ) and, in animal models,to have antitumor activity in sarcoma,

mammary carcinoma, hepatoma,colon cancer, and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

and esophagus(Lau et al. 1990 ). These effects appear to be mediated by variousmechanisms. Prevention of malignant transformation after theadministration of chemical

carcinogens may result from inhibitionof the activation of procarcinogens by garlics

effecton cytochrome P450 enzymes (Dion and Milner 1997 ), antioxidantactivity, or

detoxification by binding to sulfur compounds ingarlic (Abdullah et al. 1988 ). Directinhibition of cancercell growth in tissue culture has been documented in sarcoma as well

as gastric, colon, bladder and prostate carcinoma celllines (Knowles and Milner 1997 ,

Pan et al. 1985 , Weisbergerand Pensky 1958 ). The mechanism of direct tumor cell

inhibition

has not yet been determined. Perhaps the most important action

of garlic in theinhibition of cancer and the topic of thisreview is potentiation of the immune system.

Aged garlic extract as an immunotherapy for bladder cancer

Lau et al. (1986) compared intralesional and intraperitonealgarlic extract therapy with

effective immunotherapies for bladdercancer, BCG, Corynebacterium parvum (CP) andKLH in the transplantablemurine bladder tumor model MBT2. These experiments

demonstratedthat intralesional immunotherapy with each of these agents significantly

inhibited tumor growth (P< 0.05). Maximal inhibition oftumor growth was seen with CP(250g) and garlic extract(25 mg). Significant reduction in tumor growth was observed

with intraperitoneal CP treatment. Intraperitoneal garlic appeared

to reduce tumor growth,although not to the level of statistical significance, and intraperitoneal BCG had no effect.

Examination of hematoxylin and eosinstained sectionsof the transplanted tumorsdemonstrated necrosis and infiltrationwith macrophages and lymphocytes. Intralesional

BCG and CP inducedgranuloma formation as well, but no granuloma were seen after

treatment with garlic extract. Intraperitoneal garlic treatmentproduced tumor necrosis and

infiltration with macrophages andsmall lymphocytes, suggesting an immune response.

This group (Marsh et al. 1987 ) evaluated these same treatmentsintravesically after

intravesical tumor transplantation. The efficacyof CP, garlic and BCG, but not KLH, was

confirmed. Maximal inhibition

of tumor growth was again observed with CP and garlic.Comparingtreatment schedules of 1, 6, or both 1 and 6 d after tumor transplantation,only

garlic treatment achieved statistical significance whengiven as a single treatment 6 d

after transplantation.

Microscopic examination of the bladders revealed infiltrationof macrophages and smalllymphocytes in animals treated withCP, BCG and, to a lesser extent, KLH. Topical garlic

treatmentresulted in extensive macrophage and neutrophil infiltration,with few
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B17http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B5http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B12http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B10http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B10http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B9http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B16http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B12http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B5http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B1http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B2http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B8http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B17http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B16


3/12

lymphocytes. Splenic weights were significantly increasedin all treatment groups relative

to untreated controls. Splenicphagocytic function and natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity

were reported to be significantly increased with both CP andgarlic immunotherapy.

These experiments suggested that garlic treatment effectivelyinhibited growth of

transitional cell carcinoma in vivo. In

view of the recognized toxicity of BCG therapy andthe absenceof observed toxicity with garlic treatment in these studies,garlic therapy

could be an effective treatment alternative forpatients with bladder cancer. Datasuggested that immune mechanismsmight be responsible for the observed beneficial

response togarlic.

To further establish garlic as a safe and effective treatmentfor bladder cancer, weevaluated intralesional and oral AGEtreatment of transitional cell carcinoma in the

murine model(Riggs et al. 1997 ). We confirmed that intralesional garlicextract was

highly effective in the treatment of subcutaneously transplanted MBT2 bladder cancer.

Inhibition of tumor growthwas highly significant (P< 0.001) and similar to that ofBCG

(Table 1 ). Unfortunately, in contrast to the previous investigators,

we observed thatrepeated intralesional garlic injection wastoxic, resulting in death of up to 42% of treated

mice. Reductionin the dose and frequency of intralesional garlic injectionreduced thetoxicity, but our enthusiasm for a clinical trial of intravesical garlic was diminished in

view of the newly discoveredrisk. Because oral garlic has been used for thousands of

years,we sought to evaluate oral garlic in the treatment of transplantedbladder cancer.Remarkably, oral AGE when added to drinkingwater in doses of 5, 50 and 500 mg/100

mL inhibited the growthof transitional cell carcinoma in a dose-dependent manner (Table

2 ). Significant inhibition of tumor growth was seen at the50 and 500 mg/mL dose (P=

0.023 andP< 0.001, respectively),and significant improvement in survival (10 of 20,50% vs. 4of 20, 20% control,P= 0.048) was seen with the 500 mg/mL dose.No adverse

effect of oral garlic administration was seen. Animal

weights did not differ among groupsand water intake was highestin the group with the highest concentration of AGE.Becauseno toxicity was observed and antitumor effect was highest inthe group with the

highest oral garlic intake, it is possiblethat higher doses may be even more effective.

Studies to identifythe optimal oral dose of garlic in the treatment of bladdercancer are inprogress.

Evidence for immunologic antitumor action of garlic

We observed that garlic has direct dose-dependent toxicity to cultured transitional cell

carcinoma cells, but only at doses 15 mg/mL,concentrations that are not practical with
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#T1http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#T2http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#T1http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B14


4/12

systemic administration(Riggs et al. 1997 ). The remarkable efficacy of oral,

intravesicaland intralesional AGE is therefore clearly not related to direct cytotoxicity

alone. The alternative antitumor mechanisms ofdetoxification of carcinogens, antioxidantactivity and inhibitionof procarcinogens similarly cannot explain the inhibition ofgrowth

of transplanted cancer. Of the currently recognized effectsof garlic, only immune

stimulation can logically explain the

observed inhibition of growth of transplanted cancer.

What evidence supports immune stimulation as an important antitumor effect of garlic?One approach to answer this question is to compare thereported effects of garlic with a

recognized, Food and Drug Administrationapproved,clinically useful cancer

immunotherapy such as BCG.

The effects of garlic on murine transitional cell carcinomaare remarkably similar to those

of BCG. Both inhibit tumor growth,and microscopic examination of the site of tumor

transplantationreveals infiltration with macrophages and lymphocytes. BCG,but not

garlic, induces granuloma formation. In animal models,both BCG and garlic induce

hypertrophy of the reticuloendothelial

system as measured by splenic hypertrophy. Garlic,like BCG,increases NK cell activity.

Intravesical BCG administration results in the release of cytokinesin the urine, and

elevation of urinary cytokines, particularlyIL-2, tumor necrosis factor- (TNF- ), andINF- , is associatedwith antitumor activity. In animal studies, AGE is reportedto induce

the release of IL-2, TNF- , and INF- (Kyo et al. 1998 ). Enhancedphagocytosis, one of

the first immunostimulatory actions reportedwith BCG, is seen with garlic administration(Kyo et al. 1998 ).Additional activities seen with both BCG and garlic includeenhanced

killer cell activity and immunoproliferation of lymphocytesin response to mitogen

stimulation (Kyo et al. 1998 ). Theseeffects, particularly the pattern of cytokine release,

suggest

that garlic, like BCG, stimulates a Th1 cellular immune response

that ischaracteristic of effective antitumor immunotherapies.

The component in garlic that is responsible for the effective immune stimulation is not

known conclusively, and it is likelythat multiple ingredients are immunologically active.A proteinfraction from garlic is known to augment in vitro macrophagecytotoxicity and

phagocytosis as well as stimulate lymphocyteproliferation (Hirao et al. 1987 ). The

protein fraction 4 (F4)from garlic has been demonstrated to enhance the cytotoxicityofhuman peripheral blood lymphocytes against NK-sensitive (K562) and NK-resistant

(M14) cell lines (Morioka et al. 1993 ). Theseeffects were markedly augmented by the

addition of low dosesof IL-2. The combination was also more effective in inducing

lymphokine-activatedkiller cell activity. F4 enhanced IL-2 or conconavalin Ainducedproliferation of lymphocytes and IL-2 receptor expression. Theenhanced cytotoxicity

induced by F4 and F4 plus IL-2 was abolishedby anti-IL-2 antibody, suggesting that the

activity of F4 ismediated by IL-2 (Morioka et al. 1993 ). These data suggestthat the F4fraction of garlic is an efficient immunopotentiatorthat may be effective in cancer

immunotherapy.
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B11http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B11http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B11http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B4http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B6http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B6http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B6http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B14


5/12

Although the F4 fraction of garlic is clearly an immune stimulant,it is not the only

immunologically active ingredient in garlic.Therefore, F4 may not be entirely

responsible for the observedbeneficial response in transplanted tumors. In studies of theeffect of diallyl disulfide on the growth of transplanted humancolon carcinoma cell lines

in immunologically compromised nudemice, Sundaram and Milner (1996) found diallyl

disulfide to

be as effective as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in inhibiting tumor

growth.Combining the diallyl disulfide and 5-FU did not increasethe effect, but concurrent

diallyl disulfide treatment did significantlyreduce the depression of leukocyte counts and

splenic weightassociated with chemotherapy administration (Sundaram and Milner1996). In another study, Geng et al. (1997) examined the effectsofS-allyl cysteine, a water-

soluble constituent of garlic thatinhibits chemical carcinogen-induced colon and

mammary tumors inanimals and inhibits the growth of neuroblastoma and melanoma in

vitro. In studies of human T cells, S-allyl cysteine was foundto inhibit activation of thenuclear protein of the Rel oncogene family(nuclear factor- B). This protein, which is

induced by TNF- orH2O2, regulates immune function, inflammation and cellular growth

(Geng et al. 1997 ). These studies suggest that low-molecular-weight compoundsas well

as proteins found in garlic have antitumor and immune effects.

Prevention of immune suppression

Immune surveillance offers protection from cancer and from impairmentof immune

defenses, as occurs with conditions ranging from abnormalitiessuch as acquired

immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) to the normal aging process. In addition toenhancing NK function in AIDS patients, garlic is reported to improve age-related

deterioration of learningbehavior and impairment of immune response in a mouse model

(Zhanget al. 1997 ). The most common carcinogen, ultraviolet irradiation,appears to beinhibited by garlic. UV irradiation damages DNA and induces a specific defect in T-cell

immunity, impairing

the recognition of UV-induced malignancy. Most interestingly,

oralgarlic administration is found to protect from photoimmunosuppression(Reeve et al.

1997 ). Induction of an impaired immune responseby the tumor itself is an effectivemeans to escape destructionby host surveillance mechanisms. It is not known whether

garliccan reduce the inhibition of immune response induced by tumor,but the observed

responses are certainly compatible with this hypothesis.Protection from immunesuppression is potentially an importantmechanism in preventing the development of

malignancy. For example,in our experience with maintenance BCG immunotherapy in

patientswith superficial bladder cancer, stimulation of the immune systemfor a period of3 y not only protects from recurrence of bladdercancer, but significantly reduces the

incidence of other malignanciesas well (Lamm et al. 1999 ). Additional evidence that

garlic

potentiates immune responses is provided from other studies

as well. In a study ofthe effect of garlic on the neuroendocrineand immunomodulation network, Zhang et al.(1997) reportedthat AGE improves age-related deterioration of learning behavioras

well as impaired immune response in a mouse model. Garlic increased not only

lymphocyte proliferation, as seen in otherstudies, but antibody production as well (Zhanget al. 1997 ).
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B3http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B3http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B18http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B18http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B18http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B7http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B13http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B18http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B3http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B3http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B15http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/3/1067S#B15


6/12

Further study will be required to identify the active ingredients in garlic that are

responsible for the observed antitumor activityand immune stimulation. Data now

suggest that low-molecular-weightsulfur compounds and F4 have immune-stimulatingproperties andalso that garlic can detoxify chemical carcinogens to prevent

carcinogenesis and directly inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Garlic appears to stimulate

immunity including macrophage activity,

NK and killer cells, and lymphokine activatedkiller cells,and it increases production of IL-2,TNF, and INF- . These cytokinesare

associated with the beneficial Th1 antitumor response, whichis characteristic of effective

cancer immunotherapies. LikeBCG, garlic stimulates proliferation of macrophages andlymphocytes,and also protects against suppression of immunity by chemotherapy and UV

radiation. Garlic is clearly not a panacea for cancer,but its broad range of beneficial

effects warrants serious considerationin clinical trials for the prevention and treatment of

cancer.

Fighting Infection without Antibiotics

We have been putting out the slogan, "say no to drugs, say yes to herbs" for several years

now. One of the drugs I'd like to see people start saying "NO" to is antibiotics. However,

people are scared not to take antibiotics when they are sick. They are even more scarednot to give them to their kids. I am no stranger to antibiotics, I was raised on them. For

the first twenty years of my life my sinuses were always stuffed and I had to breathe

through my mouth. I was always getting sick (colds, coughs, sore throats, sinusheadaches, etc.) and I was always taken to the doctor, who always gave me antibiotics. I

was probably taking penicillin an average of two to three months each year. Starting atabout 14 the doctor gave me penicillin every day for a period of about two years. Thiswas supposed to clear up my sinusitis. It only made it worse. By age 19, I was getting

sick all the time. I wound up with walking pneumonia and had to take both tetracyclin

and ampicillin, since penicillin did not do anything for me anymore.

It was shortly after this I got into natural health and quit using the antibiotics. As far as I

can remember I have used an antibiotic three times in the last 15-20 years and I am not

certain I would use one again, if I had the same problems. Most of you probably knowthat antibiotics contribute to yeast infections, which weaken the immune system. You

probably know that they kill the friendly bacteria in your colon, too. I have always felt

that antibiotics make the body lazy because they are doing something for the body that itshould be doing for itself. However, I think there may even be deeper problems here.

At the American Herbalist Guild 1997 symposium, Paul Bergner, N.D. and editor ofMedical Herbalism, said something about antibiotics which really set me to thinking. He

said that he has not been able to find any convincing proof that antibiotics kill bacteria in

living tissue. They do so in the test tube, but that does not mean they are doing it inside

the human body. He suggested that antibiotics might just be suppressing symptoms of
http://www.webnat.com/HT/Candida.asphttp://www.webnat.com/HT/Candida.asp


7/12

infection.

Let me elaborate. Most of you know that I have been teaching for years that "the cold isthe cure." That is to say, symptoms of acute illness are produced by the body's immune

system fighting the disease. Fever, coughing, etc. are all signs that the body's immune

response is working to fight the illness. Dr. Bergner said that Herring's Law of Cure wasdeveloped from observations made at a homeopathic hospital. It appears that smallpox

went through one wing of the hospital and all the patients came down with the disease.

When they got the smallpox, the symptoms of their original illness, mumps, fever, etc.disappeared. After successfully treating the patients homeopathically for smallpox,

however, the original disease they had returned. What Dr. Herring hypothesized was this:

When the body is fighting off one disease, and another more serious threat is presented to

the body, the body will quit fighting off the first disease and tackle the more seriousproblem. Once the system has rid itself of the more serious threat, it will go back to work

on the less serious illness. This is why Herring's law tells us that the body heals "in

reverse order of symptoms suppressed." In his lecture, Paul Bergner, said that when

people have infections they are manifesting good symptoms of a healing crisis, fever,inflammation, etc. Then, we introduce an antibiotic, a concentrated mold toxin, into the

system. The body takes a look at the mold toxin and says, "Wo! We have a serious threathere." So, it quits fighting the infection and starts working to get rid of the mold toxin.

Thus, the symptoms of infection disappear.

However, shortly after the person quits taking the antibiotic (often in about two to four

weeks) the person gets sick again. You see, now that the body has successfully fought the

invasion of mold toxin, it goes back to fighting the original illness. This means that the

antibiotic has not cured anything, it has merely replaced one disease with another. It alsoexplains why people who constantly take antibiotics (like I used to) keep getting sicker

and sicker. They are merely suppressing the body's efforts to get well. I am too chicken to

tell you never to use an antibiotic. In fact, even since I decided antibiotics were not goodfor the body about fifteen years ago, I've broken down on three occasions and gotten one

myself. Twice I got them for my ears - once when my eardrum ruptured and once when I

could not seem to get rid of an ear infection. In both of these cases I do not think theantibiotic helped one bit. The third time was an infection on my finger that I could not

seem to heal. That time the antibiotic seemed to help. So, maybe sometimes the body

does need a little suppression of symptoms. However, most of the time, I feel the natural

alternatives are so superior in their effectiveness, that I am seldom tempted to evenconsider antibiotics from the doctor.

Here are some of my favorite infection fighting remedies.

Garlic

In my opinion, garlic is the king of natural infection fighters. Although it is useful foralmost any type of infection, bacterial, yeast or viral, it excels at fighting infection in the

respiratory and lymphatic systems. When I'm really serious about knocking something

out I use raw garlic. I've taken one or two cloves, chopped them finely and swallowed the

pieces with some water and a little bread or crackers (to reduce stomach upset).


8/12

I've also used the garlic oil orgarlic oil capsules, both topically and internally. Lately,

I've taken to using theHigh Potency Garlic from NSP. I have been given to understandthat each of these tablets is equivalent to about four cloves of raw garlic in potency. This

form of garlic is nice, since it doesn't produce the odor or the stomach upset of raw garlic.

I am not timid about using garlic for infection. I have taken as much as two cloves or onehigh potency garlic tablet every two hours fora couple of days to clear up a problem.

I've rubbed garlic oil on my children's chests two or three times per day and I have given

them a half dropperful or the contents of a soft gel capsule every 30 minutes for a coupleof hours.

Silver Shield (Colloidal Silver)

Next to garlic, my favorite antibiotic has become colloidal silver. A colloid is a microfinesuspension of something in a solution. Silver has long been known to have a preserving

and anti-bacterial action. A few years ago I learned that one of the ways to purify water is

to put some silver coins in it. This is what the pioneers did to preserve their water in their

barrels while traveling across the plains. Silver coins also used to be put into milk toprevent it from spoiling. Colloidal silver seems to work very well in fighting bacterial

infection. I used it on our son, Joshua, because of his weak immune system. I have used itin both his ears and my ears to help fight infection. It has an antiinflammatory quality to

it.

Goldenseal or Oregon grape

Goldenseal has long been used to fight infection. However, as I mentioned before, I am

trying to steer people in the direction of using Oregon grape as an alternative in order to

preserve our wild populations of goldenseal.

Oregon grape is also cheaper and does not lower blood sugar levels like goldenseal.

All of these herbs contain berberine, an alkaloid known to help the body destroy anumber of harmful bacteria. These herbs also tone the mucous membranes, stimulate the

liver and help to cleanse the lymphatics. Goldenseal has its strongest affinity for the

digestive tract, while Oregon grape is more for the lymphatics and barberry for the liver.These herbs combine well with immune stimulants likeechinacea and astragalus. They

help the body fight off bacterial infection without promoting yeast overgrowth.

Once, when I had an abscess on a tooth and the dentist wanted me to take an antibiotic, Iwent home and took 4 capsules of goldenseal and two raw garlic cloves every two hours

for two or three days. Not only did I clear the infection naturally, I also had a healing

crisis doing this. My body passed a residue of tetracycline and ampicillin from mysinuses. It had been over fifteen years since I had taken these antibiotics for pneumonia

and they had lodged in my body all those years. Do you see why I am not so hot on

antibiotics?

Volatile Oils

For some serious infections, I hae found that blends of volatile oils work wonders. Tea

Tree oil, of course, is a classic. It is a wonderful topical antiseptic. Unlike it's
http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=1694-6http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=1694-6http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=292-9http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=292-9http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=4274-1http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=340-7http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3395-9http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=263-8http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=263-8http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=40-1http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=1777-1http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=1777-1http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=1694-6http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=292-9http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=4274-1http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=340-7http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3395-9http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=263-8http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=40-1http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=1777-1http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=1777-1


9/12

pharmaceutical counterparts which damage healthy tissue and slow healing, tea tree oil

actually stimulates growth of healthy tissue and speeds healing. It can be applied

externally to cuts, scrapes, wounds, bruises, burns, etc. You can also gargle with it if youdilute a few drops to a couple of ounces of water. You have to be very careful when

taking volatile oils internally, since they are very potent substances. Tea tree oil can be

used internally when diluted to a strength of one to five drops per pint of water.However, I have often mixed more potent volatile oil blends and diluted them with olive

oil (ten to one) to fight serious infections. My favorite oils for this purpose, besides tea

tree oil, of course, are: lemon,lavender, thyme, myrrhandcloves. You'll need to domore research on your own, however, before you start experimenting with volatile oils

internally.

Another useful infection fighter is IN-X.

IN-X contains goldenseal, parthenium, black walnut, plantain, althea and bugleweed.

Black walnut has antiseptic properties and supplies natural iodine to the body, which is a

powerful infection fighter. Althea has been used for respiratory problems. Plantain is an

anti-poison herb, and bugleweed has been used for respiratory and circulatory problems.IN-X works well in combination with extra garlic for fighting low grade infections in the

body.

Most of the time, these herbal remedies will actually work better at fighting infection

than antibiotics will. Just remember not to be timid about using them. I typically takesome of these herbs about every two hours when infection is present. Also remember that

these remedies are not necessarily the best for viral infections like colds and flu. Frankly,

no one should take an antibiotic for a cold or the flu anyway, since antibiotics don't

have any affect on viruses. Doctors know this, they just prescribe the antibiotic for peoplebecause that's what they think people want.
http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3908-2http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3908-2http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3907-8http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3913-2http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3939-3http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3939-3http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3903-1http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3903-1http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3903-1http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=1220-1http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3908-2http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3907-8http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3913-2http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3939-3http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=3903-1http://www.webnat.com/proddetail.asp?prod=1220-1


10/12

Garlic has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb. It has been cultivated in the

Middle East for more than 5,000 years and has been an important part of Traditional

Chinese Medicine. The bulb is used medicinally. It has been traditionally used for manyconditions, including parasites, respiratory problems, poor digestion, and low energy.

It has these constituents:

Highest sulphur content of any plant in the Allium genus.

Trace elements: germanium, selenium

Volatile oil containing sulphur compounds

Amino acids allin and allicin.

Benefits of Garlic

Dosage

Side Effects

Benefits of Garlic

Clinical Applications include:

Antioxidant protection

Atherosclerosis

Prevention of thrombosis

Hypertension

Acute rhinitis Influenza

Infectious bronchitis

Benign prostate hyperplasia

Colon cancer

High cholesterol

High triglycerides

Intermittent claudication

Warts (used topically).

Our review of the medical literature reveals the following information about the use of

garlic extracts.

Antioxidant Protection

Allicin increases blood levels of two antioxidant enzymes: catalase andglutathione peroxidase.

Acts as an effective antioxidants against the oxidative damage caused by nicotine.
http://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#sec1http://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#sec2http://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#sec3http://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#sec3http://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#sec1http://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#sec2http://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#sec3


11/12

Protects vascular endothelial cells from oxidant injury.

Prevents LDL oxidation.

Inhibits lipid peroxidation in the liver, retarding the aging process in liver cells.

Oxygen free radicals are involved in the genesis and maintenance of

hypercholesterolemic atherosclerosis it can be useful in preventing the

development of hypercholesterolemic atherosclerosis.

Top

Anti-Atherogenic

Helps in preventing the development of hypercholesterolemic atherosclerosis.

Reduces lipid content in arterial cells and prevents intracellular lipidaccumulation.

Counteracts the effects of a high-sucrose diet in lab animals, minimizing

elevations in triglycerides and cholesterol.

Minimizes or prevents elevations in blood lipids in humans after consumption of ahigh-fat / cholesterol meal.

The organic disulphides in garlic can inactivate the thiol groups in the enzyme

HMG CoA reductase , thereby inhibiting cholesterol synthesis by the liver.

Not only a preventive but possibly also a curative role in arteriosclerosis therapy

(plaque regression) may be ascribed to garlic remedies.

Lowers total cholesterol by 10%; lowers LDL-cholesterol by 15%; lowerstriglycerides by 13%; increases HDL-cholesterol by 31%.

Anti-Thrombotic

The constituent ajoene inhibits platelet aggregation regardless of mechanism of

induction.

Serves as beneficial agent in the prevention of thrombosis.

Inhibits thrombosis due to vascular damage.

Increases fibrolytic activity.

Top

Anti-hypertensive (high blood pressure)

Lowers systolic pressure by 20-30 mm Hg and diastolic by 10-20 mm Hg. Inhibits in vitro the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase, which can produce pro-

inflammatory and hypertensive prostaglandins.

Anti-Microbial
http://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#tophttp://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#tophttp://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#tophttp://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#top


12/12

1 mg garlic = 15 Oxford units of penicillin. Garlic has 1% of the potency of

penicillin.

Inhibits Candida albicans in animal studies and Cryptococcal meningitis in humantrials.

Exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity:

o

Gram-positive bacteria: Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Mycobacteriumsmegmatis, Streptomyces griseus, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus

plantarum.

o Gram-negative bacteria: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and

Xanthomonas maltophilia.

Demonstrates in vitro virucidal activity against herpes simplex virus type 1,

herpes simplex virus type 2, parainfluenza virus type 3, vaccinia virus, vesicularstomatitis virus, and human rhinovirus type 2.

Top

Dosage

Cardiovascular preventive intervention - Commercial preparation to provide at

least 4,000 mcg of allicin daily which is equivalent to 2-4 cloves of fresh garlic.

Immune support - 4,000 mcg of allicin 3 times daily.

Top

Side Effects

Be cautious if you are taking anticoagulant drugs. Some people experience gastricirritation even at moderate doses. Other people have difficulty metabolizing allicin

effectively.
http://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#tophttp://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#tophttp://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#tophttp://www.connecticutcenterforhealth.com/garlic.html#top

garlic benefit

Documents