Tuesday 5 January 2016

Garlic Health Benefits

Garlic for arthritis

The chief factor responsible for these curative effects from garlic are its biologically active ingredients. Garlic contains sulphur-containing compounds like alliin, enzymes like alliinase, and products produced by the enzymatic reactions between alliin and alliinase; like Allicin.

Allicin is the chief ingredient found in garlic that plays a vital role in providing its characteristic odour, taste and curative properties.  Allicin is a rather unstable chemical which reacts very soon and many manufacturers use this fact to prepare odourless garlic by aging it for some time . However doing this leads to loss of much of Allicin which is mainly responsible for the effectiveness of garlic and thus such preparations must be avoided.

Numerous research studies prove the effectiveness of garlic and compounds obtained from garlic in treating different types of arthritis. One such study conducted in 2011 aimed to study the effect of complementary and alternate therapy for treating symptoms of osteoarthritis in patients from Nigeria. 160 patients were studied during a span of five months’ time during which there diet plan was closely monitored and its effects regularly documented.

Most of the patients used herbal products (53% of the total) including ginger, garlic and aloe vera.  The patients did show some improvement but due to lack of proper control for this study, conclusive results failed to be obtained . Still it recognised garlic as one of the chief herbal therapy for osteoarthritis.

In fact a study concluded in the previous year performed a cross-sectional analysis of the diet for a large twin based population to find any significant effect on the pain in knee, hand or hip of the patients. This study performed on a group of 1086 female twin found that non-citrus fruits and alliums have the most beneficial effects in alleviating pain among the patients.

In vitro studies were then performed in the allium-derived compounds to investigate the chief ingredient responsible for the healing effect in case of the alliums. It was found that diallyl sulphide found in alliums helps in repressing the expression of cartilage-digesting proteases thus protecting them against damage. This study thus evinced the effectiveness of alliums like garlic in treating symptoms of osteoarthritis and also concluded the mechanism of action responsible for the same .

Alisate found in garlic is effective against rheumatoid arthritis as well. In an open controlled clinical trial performed on 30 rheumatoid arthritis patients from Russia, the effect of alisate on the disease symptoms. During this trial, half of the patients received a dose of 300 mg of alisate twice a day over a period of 4-6 weeks. The other half were administered conventional medication for rheumatoid arthritis. The response with alisate was found to be extremely favourable with no side effects.

This study thus concluded that patients with rheumatoid arthritis can take alisate either in the form of conventional medicine or from natural sources to ameliorate disease symptoms in the patients . In fact a recent study conducted in the Republic of China has tested the effect of Allicin obtained from garlic on arthritis-induced mice. This study tested the changes in weight, paw inflammation, and arthritic scores before and after the treatment with Allicin in experimental mice.

At the end of this experiment, researchers observed significant reduction in weight, paw swelling and arthritic scores for the arthritic mice thus proving the curative properties of Allicin for treating symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis .

Effects of Allicin have also been studied in the case of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This study tested the effects if varying concentrations of Allicin (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) for a period of 2 months in mouse models with induced ankylosing spondylitis.


The levels of AS-related inflammatory factors were tested in the blood samples obtained from these mice. It was found that Allicin in high doses could significantly lower the secretion of inflammatory factors like interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and tumour necrotic factor-alpha in the mice models. It even suppressed the translation of a protein named HLA-B27.

Thus this study established the post-transcriptional control exercised by Allicin to control pain and inflammation in the case of ankylosing spondylitis under experimental study. This study encouraged the use of Allicin in nutraceuticals owing to its beneficial role in fighting against different forms of arthritis .

Apart from Allicin, a number of sulphur-compounds are also functional in garlic which play a significant role in rendering the medicinal value to this herb. One such novel sulphur compound isolated from garlic is thiacremonone. The anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects of thiacremonone was tested in vivo with the help of a study conducted in 2009.

This study investigated about the role of thiacremenon in relieving swelling in artificially-induced arthritic model on topical application and parenteral administration. Both the modes of administration proved to be effective and demonstrated a reduction in disease symptoms. To further investigate the mechanism involved during the process, the expression of NF-kappa B, inducible nitric oxide Synthetase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was tested through in vitro assays.

The results proved that thiacremonone inhibited the expression of NF-kappa B, factor responsible for inflammatory response in the body. Resultantly the disease symptoms get improved on administration of thiacremonone . This study thus found another factor present in garlic that is responsible in alleviating the disease symptoms in the patients. Garlic can hence provide essential compounds that could be employed for the treatment of various forms of arthritis.

Garlic for Arthritis – How can it be included in the diet?
Garlic is used for flavouring in the food. It is a common spice used in different cuisines and can be consumed in various forms to avail its health benefits. It can also be eaten fresh and raw. As stated earlier, aged garlic loses much of its essential Allicin compound.

Thus patients must try and avoid addition of aged garlic in their diet if they desire to include garlic in their diet due to its health significance. In fact topical application of garlic on the swollen and painful joints is also highly effective. During middle ages, people used to tie crushed garlic in a muslin cloth around painful and swollen regions of the body so as to relieve from the disease conditions .

Even recent studies report the positive effects of topical application of garlic-derived compounds in relieving the pain in case of arthritis. Hence it is a useful remedy for patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Also now-a-days we get Allicin tablets in the market. Each of these tablets are equivalent to 4800 mg of fresh garlic and can be used by patients suffering from joint pain and inflammation. These artificially available garlic supplements are also equally effective like the natural form .

However in order to avoid any unwanted side effects, use of garlic in food is preferred.

Dosage
High doses of Allicin have been tested and found to be effective for relieving symptoms of arthritis. According to these studies it has been found that 600-1200 mg of garlic extract containing around 1-3 % of Allicin content is effective for patients with arthritis. These doses are recommended to be given thrice a day to the patients.

Fresh garlic can also be used for such purpose with similar results. It is suggested to take approximately one clove of fresh garlic daily in order to witness its health benefits. Fresh garlic usually contains 4% of Allicin. For topical use, creams with about 0.4%, 0.6% or 1% of garlic extract are recommended for the patients .

Precautions
Garlic as a food is safe for most of the adults. The known side effects due to garlic consumption are body and mouth odour, stomach troubles, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and allergy.

It might cause skin allergies and skin burns if applied as a thick paste on the skin. Also it is found to be responsible for blood thinning. Thus it must be avoided by patients undergoing a surgery or ones having any bleeding disorder. Pregnant women must avoid taking garlic supplements. However raw garlic in food does not possess any harmful effects in such ladies.

Garlic has also been known to interact with drugs like Isoniazid (Anti-tuberculosis drug), saquinavir (HIV drug) and birth control pills. Thus patients on such medications must avoid taking garlic supplements . In case of any doubt, you should certainly consult your doctor to get professional advice.



Arthritis And Garlic

Arthritis And Garlic
Ingesting garlic can help relieve arthritis pain. Photo Credit Zerbor/iStock/Getty Images
The word "arthritis" means inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful condition caused by inflammation of the lining of the joints, while in osteoarthritis, the cartilage in weight-bearing joints such as the knees and spine is most often affected. Pain and stiffness in the joints are primary symptoms of arthritis. The anti-inflammatory properties of garlic can help to ease arthritic pain and swelling.

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder, is the most crippling form of arthritis. When a person has rheumatoid arthritis, the body’s immune system attacks synovial membranes in the joints. When this lubricating oil is destroyed, inflammation occurs, causing pain. Different from osteoarthritis, which affects individual joints, rheumatoid arthritis can affect all of the joints in the body. According to the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability, garlic is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, which can help to decrease the swelling and inflammation associated with arthritis. People who suffer from arthritis might be able to lead a more pain-free life by adding garlic to their diets.

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Healthy Cells
If taken daily, garlic works to stimulate the immune system and improve circulation and blood flow. Healthy cell maintenance requires sufficient levels of oxygen; therefore, inadequate supplies of oxygen in the blood prevent the body from functioning properly. Garlic also contains the mineral selenium, an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals, which can damage joints. Free radicals found in environmental pollutants are often responsible for causing the damage characteristic of degenerative diseases like arthritis.

Ingestion
Peel fresh garlic cloves and eat them raw or cooked. In order to get the maximum benefit of the herb’s healing properties, garlic should be mashed or roasted. Eating raw garlic can irritate the stomach and digestive tract, so garlic should be roasted to make it easier to digest. Cooked garlic might also be more effective in protecting cells against free radical damage. To get the most therapeutic benefit, eat several cloves of garlic each day. Garlic tablets or capsules provide a convenient dietary supplement and offer the added advantage of being odorless.

Sulfur
Garlic, a food rich in sulfur, plays an essential role in collagen production. Collagen is needed to form cartilage tissue, which cushions joints. The problem is that sulfur levels tend to be lower in arthritic joints than in healthy joints, and the body cannot produce sulfur on its own; therefore, sulfur intake must come from dietary sources. The sulfur in garlic helps to repair cartilage and reduce muscle and joint pain by producing an anti-inflammatory analgesic effect on the affected joints.

Side Effects
Some people report that eating too much garlic gives them heartburn or makes them nauseated. Others might suffer an allergic reaction when consuming large amounts of garlic. If you develop a skin rash, stop ingesting garlic and contact your doctor. Because garlic thins the blood, be careful about how much garlic you eat if you take prescription drugs or an over-the-counter medication like aspirin that can thin your blood. Bleeding can be an adverse side effect of consuming too much garlic. Let your doctor know if you take large amounts of garlic to treat pain, especially if you need surgery.



Garlic for Arthritis
Arthritis is a common disease with over 100 different forms known to mankind. It is a degenerative health condition that affects your joints and causes severe damage and loss of movement in the affected areas. It hinders with the day-to-day activities of the patients and could lead to surgery in chronic cases.

The best known drugs to heal the disease symptoms are the NSAIDs and the DMARDs. Apart from these various different alternate therapies can also be employed to relieve pain and inflammation.

Garlic for arthritis – Why is it effective?
Arthritis is a disease that might affect you at any age or stage in life. There is no reversing from this condition. But there are definitely ways to fight it in order to lead an ordinary life. Proper exercise and diet is equally important for arthritic patients as is regular medications.

A number of complementary or alternative therapy have also been stated in ancient texts to help relive its symptoms. While most of these remedies do not have a scientific proof-of-concept; few have been tested by the researchers and are proving to be highly effective. One such home-based remedy for arthritic pain and inflammation is – Garlic. 

Garlic is a highly researched herbal product and has been used for a number of health conditions. It is a widely used and loved spice. It can even function as an aphrodisiac and is responsible for numerous other medicinal purposes. There are clinical evidence for the role of garlic in treating conditions like hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and cold. Also it has been found responsible for prevention of different types of tumours and atherosclerosis.

It is said to be responsible for strengthening the immune system and thus treating various disorders affecting the cardiovascular system, and liver. Apparently it possesses some anti-bacterial, anti-thrombotic and anti-hypertensive properties as well. Hence it is a highly useful herb and numerous studies have concluded its efficacy and safety in treating different disease conditions. 


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1 comment:

  1. Garlic is a best for the body as it reacts against so many of the disease. Consumption of 2-3 garlic cloves could be very beneficial to run our body very finely.Sierrasil Calgary

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