Studying herbal medicine

Students and faculty from the University of North Texas Health Science Center and Texas A&M University learn about native medicinal plants with Tony Ramirez, the Medicine Man, as part of the South Texas Environmental Education and Research (STEER) program, a month long environmental elective sponsored by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Ramirez teaches the herbal medicine segment of STEER.

Whenever I get to go out to one of our local seafood restaurants for lunch or dinner, I usually opt for the filete al mojo de ajo. It is a delicious fish filet grilled with plenty of fresh garlic. Like all other spices, garlic is medicinal and good for you. My wife usually discourages me from having it due to the aroma that will linger on my breath and skin for at least a couple of days. I feel that if everyone ate garlic, no one would notice the smell of garlic on the breath of others.

One can purchase deodorized garlic tablets or capsules to reduce the odor, but there really is no such thing as a totally odorless garlic product. I like to use garlic in cooking. If you use it regularly in generous amounts, there is no need to take it as a supplement. However, if you don't consume garlic in your food on a regular basis, then taking a garlic supplement might be a good idea.

Traces and remains of garlic have been found in caves that were once inhabited over 10,000 years ago. Garlic, or as it is know botanically, Allium sativum, is actually the world's second oldest medicine, after ephedra (Ephedra spp.), and is still as popular as ever. The first prescription for garlic on record is a Sumerian clay tablet dated back to 3000 B.C. When the ancient Egyptians took solemn oaths, they swore on garlic, much like when someone swears on the Bible. Garlic was actually found in the tomb of King Tut, and was so valuable in those days that 15 pounds of garlic purchased a healthy male slave.

Garlic played a major role in the daily lives of Egyptians, who revered it and believed it prevented illness and increased strength and endurance. The slaves who built the pyramids were given daily rations of garlic to insure their ability to work. Legend has it that during the construction of one particular pyramid there was a garlic shortage. The Egyptians in turn had to cut the garlic rations to their slaves. This resulted in the first documented work strike.

Garlic has powerful antibiotic, anti-fungal, anti-protozoan, and anti-viral properties. Garlic's broad-spectrum antibiotic properties have been confirmed in many animal and human studies. During WWI, British, French, and Russian army doctors treated infected battle wounds with garlic juice. During WWII, garlic was again employed effectively to treat infected wounds and amoebic dysentery. Garlic kills the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, food poisoning, and bladder infections. Studies have also shown garlic to be effective in treating athlete's foot and vaginal yeast infections. One study suggests that garlic may help prevent stomach cancer in humans. In this study, researchers concluded that a diet high in garlic could significantly reduce the risk of stomach cancer. Traditionally, garlic is also used to treat or prevent colds, coughs, flu, fever, bronchitis, diabetes, ringworm, intestinal parasites, high cholesterol, and liver, gallbladder, and digestive disorders.

Garlic reduces the clotting ability of the blood. For this reason, people take garlic to help prevent heart attacks and strokes, and to improve circulation. However, if an individual is taking a prescription anti-coagulant medication such as coumadin, then care should be given to the amount of garlic consumed, due to the synergistic effect of the medication and the garlic. Studies show that garlic also seems to help lower blood pressure and decrease LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, and cholesterol in general, as well as prevent age-related stiffening of the coronary arteries. Garlic also helps prevent the oxidation of blood lipids, which are a major factor in the development of plaque.

In what is possibly the longest clinical trial ever conducted on garlic, the spice was found to reduce the amount of arteriosclerotic plaque in the arteries of patients with heart disease, according to Evelyn Leigh in a recent issue of Herbs for Health. Arteriosclerotic plaques are fatty, calcified deposits that form on the inside walls of the blood vessels. This causes the vessels to become hard and narrow, restricting blood flow and placing great stress on the heart, by making it more difficult to pump blood throughout the body. This, in turn, increases the risk for stroke, heart attack, and other heart conditions. While many studies have shown that garlic can lower elevated cholesterol, this is the first to suggest that garlic can actually reverse the effects of arteriosclerosis.

The results of the four-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial showed that those who took garlic in the trial experienced a significant reduction of the amount of plaque buildup over the course of the study, while those who took the placebo showed an increase in plaque buildup. Participants in the garlic group were given a relatively high dose of 900 mg of standardized garlic powder daily. All of the participants who completed the trial had advanced arteriosclerotic plaques at the start of the study, and at least one other risk factor for heart disease, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or were smokers. Changes in plaque deposits throughout the study were detected and monitored by ultrasound measurement of major arteries in the neck and thigh.

The researchers concluded that treatment with high-dose garlic might reduce the increase in plaque volume by six to 18 percent or even effect a regression within four years. They also pointed out that garlic might be an especially appropriate treatment for cardiovascular disease, because unlike drugs that target only one specific aspect of a disease, garlic works in a variety of ways together simultaneously. Important to note is that the health benefits of garlic are associated with its regular and long-term use.

That will take care of this month. The intent of this article is informational only. As always, consult with your physician before using any herbal remedies. I can be reached via e-mail at glorioso@netscorp.net for questions or comments on this column.