"chico chupacabra" > wrote in message ...
> chico chupacabra answers his own questions:
>
> <...>
> > > Part of the problem is simply education. Some people don't even
> > > know of the medicinal properties of garlic,
> >
> > Can you cite any double blind studies, preferably written and
> > available in English, which demonstrate "medicinal properties" of
> > garlic?
>
> How effective is garlic?
> Research on medicinal uses of allicin in
> fresh garlic indicate it can lower blood pressure
> and cholesterol. Ajoene may be useful in
> slowing blood clotting. In this way, garlic
> protects against heart disease and stroke. These
> results do not apply to garlic supplements,
> however. Studies also show that fresh garlic, in
> large quantities, can lower cholesterol levels.
> Because garlic thins the blood, it may lower
> blood pressure.
> Other findings suggest that high levels of
> garlic may prevent development of cancer by
> stimulating the immune system and hindering
> growth of cancer cells. Labora-
> tory studies show that garlic can
> inhibit bacteria growth and may
> fight infection. However, those
> results are unproven in humans.
> http://tinyurl.com/zb3qt
>
> Not much, eh. Just as I suspected.

Not much! If it was a drug, you'd be SINGING its praises!

How did you 'miss' this??? :

Protection against Helicobacter pylori and Other Bacterial
Infections by Garlic1
Gowsala P. Sivam
Bastyr University, Research Institute, Kenmore, WA 98028

ABSTRACT
Louis Pasteur was the first to describe the antibacterial effect of
onion and garlic juices. Historically, garlic has been used worldwide
to fight bacterial infections. Allium vegetables, particularly garlic
(Allium sativum L.) exhibit a broad antibiotic spectrum against both
gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Noteworthy results
published include the following: 1) raw juice of garlic was found to
be effective against many common pathogenic bacteria-intestinal
bacteria, which are responsible for diarrhea in humans and animals;
2) garlic is effective even against those strains that have become
resistant to antibiotics; 3) the combination of garlic with antibiotics
leads to partial or total synergism; 4) complete lack of resistance
has been observed repeatedly; 5) even toxin production by
microorganisms is prevented by garlic. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)
is a bacterium implicated in the etiology of stomach cancer and ulcers.
The incidence of stomach cancer is lower in populations with a high
intake of allium vegetables. We have demonstrated in vitro that H. pylori
is susceptible to garlic extract at a fairly moderate concentration.
Even some antibiotic-resistant H. pylori strains are susceptible to garlic.
Clinical trials are necessary to explore the possibility of using garlic as
a low-cost remedy for eradicating H. pylori.

KEY WORDS: . garlic . Allium . antibacterial activity . Helicobacter pylori
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/...ct/131/3/1106S

'In ancient times, garlic was used for the treatment of cancer of the
uterus (Hartwell, 1960; Essman, 1984; Doetsch, 1989; Konvicka, 1983).
Numerous reports, including several important epidemiological studies,
have entered the scientific literature ever since, asserting that garlic has
a favourable effect of various forms of cancer. The following provides
an overview of the current research and points of view concerning this
very interesting special area of medicine.
...
A very important epidemiological (prospective cohort) study for
Americans has recently been published in which the intake of 127 foods
(including 44 vegetables and fruits) was determined in 41,387 women
(ages 55-69) followed by a five-year monitoring of colon cancer
incidence (Steinmetz et al., 1994). The most striking result of this "Iowa
Women's Health Study" was the finding that garlic was the only food
which showed a statistically significant association with decreased
colon cancer risk. For cancers anywhere in the colon, the modest
consumption of one or more servings of garlic (fresh or powdered)
per week resulted in a 35% lower risk, while a 50% lower risk was found
for cancer of the distal colon. Although this study of 127 foods did not
include onions, several other epidemiological studies have shown that
onions and other Allium species are usually associated with decreased
gastrointestinal cancer risk. Although the results have been less
consistent than with garlic (Steinmetz & Potter, 1991, 1993; Haenszel et al.,
1972; You et al., 1989; Cook-Mozaffari et al., 1979; Tajima & Tominaga,
1985; Shu et al., 1993; Tuyns et al., 1992; Graham et al., 1994; Levi et al.,
1993a, 1993b)
......'
http://www.garlic.mistral.co.uk/cancer.htm