The Healing Power Of Garlic Supported By New Scientific Study
Science is once again documenting much of what the natural health community has touted for ages. In this case, it’s the power of garlic to aid in healing even chronic infections.
Of course we at Natural Blaze have provided a veritable mountain of supporting evidence, both scientific and anecdotal, for the many amazing health benefits of garlic that include everything from killing infection to killing cancer. Nevertheless, we are always delighted when we read about new science that we can add to the database.
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark have isolated a compound called ajoene that is believed to be the source of the powerful antibiotic properties produced in garlic. They are now studying exactly how ajoene functions when it interacts with bacteria.
Widget not in any sidebars
READ: 8 Things You’re Doing Wrong With Garlic
Interestingly, the researchers used two completely different types of bacteria, and the sulfurous compound ajoene in garlic disrupted both of them at the molecular level, targeting their communication systems:
The study is the latest addition from a research group headed by Professor Michael Givskov, which since 2005 has focussed on garlic’s effect on bacteria. At the time they learned that garlic extract is able to inhibit bacteria, and in 2012 they showed that the sulphurous compound ajoene found in garlic is responsible for the effect. The new study, which has been published in the scientific journal Nature Scientific Reports, takes an even closer look and documents ajoene’s ability to inhibit small regulatory RNA molecules in two types of bacteria.
[…]
Previous studies have shown that garlic appears to offer the most powerful, naturally occurring resistance to bacteria. In addition to inhibiting the bacteria’s RNA molecules, the active garlic compound also damages the protective slimy matrix surrounding the bacteria, the so-called biofilm.
The implications are that garlic weakens the structure of bacteria enough to permit the body’s natural immune response to do its job more efficiently, as well as allow medical antibiotics to work more completely. This combination could begin to tackle incurable chronic infections such as cystic fibrosis, as well as the many wounds that can result from diabetes (see animation below).
Researchers are suggesting, then, that new drugs can be utilized which will incorporate the garlic compound to essentially open up a pathway to admit pharmaceutical-grade antibiotics.
While we would never completely rule out the potential benefits that a Big Pharma offering might produce, for now it appears that incorporating natural garlic into one’s diet, especially if confronted with illness, is one of the most protective actions anyone could take.
Jason Erickson writes for NaturalBlaze.com. This article (The Healing Power Of Garlic Supported By New Scientific Study) may be republished in part or in full with author attribution and source link.
Source: University of Copenhagen
Image Credit: Pixabay
