"Garlic then have power to save from death Bear with it though it maketh unsavory breath And scorn not garlic like some that think It maketh men wink and drink and stink"

A rich history
Garlic is one of the edible plants, which has generated a lot of interest throughout human history as a medicinal panacea. A wide range of microorganisms including, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses have been shown to be sensitive to crushed garlic preparations. Moreover, garlic has been reported to reduce blood lipids and to have anticancer effects. Chemical analyses of garlic cloves have revealed an unusual concentration of sulfur-containing compounds (1-3%) [1,2]. A quick search of the medical database at the National Library of Medicine in the USA reveals that garlic is top of the league for published research papers that cover a wide variety of disease conditions, the most prevalent of which are its significant antimicrobial properties.

National Library of Medicine
Research papers on popular herbal supplements since published since 1963

Analysis of steam distillations of crushed garlic cloves performed over a century ago showed a variety of allyl sulfides. However, it was not until 1944 that Cavallito and his colleagues [3] isolated and identified the component responsible for the remarkable antibacterial activity of crushed garlic cloves. The compound turned out to be an oxygenated sulfur molecule, which they termed allicin, from the Latin name of the garlic plant, Allium sativum.

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