Is garlic a boon to human health? – A Comprehensive Review

Garlic is one of the edible plants and is common ingredient available in the kitchen. Garlic (Allium sativum) is one of the most extensively researched medicinal plants and its typical odor and antibacterial activity depends on allicin produced by enzymatic activity of allinase (acysteine sulfoxide lyase) on alliin after crushing or cutting garlic clove. Today, both scientific and herbalist tradition support the fact that garlic, in its various forms can provide extraordinary health benefits. Unquestionably, it can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain kinds of cancer. Taking garlic in certain dosages can help protect human cells from oxidation, free radicals and certain types of radiation. Garlic is an effective immune system. Booster and has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. PubMed, Google scholar, Ebscohost databases were searched for publications from 1982 to the present (2013) using terms such as garlic, medicinal plant, traditional plant. Here, in this review, we discuss the constituents, properties, medicinal uses, dental application, advantages and disadvantages of garlic.