Garlic — A Diet Therapy For Various Cancers
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Abstract
Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is the well-known and oldest plants for its medicinal activities. It is a natural source that prevents cancer by slowing the growth of cancer cells, impacting hundreds of proteins involved in cell signaling, repairing the DNA and also decreasing inflammation. Garlic also promotes apoptosis and inhibits many different types of cancer cells. Reports suggest that it has been associated in preventive role in lung, liver, gastric, skin, breast, oral, ovarian, colorectal, prostate and pancreatic cancer. The organosulfur compounds, allicin, diallyl sulfide, diallyl trisulfide present in garlic act as chemotherapeutic agents that prevent carcinogens. Its extract has been reported to reduce proliferation of the cancer cells by increasing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, extreme use of garlic may cause gastrointestinal cancer. Diallyl disulfide (DADS) derived from garlic, is oil – soluble compound which has been suggested to suppress the breast cancer, which has also been reported to get suppressed by the intake of raw garlic, the latter being more effective than cooked garlic. Besides the side effects of anti-cancer agents used in therapy of cancer patients have been reported to get reduced by consumption of garlic. The review article mainly deals with the probable anti-cancer properties of garlic and its mechanism of action in treating cancer.
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