ABSTRACT
Garlic has been valued for its medicinal properties for centuries. Large amounts of garlic are produced annually in China and India. Dozens of garlic supplements are also commercially available as essential oils, garlic-oil macerate, garlic powder, or garlic extract. Garlic has continued to be one of the top-selling herbs in the United States. The ability of garlic and related components to serve as antioxidants and influence immunocompetence and possibly cognitive function suggest that its health implications may be extremely widespread. How the classification of antioxidant activity in a food or food component translates to human health continues to be a topic of discussion. However, both water- and lipid-soluble organosulfur compounds from garlic have been studied for their antioxidant capacity. Metabolic activation is required for many carcinogens used in studies aimed at examining the anticarcinogenic properties of garlic. Cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase, and pathway-associated enzymes have been found to activate carcinogens.
