New findings in the field of garlic research - yes, garlic research - have found that the stinky bulb is better than ever for long-term health. Garlic is already prized for its antioxidant properties, but a 35-article supplement to the Journal of Nutrition - dedicated solely to the wonders of garlic - has found that the herb doesn't stop there.

• Garlic may slow the progression of coronary artery calcification in patients on statin therapy.
• Garlic contains selenium, which may be instrumental to it's anti-cancer properties.
• Garlic may control levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is a marker for coronary artery disease.
• Garlic may inhibit platelet aggregation - a contributing factor to cardiovascular disease - by suppressing calcium mobilization.
• Garlic may reduce pre-cancerous gastric lesions.
• Garlic may suppress progression of precancerous lesions of the large bowel.

These accolades have pushed garlic out of the realm of alternative therapy and into the more accessible world of complementary medicine, explains Dr. Richard Rivlin, of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and co-author of the Journal of Nutrition's garlic supplement. "The rapid pace of advances in garlic research provides increasing evidence that garlic has significant potential as a complement to established therapies," he says.

[via Alternative Medicine Magazine]

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