Folk stories abound with claims that garlic has some anti-ageing
effects. Some research has shown that it has some anti-cancer and
anti-platelet aggregation effects. No anti-ageing effects of garlic have
been studied or published in the scientific literature. Although lots of
garlic products are being sold in the market for the treatment of everything
including ageing. But here is the first published research paper, of course,
by our group!!!
Svendsen, Rattan & Clark (1994) Testing garlic for its anti-ageing effects
on human fibroblasts in culture. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol 43,
pp 125-133 (June-July issue).
Our results show that:
1. human cells grown in various concentrations of aquous garlic extract
maintain some of the youthful characteristics for a longer duration.
2. Same concentrations are generally toxic for cancer cells of various
types, and these cells cannot be grown in the presence of garlic for more
than a few days as compared with 300-400 days for normal diploid fibroblasts.
3. At some concentrations there can be a slight increase in the proliferative
lifespan of normal cells.
4. Unlike kinetin (reported previously) the effects of garl>ic are more
subtle and appear to be best as a general maintenance compound.
Of course, these are the studies performed on cells in culture and these
results may or may not be extrapolatable directly. Yet we think that the way
garlic consumption as a regular component of food may work by maintaining
the general health of the normal cells while stopping the uncontrolled
growth of any newly developing cancerous or immortal cell. Garlic may not
prevent ageing, but it may help to reduce cancer formation and perhaps
prevent the onset of other age-related pathologies and impairments.
Anyway, we have now some "reductionistic scientific" bases to say that
garlic can keep some "devils" of age-related diseases at bay!!!
Mechanisms of garlic action as anti-ageing still need to be studied.
It may involve any cytokinin activity too, who knows.
Keep smelling, you will live healthier and a little bit longer....
Suresh Rattan/Aarhus/Denmark
