Garlic Central News

Research published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics shows a possible future role for garlic in medical cancer treatment.

The most powerful active compound obtained from garlic is allicin. A reaction between alliin and alliinase creates allicin when garlic is crushed. Although powerful, allicin is short-lived and has thus proved difficult to target clinically.

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel armed Rituximab - an antibody already in clinical use - with alliinase. The armed Rituximab was injected into mice that had previously been implanted with human lymphoma cancer cells.

Rituximab targets certain cancer cells, so when the mice were injected with alliin the reaction created allicin molecules just where they were needed.

Almost all of the test cancer cells were destroyed within three days.

The experiment suggests that a similar treatment for humans could possibly be developed.

The deadline for the 2005 Monterey Garlic Festival recipe & cook-off competition is approaching fast.

Every year the competition welcomes new garlic recipes from cooks in USA and Canada. The original recipes must contain at least six cloves of garlic for six people.

Professional food consultants choose eight finalists who are invited to prepare their recipes on the Saturday of the festival. All eight finalists receive at least $100, the winner receives $1000

The deadline for entries in 2005 is May 1st. More information from the
Gilroy Garlic Festival Recipe Contest and Cook-Off page.

UPI reports on new research that appears to show garlic might be of some use in the control of colon cancer.

The research at Japan's Hiroshima University looked at twelve people with colon polyps. The patients were given different strengths of an extract obtained from matured garlic. After one year, those who received the higher dose showed a greater reduction in number and size of polyps.

HealthDay reports on new research that confirms the health giving properties of garlic - at least in rats.

The study attempted to induce high blood pressure in the lungs of rats. They found that rats given powered garlic were protected from the high blood pressure. Interestingly, the study confirmed that the effects were only seen in garlic preparations containing allicin.

The researchers acknowledge that results in rats don't necessarily translate to humans - further study is needed.