Has Anti-cancer Activity
Research has suggested that garlic contains compounds that are active against many types of cancers. A meta-analysis of results from 18 studies [21] involving around 143, 000 people found that garlic significantly reduced the risk of gastric (stomach) cancer. It found that daily consumption of garlic was associated with up to 35 percent reduced risk of gastric cancer.
Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina have suggested that diallyl trisulfide, a compound present in garlic, may be useful in fighting glioblastoma [22]. Glioblastoma is an extremely aggressive type of brain cancer that kills within a very short time. Unlike normal cells, cancer cells don’t die on their own. Garlic helps fight glioblastoma by producing reactive oxygen species within the cancerous cells. This can cause the cells to die.
Studies on the anti-cancer activity on garlic have largely taken place in in vitro settings. It is not clear yet how garlic affects cancer cells in humans. More research is needed on the topic as there are still many gaps in the field.