Eating raw garlic can reduce risk of lung cancer by nearly half, says study.
Habari njema Kwa Wale Wanaovuta Sigara Kwa wale wavutani wa sigara ili kuepushwa na ugonjwa Saratani ya Mapafu mnashauriwa muwe munakula kitunguu saumu japo kwa wiki mara 2 itawasaidia musipatwe na Saratani ya Mapafu Wana Sayansi wamesema hivyo.
Around 40,000 people a year are diagnosed with lung cancer (pictured in red) in England and Wales alone. Smoking is thought to cause at least 80 per cent of cases and fewer than one in ten sufferers are still alive five years after their diagnosis.
According to a new study out of China, eating raw garlic at least twice a week can significantly reduce your chances of developing lung cancer — by up to 44 per cent overall, and even up to 30 per cent if you're a smoker.
Interviewing nearly 6,000 people, the researchers surveyed them about their diet, their exposure to pollution, tobacco smoke, high-temperature cooking oils, and on their family history of cancer (they identified the leading causes as being cigarette smoke and fumes from high-temperature cooking oil).
They found that those who reported eating raw garlic at least two times a week were only 56% likely to have lung cancer. When they specifically dealt with those who were smokers, the likelihood rose some, to 70%. Presumably, this is in comparison to those who did not consume garlic twice a week, and had developed lung cancer.
[ Related: Eating raw garlic can prevent cancer, study suggests ]
The researchers apparently credit a chemical in garlic called allicin, which is released when the plant is cut, crushed or damaged (and it's what gives garlic its distinct smell). Allicin is the garlic plant's defense mechanism, as it's toxic to insects, as well as bacteria and other microorganisms.
Cooked garlic, by comparison, may not have the same effect as this study reports. Allicin is an unstable chemical, breaking down on its own within about 16 hours at room temperature. As with many unstable chemicals, heating it to higher temperatures simply speeds up that process.
[ More Geekquinox: Sorry elephants, it's dolphins that never forget ]
We've known about the healing properties of garlic for quite a long time, even if we didn't know exactly what it was in the garlic
that did the healing. It contains vitamins such as C and B6. It's a good source of iodine, which is essential to our health. It is also
thought to lower blood sugar levels and raises both insulin levels and insulin sensitivity (making it more effective). Garlic has
already been linked to prevention of cancers that are more directly linked to eating it, but this is yet another study that shows
how its general effects on our body have a more wide-ranging benefit.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, it's estimated that over 180,000 people will be diagnosed with cancer in 2013, and
lung cancer will likely account for over 26,000 of those cases.
0 comments:
Post a Comment