Is Garlic a Wonder Plant?

Abstract

The term wonder drug was coined for aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid, for decades – because
of its benefits in alleviating many health problems, conditions and symptoms. Aspirin is
easily synthesized and its price is very affordable worldwide. Ancient cultures relied on the use
of traditional medicines for alleviating and treatment of many human ailments. Most of these
folkloric remedies utilized different types of plants as a whole or some of their parts. With
advancements in analytical techniques, many compounds that are of bioactive properties; such
as those containing sulfur, flavonoids, and other phenolic compounds, have been discovered
in plants. Some of food items of a plant origin contain such compounds, thus became known
as functional foods. Functional foods are described as: natural or processed foods that contain
known or unknown biologically-active compounds – which, in defined amounts, provide
clinically-proven and documented health benefits for the prevention, management, or treatment
of chronic diseases. The pharmaceutical industry develops and manufactures drugs on which
modern medicine relies for treating different ailments and diseases. The association between
sound nutrition and general health has been established long ago; thus, dietary aspects can be
viewed as the modifiable factor for healthy human existence. Recent trend indicates that functional
foods of health-protective and medicinal value have caught the attention of nutritionists,
physicians and many health care professionals. One of the most recognized functional food
items is garlic.