Plant Research Term Project, Part 2: Faulty Argumentation 40 points

Word count: 1600

Short introduction

Garlic is known to be a perennial plant that originated from central Asia and later it spread to the rest of the world. Garlic is a plant belonging to Allium (onion) family which is related to shallots and leeks. This plant is known to grow to a height of about 2 feet though at times it even grows taller. Garlic has various uses when it comes to the medicinal world although the most used part is compound bulb. Garlic has various uses ranging from food to medicine. This plant was being used during World War I and II by soldiers who have been injured to prevent them from getting gangrene for it acted as an antiseptic. According to the size of the bulb, the sizes of cloves differ with the normal range being between 4 to 20 cloves. Garlic complements can be I form of fresh, desiccated, ripened, or garlic oil. Garlic is used in preventing heart disease like atherosclerosis, cancer and Alzheimer disease among others.

Common uses

There are common uses for garlic all from small to large scale. When used raw, garlic has greater uses due to its microbial properties. Cooked garlic tends to have lowered nutritional content although its antioxidant value is the same when cooked or raw. Garlic is added to homemade salad dressing, vegetable or meat which helps to bring out the wonderful garlic profits to the users.

Garlic is used for treatment of certain infection like ear infection mostly during home remedy. Garlic oil works as an excellent remedy when poured in the ear (Iwu, 2014). 

World Health Organization has been recommending the use of garlic to help in promoting the health status of adult and aged persons with an intake of about two to five grams per day.

Garlic has been used to kill certain worms like roundworms, Ascarislumbricoides which is an intestinal parasite which was done in test tubes although it was not done on humans.

It’s believed and proved through research that men who are suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia showed lesser urinary symptoms when they took garlic. Research shows that taking garlic helps to decrease prostrate size in enlarged prostrate cases in men.

Garlic is taken to help in advancing the performance of athletes. In the older days, garlic was used so as to decrease fatigue and improve the work capacity of laborers. There are studies which were carried out to proof that exercise-induced tiredness may be decreased with garlic.

Studies that were carried out on skins diseases showed that the use of garlic gel to skin treated cases of ringworm, jock itch, and athlete's foot.

Basic information

Garlic is an herb that grows all over the world around 5000 years ago.Garlic is a perennial plant that started growing in central Asia and later spread in all over the world.

Most cases of heart and blood systems are treated using garlic like cases of high cholesterol, blood pressure, coronary heart disease and reduced blood flow due to narrowed arteries. There are various types of cancers which are prevented using garlic intake like colon, rectal, stomach, prostrate, breast and multiple myeloma. Yeast infection, swine flu and flue are barred via use of garlic intake. Intake of HIV drugs have certain complications which can be controlled through intake of garlic. Cases of diseases like earaches, menstrual disorders, exercise-induced muscle soreness, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibrocystic breast disease and scleroderma from HIV drugs intake are reduced by taking garlic. Garlic is also used in treatment of fever, stomach ache, asthma, bronchitis and vaginal trichomonas’s among others. Garlic is used to fight stress and fatiguein most individuals. Garlic is used for applying to akin to aid in hair loss and thrush. Garlic may be added to food and beverages for the sake of flavoring in form of fresh garlic, garlic powder, and garlic oil. Garlic is inoculated into the body to relieve chest pain.In foods and beverages, fresh garlic, garlic powder, and garlic oil are used to add flavor.

Treatment, cures

There are various types of ailments which ae treated using garlic.The treatment effects of garlic are due to its compound called allicin which has various medicinal properties.Garlic can be used in treating diseases like;

Hear disease

Research carried out by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that heart disease is known to be murderer disease number one and then cancer in the United States of America. Garlic is used for preventing and treating heart diseases like thrombosis, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and atherosclerosis to name a few. Experimental and clinical studies show that the intake of garlic helps with offering cardio protective effects. Garlic is known to converse early heart disease by withdrawing plaque accumulated in arteries thereby reducing cases of heart disease.

Cancer

Canceris prevented using garlic and onions which are known to modify cancer risks. A research carried out by National Cancer Institute concluded that there was link between garlic intake and occurrence of cancer cases. The individuals who have increased cases of garlic intake responded by having decreased risk of certain cancers types like colon, esophagus and pancreas among others. The explanations that re given unto garlic ability to prevent cancer are linked to its antibacterial properties which lead to enhancing of DNA repair, decreasing cell propagation, or bringing cell death. Garlic is also used in treating cancer where it S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC) is used to cause cell cycle arrest (Bayan, Koulivand & Gorji, 2014).

High blood pressure

Garlic is shown to aid in controlling high blood pressure. A research carried out showed that individual who took daily four capsules of aged garlic extract in a period of three months their blood pressure fell to average of 10 points.

Cold and infections

Experiments carried out showed that garlic could be used for treating cold and infections. This is achieved through their ability to kill limitless microorganisms which cause infections like common cold. Garlic has properties which are known for killing bacteria, virus and fungi hence reducing their infectious rates. Garlic’s allicin in specific is supposed to play a vital role in this vegetable’s antimicrobial authorities (Nicastro, Ross & Milner, 2015).

Alopecia

Alopecia is defined as hair loss. Research has shown that application of garlic gel on the skin especially head has helped in making hair grow for it treats alopecia areata (Toledano-Medina, Pérez-Aparicio, Moreno-Rojas &Merinas-Amo,2016).

Alzheimer’s disease and dementia

Alzheimer’s disease is one form of dementia which is a disease which makes people have problems when it comes to thinking clearly. Garlic has antioxidants as some of its properties that workto support the body through providing protective contrivancesin contrast to oxidative injury that can add to these intellectualinfections. Research done to Alzheimer’s patients showed that there is important neuroprotective and neurorescue belongings as a result of using garlic extract which is linked to development of impending drugs which could be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.Garlic has some properties of antioxidants which work to offer shield against cell damage and getting old.

Diabetes

Those people who are known to be consuming garlic have shown abilities to control blood sugar levels. Garlic intake leads to decreased problems to diabetics and even decreasing cholesterol concentration and boosting circulation. Study carried out on rats showed that garlic is very effective when it comes to improving health of diabetics and can be used to alleviate difficulties like atherosclerosis (Raut & Karuppayil, 2014).. Another study carried out on type II diabetes patients showed that intake of raw garlic lead to enhanced blood cholesterol intensities.

Living longer

Growth habitats

Cool weather is known to be the best for the garlic growth. In order for the garlic to be a full grown plant and yield best cloves, it needs to be planted in a well-prepared soil with compost, rock powder and organic fertilizer. The recommended spacing for each clove should be planted between 3 to 4 inches apart with 1 inch in clay soil while other 2 inches should be down in sandy soils. After planting the cloves the planting area should be covered with shredded mulch which should form about 2 inches. Partially completed compost can be used for plating cloves of garlic. After the planting of cloves, new garlic bulbs will start growing immediately where by one will be in a position to see green shoots before onset of freezing weather. In the period of hard freezes the plant should be covered with hay for shield.

Preparations for medicinal use

Garlic can be used in different forms depending on which one the user is comfortable with hence having various preparations methods. The most common preparation method for garlic is washing 2or 3 cloves of garlic in the morning hours. One may decide to grind the cloves and then add juice into it which helps in dealing with its strong flavor. One may decide to chew cinnamon afterwards to curb the strong smell of garlic.

Image of garlic

Conclusion

In conclusion, garlic is among vital plants which are used in the field of medicine. Garlic is a perennial plant which originated from West Africa before spreading to the rest of the world.Garlic is used in the prevention of certain sicknesses in human like heart disease which include atherosclerosis, cancer and Alzheimer disease among others.

References

Bayan, L., Koulivand, P. H., & Gorji, A. (2014). Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine, 4(1), 1.

Iwu, M. M. (2014). Handbook of African medicinal plants.CRC press.

Nicastro, H. L., Ross, S. A., & Milner, J. A. (2015). Garlic and onions: their cancer prevention properties. Cancer prevention research, 8(3), 181-189.

Raut, J. S., & Karuppayil, S. M. (2014).A status review on the medicinal properties of essential oils. Industrial Crops and Products, 62, 250-264