Garlic & Onions

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Nov. 21, 2006 -- Better load up on the breath mints; a new study

suggests eating lots of garlic and onions may help prevent cancer.

 

Italian researchers found that people whose diets are rich in onions,

garlic, and other alliums have a much lower risk of several types of

cancer than those who avoid the pungent herbs.

 

Researcher Carlotta Galeone, of the Istituto di Ricerche

Farmocologiche

" Mario Negri " in Milan, and colleagues say the health benefits of

onion

and garlic have been touted for centuries, but few studies have been

able to prove the benefits.

 

Pungent Cancer Prevention

 

In their study, researchers used data from several Italian and Swiss

cancer studies to look at the relationship between onion and garlic

consumption and cancer at several body sites, including the mouth,

larynx, esophagus, colon, breast, ovary, and kidneys.

 

Overall, consumption of onions ranged from 0-14 portions per week

among

cancer patients and 0-22 portions per week among those without cancer.

 

Garlic use was also lower among people with cancer, except for those

with cancer of the breast, ovary, or prostate.

 

Researchers found moderate consumption of onions appeared to reduce

the

risk of colorectal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancers.

 

The protective effect was even greater among those who ate the most

onions compared to those who ate the least. People who ate the most

onions also had a lower risk of oral and esophageal cancers than those

who ate the least.

 

Moderate use of garlic was also associated with a lower risk of

colorectal and renal cell (a type of kidney cancer) cancers.

 

Again, the anticancer effect increased with the more garlic they ate.

People who ate the most garlic had a lower risk of all cancers except

breast and prostate cancers, which are mainly associated with hormonal

and reproductive issues, write the researchers.

 

Researchers say onion and garlic consumption could simply be a marker

for a healthier lifestyle and a diet high in a variety of potentially

cancer-fighting herbs and vegetables.

 

However, the protective effect of onions and garlic against cancer

remained significant even when they were controlled for total

vegetable

intake.

 

SOURCE: Galeone, C. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November

2006; vol 84: pp 1027-1032.

[Guest guest]

If garlic and onions protect us

from disease I'll never die...