Introduction Garlic has been advocated as a remedy for the treatment and prevention of a variety of health problems. Oil of Garlic is sometimes used on the skin as an aide for the treatment of skin infections.
Folklore has it that garlic can ward off vampires and werewolves.
Many people, including this author, find garlic to be very tasty when added to certain foods. Garlic, taken by mouth, is available as powdered extracts, in pill form, garlic oils or garlic cloves. Three of four studies examined showed no benefit of garlic on lowering blood cholesterol levels. The one study that concluded garlic was beneficial in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure showed very modest results that were not likely to be statistically significant. 1 Several studies have suggested that garlic may reversibly inhibit platelet activity.