Fighting breast cancer with garlic
By Angeline J. Taylor
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The icy confines of an upright freezer at Florida A&M's College of Pharmacy are home to research that ultimately could save lives.
Frozen plastic test tubes containing carcinogens are part of lead researcher Ronald Thomas' theories on whether garlic can prevent breast cancer.
"In female rats, (we found that) a component of garlic prevents estrogen-induced cancer," said Thomas, 42, an associate professor.
Thomas, joined by his graduate assistant Oneil Newell, caught the attention of officials at the American Association of Cancer Research and the Society of Toxicology with their findings. They earned a blue ribbon from the association for their work.
"The research that our faculty are involved in seeks to find cures for the many diseases facing society and improve the quality of life for patients everywhere," Henry Lewis III, dean of FAMU's College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, said in a news release.
After about five years of research, Thomas and Newell, 33, determined that the flavor component of garlic is the key ingredient in preventing breast cancer. Thomas said studies also have shown that garlic inhibits carcinogens related to colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
"The garlic will serve to prevent that buildup of plaque in the heart and arteries," he said.
Thomas, an environmental toxicologist, said it's best to either eat more garlic or limit meat intake and eat more fruits and vegetables. Some chemicals in meat, he said, can create carcinogenic environments in the body. The garlic, he said, helps keep those carcinogens to a minimum.
For women, that means "if you increase the garlic in your diet, it will probably reduce the chances of breast cancer," Thomas said.
However, he said, diet and environment play a key role in possibly limiting the effects of the garlic.
Thomas and Newell have completed animal and cell culture studies. They now seek grants to carry their research to the next level.
"We do a lot of preliminary studies on animals," Thomas said. "And then if you find out there are no adverse effects, then you move it on maybe to human studies."
https://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs...11020363/1010/
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I know people that would rather die, than live with bad breath.
Not me, if you don't like my garlicky breath, then back off.
Fighting breast cancer with garlic
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