Garlic (Allium sativum) is a perennial plant native to Asia, and a member of the lily family. Though it is referred to as the "stinking rose", garlic is an essential ingredient in many types of cuisine around the world.

The history of garlic dates back to approximately 2300 B.C. in ancient Sumeria, and throughout this time, garlic has been used for its antiseptic and antibacterial qualities. When Egyptian medical papers were found dating back to 1550 B.C., they contained eight hundred formulas for the therapeutic uses of garlic. More recently, the famous French chemist, Louis Pasteur, found that garlic was an antibacterial agent.

People have, for thousands of years, used garlic to expel parasitic worms that lodge in the intestinal tract. Some studies show that garlic has an ability to kill amoeba and hookworms. In recent years, Indian studies have demonstrated that garlic has fibrinolytic activity. Fibrin is a protein necessary in clot formation. The protein is essential in the body, but when it exists in excess, there is an increased chance of clots disrupting blood flow. Garlic may have the ability to dissolve fibrin, in a process called fibrinolysis. Garlic has also demonstrated the ability to inhibit fibrinogen receptors on platelets. This is caused by the compound ajoene, which is a major component in garlic.

The Chemistry of Garlic
Today, much more is known about garlic due to advances in the field of organic chemistry. Many individual compounds have been analyzed and tested for their biological values. When garlic is crushed, it releases at least one hundred sulfur-containing compounds, and it is sulfur that gives garlic its distinctive odor.

The best method for using garlic in your diet is to cut or crush the raw clove. When garlic is crushed, it releases an enzyme called allinase, and this enzyme converts alliin, the substance in raw garlic, to allicin. Allicin is an extremely active substituent of garlic. When three allicin molecules combine, they form a compound called ajoene, which has antithrombotic (anti-clotting) properties. This means that it can prevent platelets (the blood cells involved in clotting) from clumping, which is what leads to blood clots

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