Garlic belongs to the Allium family of vegetables which also includes onions, chives, shallots and leeks. Current research has shown that a number of readily available foods such as garlic and onions that make up a healthy diet, actually have a major impact on cancer prevention. These cancer fighting foods seem to have the ability to interfere with the development of cancerous tumors. Cancer fighting foods all contain large amounts of certain phytochemicals. Phytochemicals were developed by nature to protect plants against damage caused by insects, disease and environmental stress. These phytochemical molecules are the ones that give fruits and vegetables their brilliant colors, provide the smell to garlic and the astringent taste to tea. It is very likely that these phytochemicals, not the vitamins and minerals, that are the source of the cancer prevention capabilities of these healthy foods.
Current research on the anti-cancer potential of the Allium family |
