Garlic: Not All It's Cracked up To Be

Throughout history, garlic has been considered by various cultures to have "miraculous" healing properties. However, recent studies and clinical trials have shown that garlic is not all it's been made out to be. Garlic does appear to have some positive health effects in test tubes, but the human body is very different from a controlled laboratory experiment. According to The Fly in the Ointment, numerous garlic studies have shown that "garlic's ability to reduce cholesterol is minimal." One German manufacturer of garlic supplements has sponsored 6 studies detailing the cholesterol-reducing effects of garlic, and still sells these supplements in the United States, despite the fact that 5 out of the 6 studies have shown no positive effects and the supplements are banned in Germany.
Garlic does, however, appear to have a more beneficial effect when it comes to cancer. The Fly in the Ointment cites studies that show that a diet high in garlic (5 to 6 cloves per week) can perhaps reduce cancer by 30 to 50 percent when compared to a diet low in garlic.