According to a new study out of China, eating raw garlic at least twice a week can significantly reduce your chances of developing lung cancer — by up to 44 per cent overall, and even up to 30 per cent if you're a smoker.
Interviewing nearly 6,000 people (4,543 who were cancer free and over 1,424 who were suffering from lung cancer) between the years 2003 and 2010, the researchers surveyed them about their diet, their exposure to pollution, tobacco smoke (smoker and non-smoker), high-temperature cooking oils, and on their family history of cancer (they identified the leading causes as being cigarette smoke and fumes from high-temperature cooking oil). They found that those who reported eating raw garlic at least two times a week were only 56% likely to have lung cancer. When they specifically dealt with those who were smokers, the likelihood rose some, to 70%. Presumably, this is in comparison to those who did not consume garlic twice a week, and had developed lung cancer

The researchers apparently credit a chemical in garlic called allicin, which is released when the plant is cut, crushed or damaged (and it's what gives garlic its distinct smell). Allicin is the garlic plant's defense mechanism, as it's toxic to insects, as well as bacteria and other microorganisms. However, when it's released inside our bodies, it's known to reduce inflammation and act as an anti-oxidant. Inflammation of our cells due to irritants and toxins, as well as the oxidizing effects of 'free-radicals' — atoms that easily 'steal' electrons from the atoms that make up the cells in our bodies — can both cause damage to our DNA that results in cancer.
Cooked garlic, by comparison, may not have the same effect as this study reports. Allicin is an unstable chemical, breaking down on its own within about 16 hours at room temperature. As with many unstable chemicals, heating it to higher temperatures simply speeds up that process.

We've known about the healing properties of garlic for quite a long time, even if we didn't know exactly what it was in the garlic that did the healing. It contains vitamins such as C and B6. It's a good source of iodine, which is essential to our health. It is also thought to lower blood sugar levels and raises both insulin levels and insulin sensitivity (making it more effective). Garlic has already been linked to prevention of cancers that are more directly linked to eating it (ie: those in the gastrointestinal tract), but this is yet another study that shows how its general effects on our body have a more wide-ranging benefit.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, it's estimated that over 180,000 people will be diagnosed with cancer in 2013, and lung cancer will likely account for over 26,000 of those cases.
In an interview with Global News, Robert Nuttall, the acting director of Cancer Control Policy at the Canadian Cancer Society, said "For lung cancer, the number one thing a person can do is not smoke, and we also know that healthy diets … with combinations of fruits and vegetables, can reduce the risk of cancer. And garlic is one component of that diet.

Good for Indians======>Bad for fresh breath