Garlic Actually Can Improve Our Immune System

Here’s an FYI that may be useful… As a disclaimer, this is not medical advice, and this isn’t edited or reviewed. This is for information purposes only.

Always follow medical advice (unless you know better).

Part of our body’s immune system is the production of IFN (interferon) (6). IFN gets in the way viral reproduction. Although it will be a while before such studies confirm this novel (new) coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is sensitive to IFN, it is important to understand IFN doesn’t kill the virus (3, 6) and some coronaviruses may block IFN production (3). However, priming cells with IFN may partially counter the virus-induced block. And we might be able to cause priming to happen naturally, by regularly consuming one particular food: garlic (1). Medical doctors won’t tell you this because it isn’t clinical. But you might hear this from the experts, the post-doc immunology researchers.

It seems you can significantly increase your body’s internal IFN production simply by regularly eating fresh garlic (1). It is easy. Just have a glass of your favorite beverage ready at mealtime (I don’t always do it at mealtime). Then get a teaspoonful of minced garlic and ingest it like it was medicine (quickly). Chase it with your favorite beverage. I wouldn’t consume too much unless you like indigestion or want to activate the other way garlic can keep you healthy: keeping all people away including sick people - because you stink.

Expert advice states that IFN (or eating garlic) likely won’t prevent COVID-19 (4), and may have little effect if you’re already moderately or critically sick with it (5, 7). The only way to prevent it is to not come in contact with the virus in the first place, which is possible through safe practices (2).

But if you do get infected, wouldn’t you want to do all you could to increase the tools your body uses to fight it? And if you like garlic, all the better.

1. Bhattacharyya M, Girish GV, Karmohapatra SK, Samad SA, Sinha AK. Systemic production of IFN-alpha by garlic (Allium sativum) in humans. J Interferon Cytokine Res. 2007;27(5):377-382. doi:10.1089/jir.2006.0124

2. CDC. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – Prevention & Treatment. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coron…/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html
. Published March 14, 2020. Accessed March 15, 2020.

3. Kuri T, Zhang X, Habjan M, et al. Interferon priming enables cells to partially overturn the SARS coronavirus-induced block in innate immune activation. J Gen Virol. 2009;90(Pt 11):2686-2694. doi:10.1099/vir.0.013599-0

4. Myth busters. https://www.who.int/…/novel-…/advice-for-public/myth-busters
. Accessed March 15, 2020.

5. Ranieri VM, Pettilä V, Karvonen MK, et al. Effect of Intravenous Interferon β-1a on Death and Days Free From Mechanical Ventilation Among Patients With Moderate to Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2020;323(8):725-733. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.22525

6. Samuel CE. Antiviral Actions of Interferons. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2001;14(4):778-809. doi:10.1128/CMR.14.4.778-809.2001

7. Shankar-Hari M, Calfee CS. Lack of Clinical Benefit of Interferon β-1a Among Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Time to Overhaul Drug Trials in ARDS? JAMA. 2020;323(8):713-715. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.22524

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