Pharmaceutical Name:

Bulbus Alli Sativi

Zoological Name:

Allium sativum L.

Common Name:

Garlic Bulb

Source of Earliest Record:

Ming Yi Za Zhu

Properties and Taste:

Acrid, warm

Meridian:

Spleen, Stomach, Lung

Functions:

Reduces swelling, relieves toxicity, kills parasites, relieves food poisoning. Antineoplastic, reduces blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, antibiotic, antidiabetic. 

Chinese Therapeutic Actions:

1. Reduces Swelling, Relieves Toxicity

~Dermatological disorders: Effectively addresses various disorders characterized by swelling and toxins. It is commonly used both internally and topically, individually or in combination with other herbs. Clinical applications include sores, swellings, carbuncles, tuberculosis, whooping cough, dysentery, diarrhea, and influenza. 

~ Rashes, itching and swelling of the skin: grind Da Shuan with sesame oil and mix with salt into a paste, apply topically. 

~ Whooping cough: crush 30 gm of Da Suan into paste and soak it (in twice as much water as garlic) for 12 hours. Filter out the solution and mix it with a small portion of sugar. The final preparation is given three times daily for 10-15 days per course of treatment. 

~ Diarrhea or dysentery: use the fresh herb or its decoction one time each day for 6 days. It can also be used as an enema. 

~ Prevention of viral infection: take 5 to 10 gm of Da Shuan with meals daily, or use a 10% Da Suan solution as nasal drops. 

~Tuberculosis: use 30 gm each of Da Suan, Geng Mi (Semen Oryzae) with 3 grams of Bai Ji (Rhizoma Bletillae). The formula is prepared by removing and discarding the skin of Da Suan and cooking the herb in boiling water for 1 to 1.5 minutes. Da Suan is then removed, and Geng Mi added and cooked until the decoction becomes porridge. Add the already-cooked Da Suan back to the porridge with 3 gm of Bai Ji before ingestion Take twice daily (morning and night) for 3 months. 

2. Kills Parasites

Effectively prevents and treats intestinal parasitic parasitic infestations such as hookworm and pinworm. 

~ Intestinal parasitic infestation: use Da Shuan with Bing Lan (Semen Arecae), Ku Lian Pi (Cortex Meliae), and He Shi (Fructus Carpesii). 

~ Prevention of hookworm: apply it topically to the extremities prior to entering agricultural fields. 

~Pinworms: mix this herb with vegetable oil and apply topically around the anus. 

~ Vaginitis due to amoebae or trichomonas: apply Da Suan pasted topically. 

~Influenza, encephalitis, and other infectious diseases: Apply 10% Da Suan juice into the nostrils and take 5 to 10 gm of Da Suan with every meal. 

3. Relieves Food Poisoning

Decoction of Da Suan is beneficial in treating fish and crab poisoning. It is generally combined with Zi Su Ye (Folium Perillae) and Sheng Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens) to treat various types of food poisoning. Da Suan also helps to neutralize toxins and relieve pain caused by centipede bites. 

• Antineoplastic: Administration of Da Suan is associated with antineoplastic action against nose and throat cancer, leukemia, stomach cancer, liver cancer with ascites, and lymphatic cancer. Allicin and allitridin are two of the active components responsible for the antineoplastic effect. 

• Cardiovascular: Administration of Da Suan is associated with reduction of blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, and atherosclerosis. Da Suan also demonstrated marked effectiveness to lower plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels in rabbits and decreased the risk of atherosclerosis. 

• Antibiotic: Da Suan has an antiviral effect against cytomegalovirus, and an antibiotic effect against Candida albicans, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Bacillus dysenteriae, Salmonell typhi, Vibrio cholerae, and Bacillus paratyhposus. 

• Hepatoprotective: Da Suan has a protective effect against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage. 

• Antidiabetic: Oral administration of Da Suan is associated with a 17.9 to 26.2% drop in plasma glucose levels, two hours after the initial dose. 

Clinical Studies and Research:

• Pneumonomoniliasis: Two patients with pneumonomoniliasis resistant to antibiotics were treated with 20 mL of 10% Da Suan solution administered via oral inhalation, with good results. 

• Hypercholesterolemia: Oral administration of a Da Suan preparation (equivalent to 50 gm per day of the herb) was given to 274 patients for 30 days. The study reported an increase in HDL and a decrease in LDL. 

• Nephritis: Acute nephritis in 21 patients were treated with Da Suan and Xi Gua (Fructus Citrulli) with complete recovery in 14 patients, moderate improvement in 5 patients, and no response in 2 patients. The treatment protocol was to insert 250 gm of Da Suan through a small hole into watermelon, and shave off the outer skin. The Da Suan-injected Xi Gua is to be steamed and ingested within one day; and the outer skin is to be cooked and ingested as tea. 

• Alopecia Areata: Topical application of Da Suan and oral ingestion of Shi Quan Da Bu Tang (All-Inclusive Great Tonifying Decoction) were effective for 856 patients with alopecia areata. The duration of treatment was between 17 and 46 days. 

Herb-Drug Interaction:

• Antidiabetics: Herbs that lower the plasma glucose levels, such as Da Suan, should be used cautiously with insulin, sulfonylureas, and other antidiabetic medications as the combination may have a synergistic effect, leading to hypoglycemia. [examples of antidiabetic drugs include insulin, tolbutamide (Orinase), glipizide (Glucotrol), and glyburide (DiaBeta/Micronase).]

• Antibiotic: Fresh Da Suan and its constituent allicin reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of vancomycin for vancomycin-resistant enterococci. 

Dosage:

3 to 5 pieces. Da Suan is commonly used both internally and topically. It may be used as fresh herb, decoction, food supplement, or syrup. The juice may be used as a rectal enema. To enhance the effect of moxa, Da Suan is cut into thin slices and placed on the skin at the desired points vefore moxa is applied.

Cautions:

Acrid and warm, Da Suan is contraindicated in cases of Yin-Deficient heat. Also contraindicated in cases of excess heat affecting the eyes, throat, mouth, tongue and gums. Topical application of Da Suan is sometimes associated with redness, burning sensations, and blistering of the skin. Use of Da Suan as rectal enema is not recommended for pregnant women.