Garlic/ja

ニンニク
Allium sativum、すなわちニンニク。ウィリアム・ウッドヴィル著『Medical Botany』、1793年より
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily:	Allioideae
Genus:	Allium
Subgenus:	A. subg. Allium
Species:	sativum
Binomial name
sativum L.
Synonyms
Synonymy Allium arenarium Sadler ex Rchb. 1830 not L. 1753 Allium controversum Schrad. ex Wild. Allium longicuspis Regel Allium ophioscorodon Link Allium pekinense Prokh. Porrum ophioscorodon (Link) Rchb. Porrum sativum (L.) Rchb. 1830 not (L.) Mill. 1768

ニンニク（Allium sativum）は、ネギ属の鱗茎性顕花植物の種である。近縁種にはタマネギ、エシャロット、リーキ、チャイブ、ネギ、ラッキョウなどがある。ニンニクは中央アジアから南アジア、黒海から南コーカサス、イラン北東部、ヒンドゥークシュ山脈にかけての地域が原産である。また、南ヨーロッパの地中海沿岸の一部でも野生化している。ニンニクには2つの亜種と数百の品種がある。

ニンニクは何千年もの間、調味料、料理の食材、伝統的な薬として使われてきた。バビロニア人、エジプト人、ローマ人、中国人など、多くの古代文明で知られており、特に地中海沿岸やアジアを中心に、多くの料理や民間療法において重要な存在であり続けている。ニンニクは様々な気候や条件で繁殖し、世界中で生産されている。中国は2021年に世界の供給量の3分の2以上（73%）を占める最大の生産国である。

特徴

ニンニクは中央アジア、南アジア、イラン北東部が原産の多年生の顕花植物である。鱗茎から生長し、高さ1 m (3 ft)に達する直立した花茎を持つ。葉身は平らで線形、中実で、幅は約1.25–2.5 cm (0.5–1.0 in)、先端は鋭尖である。北半球では7月から9月にかけてピンクから紫色の花を咲かせることがある。鱗茎は強い臭気があり、通常10〜20個の鱗片で構成されている。中央に近い鱗片は左右対称であり、中央を囲む鱗片は非対称になることがある。各鱗片は内側の鞘状葉に包まれ、その外側を何層もの鞘状葉が覆っている。適切な時期と深さに植えれば、アラスカの北限でも栽培できる。雌雄同体の花を咲かせ、チョウ、ガ、その他の昆虫によって受粉する。

化学的性質

新鮮なニンニクや潰したニンニクからは、硫黄含有化合物であるアリシン、アホエン、ジアリルポリ硫化物、ビニルジチイン、S-アリルシステインが生成される。また、調理すると酵素、サポニン、フラボノイド、そして硫黄を含まないメイラード反応生成物が生成される。

ニンニクの刺激的な風味の原因となるフィトケミカルは、植物の細胞が損傷した際に生成される。みじん切りにしたり、噛んだり、潰したりして細胞が壊れると、細胞の液胞に蓄えられた酵素が、細胞液（細胞質ゾル）に蓄えられたいくつかの硫黄含有化合物の分解を誘発する。

ネギ属の植物の中で、ニンニクは初期反応生成物の濃度が断然高く、タマネギ、エシャロット、リーキよりもはるかに強力である。多くの人間はニンニクの味を好むが、これらの化合物は鳥、昆虫、ワームなどの動物が植物を食べるのを防ぐ防御機構として進化したと考えられている。

多数の硫黄化合物がニンニクの匂いと味に寄与している。アリシンは、生のニンニクの「辛味」の主な原因となる化合物であることが分かっている。この化学物質は、食品の熱による灼熱感に関与する熱受容体電位チャネルを開く。ニンニクを調理する過程でアリシンは除去され、辛味が和らぐ。アリシンは、その分解生成物であるジアリルジスルフィドやジアリルトリスルフィドとともに、ニンニク特有の匂いの主な原因であり、ビニルジチインやアホエンなどの他のアリシン由来化合物も寄与している。

分類

一般的に栽培されているニンニクの野生の祖先を特定することは、その多くの栽培品種が不稔であるため、野生の近縁種との交配試験が制限されるため困難である。遺伝的および形態学的に、ニンニクは中央アジアと南西アジアに自生する野生種アリウム・ロンギクスピスに最も類似している。しかし、A. longicuspisもほとんど不稔であるため、A. sativumの祖先である可能性は低い。他にも、中東原産のA.トゥンセリアナム、A.マクロカエトゥム、A.トゥルンカトゥムなどが候補として挙げられている。

Allium sativumは、野生化した地域で自生している。イギリスの「ワイルドガーリック」、「クロウガーリック」、「フィールドガーリック」は、それぞれA.ウルシヌム、A.ヴィネアレ、A.オレラケウムの種である。北米では、A.ヴィネアレ（「ワイルドガーリック」または「クロウガーリック」として知られる）とA.カナデンセ（「メドウガーリック」、「ワイルドガーリック」、または「ワイルドオニオン」として知られる）が畑の一般的な雑草である。いわゆるエレファントガーリックは、実際には野生のリーキ（A.アンペロプラサム）であり、真のニンニクではない。一片種ニンニク（パールガーリックまたはソロガーリックとも呼ばれる）は、中国の雲南省が原産である。

亜種と変種

A. sativumには2つの亜種、10の主要な変種群、そして数百の変種または栽培品種が存在する。

• A. sativum var. ophioscorodon (Link) Döllは、Ophioscorodonまたはハードネックガーリックと呼ばれ、ポーセレンガーリック、ロカンボールガーリック、パープルストライプガーリックを含む。これは時に、別の種Allium ophioscorodon G.Donと見なされることもある。
• A. sativum var. sativumは、ソフトネックガーリックと呼ばれ、アーティチョークガーリック、シルバーキンガーリック、クレオールガーリックを含む。

中央アジアを起源とする栽培品種は少なくとも120種類あり、この地域がニンニクの生物多様性の主要な中心となっている。

ニンニクの花頭

イタリア産ニンニク

ニンニクの中には、英国およびEUで保護地理的表示を受けているものがあり、以下が含まれる。

名前	産地
アリオ・ロッソ・ディ・ヌビア（ヌビアの赤ニンニク）	ヌビア-パチェーコ、トラーパニ県、シチリア島、イタリア
アリオ・ビアンコ・ポレサーノ	ロヴィーゴ県、ヴェネト州、イタリア（PDO）
アリオ・ディ・ヴォギエーラ	フェラーラ県、エミリア＝ロマーニャ州、イタリア（PDO）
アイル・ブラン・ド・ロマニュー	ガスコーニュ地方ロマニュー、フランス（PGI）
アイル・ド・ラ・ドローム	ドローム県、フランス（PGI）
アイル・ローズ・ド・ロートレック（ロートレックのバラ色/ピンクニンニク）	ロートレック、フランス（PGI）
アイル・ヴィオレ・ド・カドゥール	カドゥール、フランス（PDO）
アホ・モラード・デ・ラス・ペドロニェラス（ラス・ペドロニェラスの紫/ピンクニンニク）	ラス・ペドロニェラス、スペイン（PGI）
金郷大蒜	中国（PGI）
タシュキョプリュ・サルムサウ	トルコ（PDO）

語源

「garlic」という言葉は、古英語の「garlēac」に由来し、「gar」（槍）と「リーキ」を意味し、「槍の形をしたリーキ」を指す。

生態

ニンニクの植物は通常丈夫で、多くの病害虫の影響を受けにくい。ニンニクの植物はウサギやモグラを寄せ付けないと言われている。カリフォルニア州食品農業局は、線虫とStromatinia cepivoraによって引き起こされる白腐病の2つの病原体（これらは作物に壊滅的な被害を与え、一度土壌に侵入すると永久的に残存する可能性がある）がないことを保証するための認証プログラムを実施している。ニンニクはまた、通常は致命的ではないが、根の成長を阻害し、根をピンクまたは赤に変色させる「ピンク根病」、あるいは通常明るいオレンジ色の斑点として現れる「リーキさび病」に罹患することもある。ネギガの幼虫は、葉や鱗茎に潜り込んでニンニクを食害する。

ボトリティスによる茎葉および鱗茎腐敗病は、タマネギ、ニンニク、リーキ、エシャロットの病気である。Botrytis alliiとBotrytis acladaはタマネギに、Botrytis porriはニンニクにこの病気を引き起こす。カリフォルニア大学によると、以下の症状が初期症状として現れる。<brockquote> 初期症状は通常、茎葉の付け根部分から始まり、罹患した組織は軟化し、水浸しになり、褐色に変色する。湿度の高い環境では、腐敗した鱗片上に灰色でフェルト状の菌糸（胞子が生成される場所）が現れ、鱗片間に菌糸体が発達することもある。最終的には、茎葉の付け根部分または鱗片間に、暗褐色から黒色の菌核（病原体の休眠体）が発達することがある。</brockquote>

栽培

フランスの市場で販売されているニンニク

ニンニクは栽培が容易で、温暖な気候では一年中生育する。ニンニクの有性生殖も可能だが、現在栽培されているニンニクのほとんどは、個々の鱗片を地面に植えることで無性的に繁殖させている。寒冷な気候では、土壌が凍る約6週間前に鱗片を植えるのが最適とされている。これは、鱗茎に根だけを生やし、地上に芽を出させないことが目的である。収穫は晩春から初夏にかけて行われる。

ニンニクの植物は、鱗茎が成熟するのに十分なスペースを残して密接に栽培でき、十分な深さの容器でも容易に育てられる。ニンニクは、日当たりの良い場所で、緩く、乾燥した、水はけの良い土壌でよく育ち、USDA耐寒性ゾーン4〜9で丈夫に育つ。植え付け用のニンニクを選ぶ際は、大きな鱗茎から鱗片を分けることが重要である。大きな鱗片と、植え付け床での適切な間隔が、鱗茎のサイズを大きくする。ニンニクの植物は、有機物含有量の高い土壌での生育を好むが、幅広い土壌条件とpHレベルで生育できる。

ニンニクには様々な品種があり、特にハードネックガーリックとソフトネックガーリックの亜種に分けられる。ニンニクは日長に敏感なため、栽培される緯度が品種の選択に影響する。ハードネックガーリックは一般的に冷涼な気候で栽培され、比較的大きな鱗片を生成するのに対し、ソフトネックガーリックは一般的に赤道に近い場所で栽培され、小さく密に詰まった鱗片を生成する。

ニンニクの花茎は、ニンニクの全てのエネルギーを鱗茎の成長に集中させるために除去される。花茎は生でも調理しても食べられる。

春化処理なしで栽培されたニンニク

繁殖

ニンニクを鱗片から繁殖させる方法は、株分けと呼ばれる。生産目的のニンニクの無性繁殖には、品種によって異なる低温が必要である。ハードネック種は長時間の低温暴露を必要とする一方、ソフトネック種はより温暖な気候でよく育つ。この低温気候は、複数の鱗片を持つ鱗茎の生育に必要な、鱗片の層化の一種である春化処理に必要である。一片種ニンニクは、春化処理なしで栽培されたニンニクの結果である。

Production

Garlic production – 2021

Country	Millions of tonnes
China	20.5
India	3.2
South Korea	0.8
Bangladesh	0.5
Egypt	0.3
Spain	0.3
World	28.2

In 2021, world production of garlic was 28 million tonnes, with China accounting for 73% of the total.

• 
  Bulbs (top-setting, grown in lieu of flowers)
• 
  Garlic, from The Book of Health, 1898, by Henry Munson Lyman
• 
  Alliin, a sulfur-containing compound found in garlic.

Adverse effects and toxicology

The scent of garlic is known to linger upon the human body and cause bad breath (halitosis) and body odor. This is caused by allyl methyl sulfide (AMS). AMS is a volatile liquid which is absorbed into the blood during the metabolism of garlic-derived sulfur compounds; from the blood it travels to the lungs (and from there to the mouth, causing garlic breath) and skin, where it is exuded through skin pores. Since digestion takes several hours, and release of AMS several hours more, the effect of eating garlic may be present for a long time. Washing the skin with soap is only a partial and imperfect solution to the smell. Studies have shown sipping milk at the same time as consuming garlic can significantly neutralize bad breath. Mixing garlic with milk in the mouth before swallowing reduced the odor better than drinking milk afterward. Plain water, mushrooms, and basil may also reduce the odor; the mix of fat and water found in milk, however, was the most effective. Garlic breath is allegedly alleviated by eating fresh parsley.

Abundant sulfur compounds in garlic are also responsible for turning garlic green or blue during pickling and cooking. Under these conditions (i.e., acidity, heat) the sulfur-containing compound alliin reacts with common amino acids to make pyrroles, clusters of carbon-nitrogen rings. These rings can be linked together into polypyrrole molecules. Ring structures absorb particular wavelengths of light and thus appear colored. The two-pyrrole molecule looks red, the three-pyrrole molecule looks blue, and the four-pyrrole molecule looks green (like chlorophyll, a tetrapyrrole). Like chlorophyll, the pyrrole pigments are safe to eat. Upon cutting, similar to a color change in onion caused by reactions of amino acids with sulfur compounds, garlic can turn green.

The green, dry "folds" in the center of the garlic clove are especially pungent. The sulfur compound allicin, produced by crushing or chewing fresh garlic, produces other sulfur compounds: ajoene, allyl polysulfides, and vinyldithiins. Aged garlic lacks allicin, but may have some activity due to the presence of S-allylcysteine.

Some people suffer from allergies to garlic and other species of Allium. Symptoms can include irritable bowel, diarrhea, mouth and throat ulcerations, nausea, breathing difficulties, and, in rare cases, anaphylaxis. Garlic-sensitive people show positive tests to diallyl disulfide, allylpropyldisulfide, allylmercaptan, and allicin, all of which are present in garlic. People who suffer from garlic allergies are often sensitive to many other plants, including onions, chives, leeks, shallots, garden lilies, ginger, and bananas.

The garlic plant is starting to be green

Several reports of serious burns resulting from garlic being applied topically for various purposes, including naturopathic uses and acne treatment, indicate care must be taken for these uses, usually testing a small area of skin using a low concentration of garlic. On the basis of numerous reports of such burns, including burns to children, topical use of raw garlic, as well as insertion of raw garlic into body cavities, is discouraged. In particular, topical application of raw garlic to young children is not advisable.

The side effects of long-term garlic supplementation are largely unknown. Possible side effects include gastrointestinal discomfort, sweating, dizziness, allergic reactions, bleeding, and menstrual irregularities.

Some breastfeeding mothers have found, after consuming garlic, that their babies can be slow to feed, and have noted a garlic odor coming from them.

Bulbs of garlic displayed for sale at a local vegetable market

If higher-than-recommended doses of garlic are taken with anticoagulant medications, this can lead to a higher risk of bleeding. Garlic may interact with warfarin, saquinavir, antihypertensives, calcium channel blockers, the quinolone family of antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, and hypoglycemic drugs, as well as other medications. The American Veterinary Medical Association considers garlic to be toxic to pets.

Garlic, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	623 kJ (149 kcal)
Carbohydrates	33.06 g
Sugars	1 g
Dietary fiber	2.1 g
Fat	0.5 g
Protein	6.36 g
Vitamins and minerals Vitamins Quantity %DV† Thiamine (B1) 17% 0.2 mg Riboflavin (B2) 8% 0.11 mg Niacin (B3) 4% 0.7 mg Pantothenic acid (B5) 12% 0.596 mg Vitamin B6 73% 1.2350 mg Folate (B9) 1% 3 μg Choline 4% 23.2 mg Vitamin C 35% 31.2 mg Minerals Quantity %DV† Calcium 14% 181 mg Iron 9% 1.7 mg Magnesium 6% 25 mg Manganese 73% 1.672 mg Phosphorus 12% 153 mg Potassium 13% 401 mg Sodium 1% 17 mg Zinc 11% 1.16 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	59 g
Selenium	14.2 μg
Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

Uses

Because of sulfur compounds circulating in blood, consumed garlic may act as a mosquito repellent, although there is no scientific evidence of its efficacy.

Nutrition

In the typical serving size of 1–3 cloves (3–9 grams), raw garlic provides no significant nutritional value, with the content of all essential nutrients below 10% of the Daily Value (DV). In a reference amount of 100 g (3.5 oz), raw garlic contains some micronutrients in rich amounts (20% or more of the DV), including vitamins B6 (73% DV) and C (35% DV), and the dietary mineral, manganese (73% DV). Per 100 gram serving, raw garlic is a moderate source (10–19% DV) of the B vitamins, thiamin and pantothenic acid, as well as the dietary minerals, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc.

The composition of raw garlic is 59% water, 33% carbohydrates, 6% protein, 2% dietary fiber, and less than 1% fat.

Culinary

Garlic bulbs and cloves for sale at the Or Tor Kor market in Bangkok

A garlic bulb

Garlic is widely used around the world for its pungent flavor as a seasoning or condiment.

The garlic plant's bulb is the most commonly used part of the plant. With the exception of the single clove types, garlic bulbs are normally divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves. Garlic cloves are used for consumption (raw or cooked) or for medicinal purposes. They have a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking. The distinctive aroma is mainly due to organosulfur compounds including allicin present in fresh garlic cloves and ajoene which forms when they are crushed or chopped. A further metabolite allyl methyl sulfide is responsible for garlic breath.

Other parts of the garlic plant are also edible. The leaves and flowers (bulbils) on the head (spathe) are sometimes eaten. They are milder in flavor than the bulbs, and are most often consumed while immature and still tender. Immature garlic is sometimes pulled, rather like a scallion, and sold as "green garlic". When green garlic is allowed to grow past the "scallion" stage, but not permitted to fully mature, it may produce a garlic "round", a bulb like a boiling onion, but not separated into cloves like a mature bulb.

Green garlic imparts a garlic flavor and aroma in food, minus the spiciness. Green garlic is often chopped and stir-fried or cooked in soup or hot pot in Southeast Asian (i.e. Vietnamese, Thai, Myanmar, Lao, Cambodian, Singaporean), and Chinese cookery, and is very abundant and low-priced. Additionally, the immature flower stalks (scapes) of the hardneck are sometimes marketed for uses similar to asparagus in stir-fries.

Garlic plants

Inedible or rarely eaten parts of the garlic plant include the "skin" covering each clove and root cluster. The papery, protective layers of "skin" over various parts of the plant are generally discarded during preparation for most culinary uses, though in Korea immature whole heads are sometimes prepared with the tender skins intact. The root cluster attached to the basal plate of the bulb is the only part not typically considered palatable in any form.

An alternative is to cut the top off the bulb, coat the cloves by dribbling olive oil (or other oil-based seasoning) over them, and roast them in an oven. Garlic softens and can be extracted from the cloves by squeezing the (root) end of the bulb, or individually by squeezing one end of the clove. In Korea, heads of garlic are heated over the course of several weeks; the resulting product, called black garlic, is sweet and syrupy, and is exported to the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.

Garlic may be applied to different kinds of bread, usually in a medium of butter or oil, to create a variety of classic dishes, such as garlic bread, garlic toast, bruschetta, crostini, and canapé. The flavor varies in intensity and aroma with the different cooking methods. It is often paired with onion, tomato, or ginger.

A bunch of garlic on a basket

Immature scapes are tender and edible. They are also known as "garlic spears", "stems", or "tops". Scapes generally have a milder taste than the cloves. They are often used in stir frying or braised like asparagus. Garlic leaves are a popular vegetable in many parts of Asia. The leaves are cut, cleaned, and then stir-fried with eggs, meat, or vegetables.

Garlic powder is made from dehydrated garlic and can be used as a substitute for fresh garlic, though the taste is not quite the same. Garlic salt combines garlic powder with table salt.

Regions

Garlic crushed using a garlic press

Garlic is a fundamental component in many or most dishes of various regions, including eastern Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, northern Africa, southern Europe, Eastern Europe and parts of Latin America. Latin American seasonings, particularly, use garlic in sofritos and mofongos.

Oils can be flavored with garlic cloves. These infused oils are used to season all categories of vegetables, meats, breads, and pasta. Garlic, along with fish sauce, chopped fresh chilis, lime juice, sugar, and water, is a basic essential item in dipping fish sauce, a highly used dipping sauce condiment used in Indochina. In East and Southeast Asia, chili oil with garlic is a popular dipping sauce, especially for meat and seafood. Tuong ot toi Viet Nam (Vietnam chili garlic sauce) is a highly popular condiment and dip across North America and Asia.

In some cuisines, the young bulbs are pickled for three to six weeks in a mixture of sugar, salt, and spices. In eastern Europe, the shoots are pickled and eaten as an appetizer. Laba garlic, prepared by soaking garlic in vinegar, is a type of pickled garlic served with dumplings in northern China to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Garlic is essential in Middle Eastern and Arabic cooking, with its presence in many food items. In the Levant, garlic is traditionally crushed together with olive oil, and occasionally salt, to create a Middle Eastern garlic sauce called Toum (تُوم; meaning "garlic" in Arabic). While not exclusively served with meats, toum is commonly paired with chicken or other meat dishes such as shawarma. Garlic is also a key component in some hummus varieties, an Arabic dip composed of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt.

Lightly smoked garlic is used in British and other European cuisine. It is particularly prized for stuffing poultry and game, and in soups and stews.

Emulsifying garlic with olive oil produces aioli. Garlic, oil, and a chunky base produce skordalia. Crushed garlic, oil, and water produce a strong flavored sauce, mujdei. Blending garlic, almond, oil, and soaked bread produces ajoblanco. Tzatziki, yogurt mixed with garlic and salt, is a common sauce in Eastern Mediterranean cuisines.

Culinary history

Numerous cuneiform records show that garlic has been cultivated in Mesopotamia for at least 4,000 years. The use of garlic in China and Egypt also dates back thousands of years. Well-preserved garlic was found in the tomb of Tutankhamun (c. 1325 BC). It was consumed by ancient Greek and Roman soldiers, sailors, and rural classes (Virgil, Eclogues ii. 11), and, according to Pliny the Elder (Natural History xix. 32), by the African peasantry. Garlic was placed by the ancient Greeks on the piles of stones at crossroads, as a supper for Hecate (Theophrastus, Characters, The Superstitious Man).

Garlic was rare in traditional English cuisine (though it is said to have been grown in England before 1548) but has been a common ingredient in Mediterranean Europe. Translations of the c. 1300 Assize of Weights and Measures, an English statute generally dated to the 13th century, indicate a passage as dealing with standardized units of garlic production, sale, and taxation—the hundred of 15 ropes of 15 heads each but the Latin version of the text may refer to herring rather than garlic.

Storage

String of garlic

Domestically, garlic is stored warm [above 18°C (64°F)] and dry to keep it dormant (to inhibit sprouting). It is traditionally hung; softneck varieties are often braided in strands called plaits or grappes. Peeled cloves may be stored in wine or vinegar in the refrigerator. Commercially, garlic is stored at 0°C (32°F), in a dry, low-humidity environment. Garlic will keep longer if the tops remain attached.

Garlic is often kept in oil to produce flavored oil; however, the practice requires measures to be taken to prevent the garlic from spoiling which may include rancidity and growth of Clostridium botulinum. Acidification with a mild solution of vinegar minimizes bacterial growth. Refrigeration does not assure the safety of garlic kept in oil, requiring use within one month to avoid bacterial spoilage.

Stored garlic can be affected by Penicillium decay known as "blue mold" (or "green mold" in some locales), especially in high humidity. Infection may first appear as soft or water-soaked spots, followed by white patches (of mycelium) which turn blue or green with sporulation. As sporulation and germination are delayed at low temperature, and at −4 °C are inhibited entirely, in refrigerated cloves one may only see the white mycelium during early stages. Penicillium hirsutum and Penicillium allii are two of the predominant species identified in blue mold.

Medical research

Cardiovascular

As of 2016, clinical research found that consuming garlic produces only a small reduction in blood pressure (4 mmHg), and there is no clear long-term effect on hypertension, cardiovascular morbidity or mortality. A 2016 meta-analysis indicated there was no effect of garlic consumption on blood levels of lipoprotein(a), a biomarker of atherosclerosis.

Because garlic might reduce platelet aggregation, people taking anticoagulant medication are cautioned about consuming garlic.

Cancer

Two reviews found no effect of consuming garlic on colorectal cancer. A 2016 meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies found a moderate inverse association between garlic intake and some cancers of the upper digestive tract.

Common cold

A 2014 review found insufficient evidence to determine the effects of garlic in preventing or treating the common cold. Other reviews concluded a similar absence of high-quality evidence for garlic having a significant effect on the common cold.

Harvesting garlic, from Tacuinum Sanitatis, 15th century (Bibliothèque nationale de France)

Folk medicine

Garlic has been used for traditional medicine in diverse cultures such as in Korea, Egypt, Japan, China, Rome, and Greece. In his Natural History, Pliny gave a list of conditions in which garlic was considered beneficial (N.H. xx. 23). Galen, writing in the second century, eulogized garlic as the "rustic's theriac" (cure-all) (see F. Adams' Paulus Aegineta, p. 99). Alexander Neckam, a writer of the 12th century (see Wright's edition of his works, p. 473, 1863), discussed it as a palliative for the heat of the sun in field labor. In the 17th century, Thomas Sydenham valued it as an application in confluent smallpox, and William Cullen's Materia Medica of 1789 found some dropsies cured by it alone.

Other uses

The sticky juice within the bulb cloves is used as an adhesive in mending glass and porcelain. An environmentally benign garlic-derived polysulfide product is approved for use in the European Union (under Annex 1 of 91/414) and the UK as a nematicide and insecticide, including for use in the control of cabbage root fly and red mite in poultry.

In culture

Garlic is present in the folklore of many cultures. In Europe, many cultures have used garlic for protection or white magic, perhaps owing to its reputation in folk medicine. Central European folk beliefs considered garlic a powerful ward against demons, werewolves, and vampires. To ward off vampires, garlic could be worn, hung in windows, or rubbed on chimneys and keyholes.

In the foundation myth of the ancient Korean kingdom of Gojoseon, eating nothing but 20 cloves of garlic and a bundle of Korean mugwort for 100 days let a bear be transformed into a woman.

In celebration of Nowruz (Persian calendar New Year), garlic is one of the essential items in a haft-sin ('seven things beginning with "S"') table, a traditional New Year's display: the name for garlic in Persian is سیر (seer), which begins with س (sin, fa, seen) the Perso-Arabic letter corresponding to "S".

In Islam, it is recommended not to eat raw garlic prior to going to the mosque. This is based on several hadith.

Some Mahāyāna Buddhists and sects in China and Vietnam avoid eating onions, garlic, scallions, chives and leeks, which are known as Wu hun (Chinese: 五葷; pinyin: Wǔ hūn, 'the five forbidden pungent vegetables').

Because of its strong odor, garlic is sometimes called the "stinking rose".

Gallery

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  Chopped garlic
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  Garlic plant
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  Harvested garlic left to dry
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  A garlic bulb
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  Blended garlic confit

関連項目

• Garlic oil/ja
• Garlic sauce/ja
• Herbalism/ja
• 栽培植物の国際命名法
• List of garlic dishes/ja
• にんにく祭りの一覧
• ピルビン酸スケール

外部リンク

• Data related to Allium sativum at Wikispecies
• The dictionary definition of garlic at Wiktionary