Does Eating Garlic Decrease Gastric Cancer Risk?

High garlic consumption conferred a 50% reduction in gastric cancer risk in a meta-analysis, but study limitations prevent any definitive conclusions.

Garlic is in the Allium (onion) family, which is associated with many putative health benefits, including improved blood pressure, reduced cholesterol, and decreased gastric cancer risk. One hypothesis for the possible decrease in gastric cancer risk is suppression of Helicobacter pylori by garlic. Although there have been many studies investigating the association of garlic with a gastric cancer risk, no firm conclusions can be made from those individual studies.

In a meta-analysis of data from 18 studies comprising 143,000 participants, the highest garlic consumption compared with the lowest was significantly associated with a 50% reduced risk for gastric cancer. Eating garlic at least once daily was associated with a 35% decreased risk fo…

Reviewing Author

John R. Saltzman, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardIterative Scopes

Editorial BoardsGastrointestinal Endoscopy; UpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican College of Gastroenterology (Trustee)

OtherVice President of Medical Affairs, 1Globe Health Institute