Australian-grown garlic could hold the key to fighting off Covid-19 and the flu, a study has found.
The world-first research from Melbourne‘s Doherty Institute found unique garlic varieties were able to reduce the infectiousness of the viruses by up to 99 per cent.
‘We could barely detect any remaining virus genome, indicating nearly complete virucidal [virus-destroying] activity,’ the institute’s Julie McAuley said.
The research released on Wednesday involved 18 months of in-vitro testing of garlic ingredients against the SARS-CoV-2 and influenza type A viruses.
The study was commissioned by Australian Garlic Producers, which is commercialising the most effective garlic varieties and their extracted ingredient.
The novel garlic extraction process is subject to a recently lodged international patent.
‘Our extensive research over many years… has shown that garlic varieties not only vary in their agronomic and physiological properties, but also in their biochemical properties,’ the company’s chief executive Nick Diamantopoulos said.
‘This type of detailed analysis is the key reason that has led to the identification of unique and specific garlic varieties with superior properties.’
The Doherty Institute’s business development director Martin Elhay welcomed the latest findings, saying the organisation was committed to the global effort to combat the spread of Covid-19.
In the past, health authorities have dismissed garlic’s supposed Covid-fighting properties as a ‘myth’.
Brett Sutton, Victoria’s chief health officer, reposted a ‘fact-check’ tweet from the World Health Organization in February 2020 reminding his followers: ‘I love garlic but I’m not going to rely on it to keep me safe.’
And the academic-tinged news website The Conversation published an article in March that year warning against ‘home remedies’ such as garlic.
Professor Peter Collignon, a professor of microbiology at the Australian National University, on Wednesday said he was sceptical of the findings.
‘Garlic was also strongly advocated by some as a cure for HIV over 40 [years] ago. But didn’t work,’ Professor Collignon tweeted.
‘There will be chemicals in plants and nature that are active (e.g. penicillin and quinine). But it requires a lot of searching and then a lot of researching to find any. Plus chance of finding anything in just [one] plant e.g. garlic, is very low.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk