But human health doesn't work that simply.
During those five months, several things were happening simultaneously.
He was eating garlic regularly, but he was also:
- Improving his overall diet
- Reducing his intake of processed foods
- Paying more attention to hydration
- Managing his weight more carefully
- Continuing medical treatment
- Monitoring his condition
- Making broader lifestyle changes
Any one of these factors could have contributed.
More realistically, several probably worked together.
Garlic may have played a supportive role, but the story doesn't demonstrate that garlic was solely responsible for the improvements.
That's an important difference between correlation and proof of causation.
Still, there are legitimate scientific reasons researchers continue to study garlic.
1. Garlic and Oxidative Stress
Every day, normal metabolism produces reactive molecules often referred to as free radicals.
The body has natural antioxidant systems designed to keep these molecules under control.
Problems can occur when there is an imbalance between reactive molecules and the body's ability to neutralize them. This condition is broadly known as oxidative stress.
